Sat, 11 Oct 2008, 01:00 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

DINWIDDIE, Va. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Third annual Virginia 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: Scott Palmer Runs 8.610/71.88, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 9.763/72.25, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.823/308.57, Was #5

Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 44 percent, barometer 30.15 inches, adjusted altitude 1,203 feet, track temperature 93 degrees.

Both cars are up in smoke right off the starting line.

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Left Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 4.195/213.03, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.883/306.53, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.976/298.34, Was #12

Zizzo with his first pass this weekend and he started to haze the tires around half track and clicked it off. Todd with a nice pass until right before the finish line and when the car made a quick move toward the centerline. He still moves up the ladder a couple spots. J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.835 sec., 330ft-2.165, 660ft-3.099/272.12 mph.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.837/306.26, Now #7; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.971/140.47, Now #15; No Prior Run

Vandergriff starts to smoke the tires around half track and he clicks it off. Grubnic with a real nice looking pass to get into the top half of the show. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.163, 660ft-3.062/279.21 mph.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 7.045/82.85, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.890/307.30, Was #12

Lucas is up in smoke right off the starting line, and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 3.823/315.56, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.853/312.78, Was #9
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 3.814/310.63, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.874/311.70, Was #10

Herbert with his quickest pass in the 1000-foot era and that run is also the seventh quickest in the 1000-foot era. Doug Herbert's incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.147, 660ft-3.046/280.31 mph. Fuller with a real nice pass, a career best E.t. and mph and the mph also puts him on the Top 10 List in the number 10 spot. Rod Fuller's incremental times: 60ft-0.848 sec., 330ft-2.156, 660ft-3.059/279.15 mph.

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 3.870/303.78, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.846/312.13, Was #10
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.822/308.35, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.815/305.56, Was #4

A couple good looking pass, but neither driver improves from yesterday's runs. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.172, 660ft-3.086/275.28 mph.
Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.835 sec., 330ft-2.143, 660ft-3.047/277.77 mph.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 5.632/116.70, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.824/312.71, Was #8
Right Lane: Hillary Will Runs 5.380/120.64, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.799/315.49, Was #2

Bernstein starts to smoke the tires around 330-feet and clicks it off. Will starts to smoke the tires just a little further down track.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 8.582/83.26, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.816/312.06, Was #5
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 5.763/107.24, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.771/317.05, Was #1

Dixon is up smoke right off the starting line. Schumacher makes it to about 250 feet before his starts to blister the Goodyears.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink