Fri, 24 Oct 2003, 08:25 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Jonathan Adams

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Bill Ancona Runs 4.658/303.16, Now #1

4:20 p.m.Well, "Hollywood" is in the house. KC Spurlock makes his return to drag racing at the wheel of the Western Rock dragster. Or not. He is forced to shut off before the burnout, so Ancona will be on a single.

Very nice run for Ancona, as he runs a career-best e.t.

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Left Lane: Rit Pustari Runs 4.850/295.72, Now #2
Right Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 9.028/84.64, Now #3

Hartley had a cylinder out at the hit, and then smoked the tires at 330. Pretty good first pass for Pustari.

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Left Lane: Shirley Muldowney Runs 14.106/63.65, Now #5
Right Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 4.979/279.50, Now #3

Here are two of the legends of drag racing. Both drivers were on the list of NHRA's Top 50 drivers. Shirley was up in smoke at the hit, and the "Greek" had raw fuel pouring out of the left bank.

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.762/288.95, Now #2
Right Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 5.740/159.66, Now #5

Pair of former Top Alcohol competitors here. Strasburg hazed the tires at half-track and shut it off. Palmer got over near the wall, but still made a nice run.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.633/295.27, Now #1
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 5.739/160.50, Now #6

Kalitta with a good run, but all eyes were on Grubnic who had a big fire after the engine blew up at half track. Kalitta's speed was down a bit because the blower belt came off. We're down for a clean-up in the right lane.

4:36 p.m.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.785/280.66, Now #4
Right Lane: Scott Weis Runs 5.010/217.28, Now #7

4:57 p.m. Weis was ahead of Millican at half track, but had to shut it off just past the 1000-foot mark. Millican's speed was down because the blower belt removed itself just before the finish line.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 6.114/140.47, Now #10
Right Lane: Paul Romine Runs 12.060/77.37, Now #12

Head is a 40-1 longshot this weekend, and seems to be the sleeper pick of the event. Romine was up in smoke early. Head started to haze the slicks just before half-track and shut it off.

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Left Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 4.781/263.62, Now #4

Good run for Rhonda until the blower belt came off. Only one 300 mph pass so far.

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Left Lane: John Smith Runs 4.796/291.45, Now #6
Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 5.507/170.71, Now #10

Bernstein strikes the tires just before half track. Smith with a nice first pass.

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Left Lane: David Baca Runs 10.584/87.02, Now #16
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 5.179/205.94, Now #10

Baca smokes 'em at 60 feet, and Cory Mac smokes 'em at half track.

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Left Lane: Darrell Russell Runs 4.628/310.91, Now #2
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.584/325.30, Now #1

This could be a big weekend for Schumacher on and off the track. His wife his pregnant with their second child, and is due any day. He will fly home to Illinois on Sunday night, and Gary Scelzi will test the Army dragster on Monday here, as well as his Oakley funny car.

Great side-by-side race here. Pretty big speed for Sarge.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.543/325.30, Now #1
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 6.258/140.52, Now #18

Last pair of the session. Dixon strikes the tires at half track. Kalitta, meanwhile, zooms to the top spot with a beautiful run. He ties Schumacher for top speed, too.

5:15 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink