Thu, 9 Nov 2006, 07:07 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 5.002/292.14, Now #2
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.599/318.92, Now #1

3:05 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 42 percent, barometer 29.02 inches, adjusted altitude 2,506 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Looks like the right lane is not as big a problem for the long cars, as Torrance runs a straight and true pass to set the standard for the rest of the qualifiers. Chrisman struggles with the tune up and will not likely stay in the field.

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Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 10.887/87.12, Now #4
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 9.318/81.82, Now #3

Buff has shown himself well at the last couple of races, but the car starts to move out of the groove at the hit and goes up in smoke by the 60 foot lights. No joy for Hartley, as his tires are smoking at the green.

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Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 4.578/324.44, Now #1
Right Lane: Scott Palmer No Time, Now #6

Palmer's crew shuts him off after the burnout and pulls the car back behind the line. Strasburg makes a great looking pass into the current top spot, but it looks expensive as there is a plume of dust from the sand trap at the end of the track. No announcer's feed or TV monitors today, so I couldn't tell exactly what happened, but I'm told that there were no chutes deployed. This pass is a career best ET for Strasburg.

3:11 p.m.

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Left Lane: Alan Bradshaw Runs 4.693/300.86, Now #4
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.640/307.16, Now #3

3:21 p.m. ...and we are back. Bill Miller Engineering announced a "new and improved" supercharger for the fuel cars earlier this week and Millican is running a new basic black paint scheme this week with Motorvation in big letters down the side of the car, along with a big Nitro Fish decal. Bradshaw is away first, but Millican has a lot better 60 foot time and quickly passes him by. They run together until right near the lights, where both cars go bang and we have a lot of smoke in both lanes. Once again we are in delay, as the Safety Safari begins their dusting and cleaning activities on the top end.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.728/309.84, Now #6
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.614/302.82, Now #3

3:28 p.m. Lots of holes out in Vandergriff's car after mid-track and he still runs 4.72. Herbert engine runs well until about the 1000 foot mark and then give up the ghost. The parade of clean up trucks starts their trek to the finish line again.

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Left Lane: David Baca Runs 4.583/310.98, Now #3
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.567/324.75, Now #1

3:42 p.m. Lucas is coming off of his first ever DNQ at Las Vegas and makes a strong pass to ensure a spot in this weeks eliminations. Say Hello to your new #1 qualifier! Baca continues to show improvements and runs right behind him into the current #3 spot.

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Left Lane: Hillary Will Runs 4.620/311.77, Now #7
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.561/331.85, Now #1

Will had a great weekend at Las Vegas and makes a top half of the field pass. Cory MaC shows the right lane is for real and runs well to take over low ET and top speed, so far.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 4.565/313.15, Now #2
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.568/327.90, Now #4

Todd is likely to be the Rookie of the year and he shows why with a current #2. The car uses all of his lane getting to the finish line. Dixon's tune up was a little milder and he moves into the current #4 spot.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.524/323.97, Now #1
Right Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 4.537/327.19, Now #2

The power is starting to show, with both cars making a good looking side by side run into the current top spots. Troy Buff is the first car on the bump spot at 9.318.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 10.612/83.85, Now #18
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.519/330.47, Now #1

Troxel and Bernstein have been on and off this year. Troxel's tune up is too stout for the track and the tires start to spin before the 60 foot lights. The Bud Car has the tune up and streaks into the new #1 position on a clean pass.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.490/328.54, Now #1
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.546/326.87, Now #5

Last two cars of the session. Steven Chrisman is on the bump spot at 5.002. No National Record today, but the Army car has the power and tune up to nail the top spot. Kalitta's car is .02 sec slower in 60 feet and has to settle for the #5 spot today.

3:58 p.m. Long session and Alan Bradshaw is on the bump spot at 4.693.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink