Fri, 6 Jun 2008, 08:58 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

JOLIET, Ill. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 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: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.879/261.17, Now #6; Best prior run: 9.779/79.61, Was #14
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.516/331.53, Now #1; Best prior run: 13.021/75.98, Was #16

Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 65 percent, barometer 29.11 inches, adjusted altitude 3,465 feet, track temperature 91 degrees.

Brown got it to hook up this time and blasted right down the 1320 to go to the number one spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.866 sec., 330ft-2.173, 660ft-3.081/277.89mph, 1,000ft-3.848 Vandergriff was on a good pass until his engine went silent around 900 feet.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 9.781/87.00, Now #16; Best prior run: 9.688/91.35, Was #15
Right Lane: Luigi Novelli Runs 5.585/210.44, Now #8; Best prior run: 11.720/91.82, Was #16

grubnic was up in smoke right off the starting line and he clicked it off. Novelli was mixing up cylinders as soon as he hit the throttle and he pedaled it at least once. He used up all of his lane, but still moved into the field for now.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.616/325.30, Now #3; Best prior run: 9.447/84.87, Was #15
Right Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 5.235/317.12, Now #8; Best prior run: 8.961/79.39, Was #13

Fuller was up in smoke right off the starting line and was off the throttle and then back on it to get in the show for now. Bernstein with a nice pass to go to the number three spot...Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.863 sec., 330ft-2.192, 660ft-3.136/266.16mph, 1,000ft-3.931

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.984/199.46, Now #9; Best prior run: 9.314/85.28, Was #15
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.711/293.92, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.100/152.88, Was #11

McClenathan with a very good pass until about 1000 feet when the engine went silent. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.137, 660ft-3.059/272.94mph, 1,000ft-3.966 Herbert with a nice pass to get into top half of the show...Doug Herbert's incremental times: 60ft-0.901 sec., 330ft-2.229, 660ft-3.160/268.92mph, 1,000ft-3.972

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.513/331.69, Now #1; Best prior run: 8.927/77.75, Was #15
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 4.555/328.14, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.239/189.92, Was #11

This was a great side-by-side drag race with Schumacher going to the number one spot...Schumacher launched hard and had the header flames shooting over the rear wing all the way down the 1320. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.860 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.077/275.79mph, 1,000ft-3.846 Todd goes to number three...J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.181, 660ft-3.104/274.39mph, 1,000ft-3.880

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.637/317.57, Now #7; Best prior run: 8.686/96.50, Was #15
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 6.943/126.00, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.748/271.08, Was #9

Kalitta lost traction right off the starting line and attempted to drive through with no luck...he finally clicked it off. Lucas with a real nice pass to go to the number seven spot...Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.216, 660ft-3.148/268.60mph, 1,000ft-3.942

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.525/325.61, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.778/119.86, Was #15
Right Lane: Hillary Will Runs 4.594/324.67, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.622/324.28, Was #6

THis was a good looking drag race with both cars straight down the groove. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.073/274.11mph, 1,000ft-3.847
Hillary Will's incremental times: 60ft-0.888 sec., 330ft-2.219, 660ft-3.135/275.56mph, 1,000ft-3.911

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Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 7.722/117.83, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.673/307.09, Was #9
Right Lane: Alan Bradshaw Runs 4.664/306.88, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.571/319.14, Was #5

Buff got to about 330 feet before he started to smoke the tires. Bradshaw with another good looking pass, but will stay in the number five spot. Alan Bradshaw's incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.196, 660ft-3.142/265.12mph, 1,000ft-3.949

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink