Sat, 15 Jul 2006, 08:33 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

MORRISON, Colo. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 27th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Rob Passey Runs 9.935/78.25, Now #17; Best prior run: 10.931/78.34, Was #17
Right Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 6.223/148.89, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.902/254.38, Was #14

Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 27 percent, barometer 24.85 inches,adjusted altitude 7,613 feet, track temperature 121 degrees.

Passey is up in smoke right off the starting line. Strasburg was up in smoke early and clicked it off. Passe will not get into the show, and Strasburg will race on Sunday.

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 8.486/109.67, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.563/176.47, Was #16
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 9.268/87.94, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.854/288.15, Was #13

They are both up in smoke right off the starting line.

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 5.140/302.28, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.269/285.89, Was #15
Right Lane: David Baca Runs 7.164/119.44, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.703/308.71, Was #9

Cory Mac started to lose traction early and pedaled it one time and drove it on through the 1320. Apparently Cory used up an engine on the top end as the Safety Safari rolls. He will use up one of his freebies here. Baca was up in smoke by 330 feet.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 5.206/221.42, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.785/312.42, Was #12
Right Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 6.426/137.39, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.673/316.60, Was #8

Fuller almost made it to half track before smoking the Goodyears, Troxel made just past half track when she started to blister the Goodyears.

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Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.946/275.73, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.739/305.29, Was #11
Right Lane: Hillary Will Runs 4.961/290.07, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.662/318.69, Was #7

Finally a pair of cars get down the track. Doug Herbert's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.273, 660ft-3.274/244.03mph, 1,000ft-4.156
Hillary Will's incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.278, 660ft-3.300/245.14mph, 1,000ft-4.191

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 5.744/191.08, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.704/311.41, Was #10
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.731/312.50, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.642/321.96, Was #4

Schumacher with a great looking pass, straight down the groove. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.222, 660ft-3.195/260.01mph, 1,000ft-4.019

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.868/308.43, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.654/314.90, Was #6
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.914/312.13, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.631/319.60, Was #1

Another pair of clean passes. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.298, 660ft-3.302/251.11mph, 1,000ft-4.143
Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.326, 660ft-3.357/248.84mph, 1,000ft-4.197

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Left Lane: David Grubnic No Time, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.643/327.82, Was #5

Grubnic did the burnout and than was leaking something and was shut off.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.717/314.53, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.640/324.28, Was #3

Bernstein with the quickest pass of the session to wrap up Top Fuel qualifying. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.876 sec., 330ft-2.240, 660ft-3.205/262.08mph, 1,000ft-4.012

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink