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Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1
Fri, 25 Feb 2005, 07:07 PM
Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 21st annual
Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and
position in order following run:
Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 8.543/94.20, Now #2
Right Lane: Rit Pustari Runs 4.601/308.43, Now #1
4:20 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 41
percent, barometer 28.74 inches, adjusted altitude 2,623 feet, track temperature 104
degrees.
Top Fuel gets the nods to light 'em up and here comes the first pair. Pustari is in a new ride
this weekend with the Menard's racer and sets his career best ET and MPH in his first pass.
Palmer struck the tires hard before 100 feet and coasted on out.
Left Lane: Mitch King Runs 5.874/165.76, Now #2
Right Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 7.912/106.15, Now #3
King appeared to push a headgasket around 300 feet but remained on the throttle a
bit longer. Litton had problems of his own and shut off very early as well.
Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 4.868/241.50, Now #3
Right Lane: Andrew Cowin Runs 4.717/296.57, Now #2
Both cars were running out of steam before the finish stripe and after the smoke
cleared it was the Safari's turn to take to the racing surface and do a dust and clean in both
lanes.
Left Lane: John Smith Runs 6.957/121.62, Now #6
Right Lane: Scott Weis Runs 5.344/182.18, Now #4
The sides of Smith's black Fueler are still blank where a sponsors name should be.
Hope they get that space filled soon. Smith struck the tires around 330 and he tried to slap
the pedal and get it back. It was no dice and the car fell silent. Weis was mixing cylinders
and it appeared the belt might have exited the car about 800 to 900 feet. That 4.60 by Pustari
looks pretty good at the moment.
Left Lane: Cory McClenathan No Time, Now #10
Right Lane: David Baca Runs 4.553/326.32, Now #1
Cory Mac stuck the tires right at the hit and he didn't make the finish. Baca
started drifting towards the centerline and put a hole out just before the finish. He still
sets low ET and Top Speed of the event. I don't think that will last though.
Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.490/327.19, Now #1
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 10.386/85.82, Now #11
Dixon kicks the tires loose before 100 feet and coasts on through the lights.
Kalitta has very few problems and he resets the speed and ET marks. This low ET thing just
might not be over considering the cars left to run.
Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.595/326.16, Now #4
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.493/326.24, Now #2
Speaking of left to run. Both of these teams are capable of taking their rides to
the top of the heap. I'm sure Schumacher feels he has something to atone for. After dominating
qualifying at the opening event he admitted to a driver error that cost a round win in
eliminations. Another driver with Pomona on the mind? Schumacher misses the top spot by .003.
I'm sure the team will take the clean run and come back later. Bernstein was behind by a tenth
when the scoreboards came alive and will be #4 behind Baca.
Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.510/321.96, Now #3
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 9.844/42.31, Now #14
Both drivers in this pair set their career best ET and MPH at the Pomona season
opener. Grubnic strikes the tires early in the run. Very unusual for this team. Lucas's engine
ate some part on the big end but he still will that the #3 post.
Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.553/325.06, Now #6
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.547/326.40, Now #4
The winner and runner-up from Pomona will close out the session. Both drivers go
top half but fail to challenge Doug Kalitta for the top spot. The cars are scheduled to return
in a couple of hours for qualifying session two.
Timing data courtesy of
CompuLink
By Dave Gerard
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