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Fri, 7 Nov 2003, 08:19 PM

Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals 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:

Left Lane: Rit Pustari Runs 4.952/242.71, Now #12; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 4.764/301.40, Now #10; No Prior Run

3:45 PM Current weather conditions: 69 degrees, 40 percent relative humidity, the 30.01 barometer inches. It's starting to cool off and the sun is dipping toward the horizon.

Hartley takes over driving today for Cali veri and makes a nice pass into the field. Pustari had to lift, as the dragster drifted close to the guard rail.

Left Lane: Scott Weis Runs 5.159/194.13, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.320/140.83, Was #17
Right Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 5.761/160.42, Now #17; Best prior run: 13.625/87.00, Was #25

Weis will get the field for now, but it's expensive as there is a flash bang from the engine near the top end. Chrisman was right with Weis until just before mid track where he shut off. Clay Millican is on the bump with a 5.612 ET.

There is oil on the track in Weis' lane. 3:50 PM

Left Lane: Paul Romine Runs 4.612/318.99, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.589/164.35, Was #15
Right Lane: Bill Ancona Runs 10.447/85.20, Now #24; Best prior run: 9.993/83.78, Was #24

3:57 PM ... and we are back. Ancona had problems with a big wheel stand yesterday and is looking to get into the field. He has a good .870 sixty foot time and then smokes the tires. Romine makes a big move into the current top half of the field with a clean pass.

Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 7.302/98.17, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.087/209.95, Was #14
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.583/326.79, Now #5; Best prior run: 9.131/86.69, Was #23

Grubnic in Bill Miller's dragster smokes the tires before the 330 foot lights. Head makes a strong pass with a good MPH to get into the top half of the field. Weis is now on the bump with a 5.159.

Left Lane: KC Spurlock Runs 5.169/230.45, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.819/283.25, Was #13
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.706/318.32, Now #12; Best prior run: 9.051/93.00, Was #23

Palmer runs a career best in both ET and MPH to bump into the field and put Grubnic on the bump with a 5.087 ET. Spurlock has his hands full with a big fire at mid track in the Western Rock dragster. He keeps it straight and has enough parachute left to get the car safely stopped on the track. We are down for another cleanup. 4:03 PM

Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.633/314.68, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.688/291.01, Was #11
Right Lane: Darrell Russell Runs 4.569/314.46, Now #5; Best prior run: 8.847/101.77, Was #23

4:14 PM ... time to go racing again. Russell needs to get a full pass today for a baseline. He does so with style and moves into the current top half of the field. Herbert is right behind him and misses the top half by less than .02 seconds. Pustari is now on the bump with a 4.952.

Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 4.764/309.84, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.681/307.09, Was #12
Right Lane: David Baca Runs 4.601/315.19, Now #7; Best prior run: 8.200/92.84, Was #23

One is in, one isn't. Once again, the right lane moves into the top half of the field, as Baca finds the handle and makes a clean pass. Strasburg slows from yesterday.

Left Lane: Shirley Muldowney Runs 4.645/322.73, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.664/320.20, Was #12
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.541/327.35, Now #3; Best prior run: 7.610/121.72, Was #23

Muldowney and Kalitta qualifying side by side is something that used to happen all the time. This time it's Doug, not Connie in the right lane. A nice side by side pass for these two, with both cars improving. Muldowney is slightly quicker than yesterday, but gives up a spot to Kalitta. Joe Hartley is the bump with a 4.764 ET.

Left Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.556/324.67, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.619/325.92, Was #10
Right Lane: John Smith Runs 4.703/270.75, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.272/139.88, Was #23

Two more good passes and we are just two spots from a record qualifying field. Smith has problems near the top end and just bumps into the field. Palmer's 4.706 is now the bump.

Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.559/326.40, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.565/327.27, Was #6
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.654/268.60, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.612/163.31, Was #22

The Yankee/Berryman team is able to repair yesterday sand box experience and he repeats on yesterday's times. Millican's incremental time were better than Cory up until the 1000 foot mark. He is just able to bump to the current #14 position after a significant fire from the engine. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.169, 660ft-3.097/271.19mph, 1,000ft-3.880
Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.088/269.94mph, 1,000ft-3.890

More clean up has started in the right lane 4:27 PM

Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.537/326.16, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.539/326.87, Was #2
Right Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 6.887/117.64, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.644/313.37, Was #6

Dixon shows the teams consistency and repeats on yesterday's time. Hartman-Smith is strong until the 330 mark and smokes the tires.

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.484/331.20, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.497/329.02, Was #1
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 9.690/85.14, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.549/323.89, Was #3

Allen Johnson's big horse power is fully put to use as Schumacher hammers the field with another four forty pass. Kalitta is up in smoke after the sixty foot lights. John Smith is the sixteenth qualifier with a stout 4.703 ET. We'll have two more tries tomorrow and there is a good chance of a record field.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink