Sat, 11 Oct 2003, 05:29 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 18th annual O'Reilly Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec 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: Scott Palmer Runs 4.814/287.17, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.559/109.68, Was #20
Right Lane: Bill Ancona Runs 4.686/291.35, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.983/230.94, Was #16

Current weather conditions: 79 degrees, 51 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.92 inches, with a track temperature of 107 degrees under cloudy skies.

Ancona with a great pass until around 1200 feet when parts and pieces come flying off of it, but still runs his career best E.T. and mph by a bunch. Palmer with his best pass of the weekend to get in the show for now.

---

Left Lane: Paul Romine Runs 4.666/310.02, Now #10; Best prior run: 6.398/128.25, Was #20
Right Lane: Mitch King No Time, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.817/267.22, Was #16

King couldn't get the car to fire. Romine down to his last chance here and it is a great looking pass to get in the show and that will bump out King.

---

Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.612/326.67, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.604/169.84, Was #20
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 5.366/243.17, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.800/301.00, Was #15

Kalitta lost traction around 400 feet and will now just have to wait and hope his time will hold. Cory Mac down to his last shot and it was a great looking pass to get into the top half of the show.

---

Left Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 6.583/130.54, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.090/245.43, Was #20
Right Lane: Darrell Russell Runs 4.625/320.39, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.715/300.20, Was #14

Hartman-Smith lost traction around 400 feet and pedaled it and was back up in smoke and clicked it off, so she will not qualify. Russell with with his best pass of the weekend to move into the top half of the show.

---

Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 4.846/297.12, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.915/304.15, Was #19
Right Lane: David Baca Runs 4.732/302.31, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.682/310.02, Was #13

Hartley with best pass of the weekend, but will come up short and Kalitta will stay in the show. No help here for Baca.

---

Left Lane: Scott Weis Runs 4.587/320.39, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.799/280.81, Was #15
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.630/317.79, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.655/322.81, Was #11

Weis launched hard and runs his quickest pass of the season to move into the number three spot. Kalitta with his best pass of the weekend to move up the ladder.

---

Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 11.616/75.35, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.654/322.92, Was #12

Head is up in smoke by 200 feet and clicks it off.

---

Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 5.176/190.67, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.629/319.71, Was #8
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 6.731/121.26, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.630/305.18, Was #10

Grubnic started to lose traction on the top end and lifted. Herbert's engine let go with a quick little fire, and oil on the track.

---

Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.563/326.56, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.594/325.14, Was #5
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 7.720/95.61, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.588/314.57, Was #4

Millican lost traction and clicked it off. Dixon launched hard and keep the candles lit and Goodyears stuck all the way down the 1320 for the quickest pass of the session.

---

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher No Time, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.548/331.12, Was #1
Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.589/319.14, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.567/327.39, Was #3

The crew shut Schumacher off after the burnout as he was getting ready to stage. Bernstein with another good looking pass, but he will stay number three.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink