Sat, 1 Nov 2008, 04:40 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Eighth annual ACDelco Las Vegas 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 3.998/293.03, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.255/243.72, Now #14; No Prior Run

Haddock won the IHRA Funny Car championship two weeks ago in Rockingham and now making his NHRA Top Fuel debut. Haddock's engine lets go on the top end, and there is oil in his lane. Vandergriff with a clean pass to get in the show for now.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.878/311.99, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.889/315.42, Was #8
Right Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 13.240/75.31, Now #15; No Prior Run

Chrisman makes the burnout and then the call from the top end there is oil and they shut Chrisman and Millican off...Millican had only fired the car and just started to roll toward the burnout box. Chrisman is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Millican runs his career best in the 1000-foot era again today improving on his time from yesterday. But he will stay in the number eight spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.185, 660ft-3.105/275.67 mph, 1,000ft-99.999

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Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 3.961/308.28, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 16.351/27.75, Now #17; No Prior Run

Buff, much like Chrisman is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. Strasburg with his career best in the 1000-foot era, and he gets into the show. Mike Strasburg's incremental times: 60ft-0.882 sec., 330ft-2.240, 660ft-3.177/271.30 mph.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.878/310.27, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.916/311.20, Was #11
Right Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 3.952/299.26, Now #13; No Prior Run

Bernstein with a nice pass and matches Millican's E.T. but gives up the spot on mph.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.878/310.27, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.878/310.27, Was #9
Right Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 3.952/299.26, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.952/299.26, Was #13

Hartley with a real nice pass to get into the show, and that will bump out Chrisman. Joe Hartley's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.194, 660ft-3.145/263.46 mph.

Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.180, 660ft-3.100/274.50 mph.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.923/305.91, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.918/307.86, Was #12
Right Lane: Doug Herbert No Time, Now #21; No Prior Run

McMillen with another good clean pass, but not as quick as yesterday. Herbert gets out of the groove and drifts toward the centerline, and then crosses it, so his run will be DQ'ed.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.884/312.78, Now #10; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Tim Boychuk Runs 3.919/297.75, Now #14; No Prior Run

A couple good clean passes for these two and they both get into the show. They bump out Vandergriff and Haddock. J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.860 sec., 330ft-2.185, 660ft-3.111/274.66 mph.
Tim Boychuk's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.188, 660ft-3.122/271.08 mph.

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Left Lane: Urs Erbacher Runs 3.972/301.00, Now #17; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 3.931/309.98, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.895/307.86, Was #12

Erbacher with a clean pass, but will not get into the show n this pass. Lucas with another good pass, but will not improve and stay number 12. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.884 sec., 330ft-2.229, 660ft-3.154/275.06 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 5.054/138.81, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.894/309.27, Was #11
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 7.678/87.89, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.874/308.99, Was #7

Grubnic is up in smoke right off the starting line and he clicks it off. Kalitta loses traction and he clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.869/313.44, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.831/313.88, Was #3
Right Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 3.900/310.13, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.863/313.44, Was #6

A couple clean pass, but neither driver improve on their times from yesterday. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.188, 660ft-3.100/278.00 mph.
Rod Fuller's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.203, 660ft-3.122/274.33 mph.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.834/313.07, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.812/315.49, Was #2
Right Lane: Hillary Will Runs 6.448/92.41, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.861/303.84, Was #5

Will starts to haze the tires and she clicks it off. Brown with another nice pass. Brown with the quickest pass of the day...Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.154, 660ft-3.063/276.86 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.854/313.80, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.781/316.60, Was #1
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 3.994/288.21, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.852/314.17, Was #4

Cory Mac started mixing up cylinders on the top end and clicked it off. Schumacher with a clean pass, but will not improve on his time from yesterday...but stays No. 1.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink