Fri, 14 Nov 2008, 06:02 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 44th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals 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: Steven Chrisman Runs 6.949/89.97, Now #19; No Prior Run

2:20 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 25 percent, barometer 28.84 inches, adjusted altitude 3,297 feet, track temperature 101 degrees.

Urs Erbacher is #12 on the bump spot at 3.953.

Well, no reflectors this time, but Chrisman is up in smoke near the 100-ft. mark and clicks it.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.875/147.81, Now #16; Best prior run: 7.099/88.60, Was #21
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.963/300.73, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.951/83.28, Was #20

Both cars smoked the tire yesterday and Brown smokes 'em about 200 feet out and slows. Millican runs better, but looked to have engine problems before the lights with a big "Puff".

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 5.132/133.10, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.449/91.49, Was #20
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 3.895/306.40, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.734/110.04, Was #19

You don't expect to see these two as the third pair out. Schumacher will go into Saturday qualifying outside looking in! McClenathan makes it look easy and powers into the field in the #8 spot. First strong 60-ft. time this session to makes it to the finish line under power

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Left Lane: Arley Langlo Runs 16.223/32.08, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.904/166.72, Was #18
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 5.025/141.25, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.733/111.04, Was #20

Rod Fuller is on the bump spot at 3.944. No joy here with wet pipes for both cars. Langlo right off the line and Grubnic by mid-track.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.941/302.62, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.867/150.25, Was #16
Right Lane: Urs Erbacher Runs 3.904/309.20, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.953/301.33, Was #13

Erbacher is just outside the field looking in. Vandergriff's engine needed a longer fuze with the smoke cloud starting before the finish line. It costs some ET and he'll miss the field for now. Erbacher Gets a full pull and makes a nice move up the ladder into the field in the current #9 spot.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.880/308.43, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.529/169.64, Was #16
Right Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 3.983/294.75, Now #15; Best prior run: 3.944/302.28, Was #14

Mike Strasburg is on the bump spot at 3.933. Dixon makes a strong pass into the top half of the field. The Cat Car was mixing up cylinders at the 660 and can't improve.

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Left Lane: Tim Boychuk Runs 3.925/304.60, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.929/305.49, Was #12
Right Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 6.797/101.26, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.933/308.14, Was #13

Tim Boychuk is on the bump spot at 3.929 and needs better than a 3.904 to improve. Strasburg fires, smokes, and falls back. Nice pass for Boychuk, but only 0.005 better ET to stay on the bump.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.884/307.72, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.892/309.56, Was #8
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 4.051/286.86, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.904/302.96, Was #11

Both cars are already in the field and only Kalitta can improve. Dropped cylinder at the hit slows the MPH, but he just nips into the #7 spot for now. Buff was quicker off the line, but just couldn't match yesterday's time.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.870/313.22, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.889/311.41, Was #8
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 3.901/302.14, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.877/307.58, Was #5

Both cars make a full pull and Torrance pushes Herbert down a spot, as he takes over the #5 position on the ladder. Torrance runs a career best MPH.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.876/311.13, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.863/310.77, Was #4
Right Lane: Hillary Will Runs 3.868/311.70, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.860/313.07, Was #3

Two clean passes and both cars almost repeat on yesterday's pass.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 7.170/95.60, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.851/308.14, Was #1
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.690/157.06, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.855/306.46, Was #2

Too bad, the session ends with two broken runs. Todd strikes the tires first and is soon followed by Lucas.

2:56 p.m. Todd stays #1 and Tim Boychuk is on the bump spot at 3.925.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink