Fri, 10 Oct 2003, 05:17 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 1 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, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Bill Ancona Runs 4.983/230.94, Now #2
Right Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 4.915/304.15, Now #1

Current weather conditions: 79 degrees, 54 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.81 inches, with a track temperature of 112 degrees under partly cloudy skies.

Ancona hiked the front wheels and had good looking pass until around 900 feet and something went away. He still ran a career best E.T. here. Hartley with a good clean pass and his fastest pass of the season.

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Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 6.559/109.68, Now #3

Palmer launched with the front end in the air and he pedaled it a couple time and then lifted and the chute came out.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.914/262.23, Now #1
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 5.618/155.79, Now #4

Grubnic hazed the tires around half track and clicked it off. Kalitta made to about a 1000 feet when the engine started eating itself up.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 6.586/123.64, Now #7
Right Lane: Scott Weis Runs 5.329/184.53, Now #4

Millican started to lose traction around 400 feet and clicked it off. Weis threw the blower belt off around 800 feet and coasted across the finish line.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.654/322.92, Now #1
Right Lane: Paul Romine Runs 18.124/33.61, Now #9

Romine lost traction right off the starting line and clicked it off. Head with a great looking pass. There was a big bang from Head's car after he crossed the finish line.

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Left Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.602/325.26, Now #1
Right Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 5.090/245.43, Now #6

Hartman-Smith starts to lose traction and a pedals it once, twice and then lost the blower belt. Bernstein with a launched hard and keep the candle lit and the Goodyears stuck all the way through the 1320.

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Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 8.902/94.59, Now #12
Right Lane: John Smith Runs 5.095/213.42, Now #7

Herbert is up in smoke by 150 feet and clicks it off. Smith lost his blower belt around 800 feet.

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Left Lane: David Baca Runs 4.682/310.02, Now #3
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 5.984/140.44, Now #11

McClenathan started to haze right before half track and clicks it off. Baca with a good looking pass. He is a candidate for the 2003 Automobile Club of southern California Road to the Future Award..

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Left Lane: Darrell Russell Runs 4.715/300.20, Now #4
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 9.754/79.49, Now #16

Schumacher starts to strike the tires around 200 feet and clicks it off. Russell with a good clean pass for the number four spot.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 6.238/137.23, Now #13
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 12.064/78.43, Now #18

Dixon is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and Kalitta makes to about 400 feet before he starts to blister the hides. That wraps up round one with Bernstein in the number one spot and Herbert on the bump.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink