Sat, 31 May 2008, 04:18 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX 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: Bob Vandergriff Runs 10.161/77.89, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.875/244.07, Was #15

Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 28.79 inches, adjusted altitude 4,045 feet, track temperature 118 degrees.

Vandergriff was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.806/270.00, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.728/283.37, Was #14

No help here for Morgan as he slowed on the top end, I didn't see any problems. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.892 sec., 330ft-2.245, 660ft-3.206/260.56mph, 1,000ft-4.036

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.822/294.31, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.690/303.78, Was #13
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 7.465/109.29, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.623/322.34, Was #9

Todd started to smoke the tires around 200 feet and clicked it off. Grubnic with a good clean pass...David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.274, 660ft-3.240/258.62mph, 1,000ft-4.075

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Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 9.792/88.70, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.653/314.83, Was #12
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.733/265.01, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.609/313.15, Was #6

Hartley had at least one hole out at the hit and then started to smoke the tires before he clicked it off. Herbert with a good pass until about 800 feet and then it nosed over and he clicked it off around 1000 feet. Doug Herbert's incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.215, 660ft-3.154/268.54mph, 1,000ft-3.959

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Left Lane: Hillary Will Runs 4.661/305.42, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.649/285.35, Was #11
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.689/296.50, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.590/324.83, Was #5

A couple good clean passes, but neither improve. Hillary Will's incremental times: 60ft-0.881 sec., 330ft-2.213, 660ft-3.144/270.43mph, 1,000ft-3.827
Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.885 sec., 330ft-2.222, 660ft-3.154/270.59mph, 1,000ft-3.958

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.704/304.87, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.623/324.75, Was #8
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.677/293.54, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.584/292.77, Was #4

A good side-by-side drag race here in the heat of the day...Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.880 sec., 330ft-2.221, 660ft-3.170/266.37mph, 1,000ft-3.980
Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.208, 660ft-3.140/267.59mph, 1,000ft-3.949

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.632/308.64, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.622/305.91, Was #7
Right Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 5.101/204.57, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.565/320.13, Was #3

Schumacher with the quickest pass of the session...Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.193, 660ft-3.126/271.24mph, 1,000ft-3.921 Fuller clicked it off early. Rod Fuller's incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.220, 660ft-3.197/254.09mph, 1,000ft-4.103

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.819/289.69, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.527/325.30, Was #1
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.666/303.78, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.565/323.04, Was #2

Dixon with a whisp of tire smoke just past half track...Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.889 sec., 330ft-2.253, 660ft-3.219/257.68mph, 1,000ft-4.063 He will hold on to the number one spot and that is the third number one qualifying spot here at Heartland Park. McClenathan with a nice pass, third quickest of the session...Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.194, 660ft-3.138/267.16mph, 1,000ft-3.944

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink