Sat, 13 Feb 2010, 05:24 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Valvoline 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: Steve Faria Runs 5.610/121.18, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Thomas Nataas Runs 3.914/306.67, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.880/306.33, Was #9

Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 31 percent, barometer 28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 2,623 feet, track temperature 99 degrees.

Nataas with a nice looking pass, straight down the groove. Thomas Nataas' incremental times: 60ft-0.860 sec., 330ft-2.192, 660ft-3.129/270.70 mph. Faria launch and was on a nice pass until it started mixing up cylinders.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.278/195.87, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.847/309.98, Was #5
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 4.052/287.66, Now #13; No Prior Run

Langdon clicked the throttle early, but stays in the show. McMillen with a good clean pass, straight down the groove. His best pass of the weekend. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.868 sec., 330ft-2.242, 660ft-3.218/258.52 mph.

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 3.838/319.98, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.809/320.05, Was #2
Right Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 9.544/81.84, Now #15; No Prior Run

Strasburg is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. McClenathan with a great looking pass here in the heat of the day. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.169, 660ft-3.080/279.32 mph.

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Right Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 4.035/305.91, Now #13; No Prior Run

Karamesines with nice pass to get into the show for now...Chris Karamesines' incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.315, 660ft-3.246/270.81 mph.

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Left Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 4.604/176.49, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 4.042/290.57, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.950/286.01, Was #12

Chrisman started to haze the tires around 330 feet. Buff is straight down the groove, but doesn't improve. Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.248, 660ft-3.215/259.81 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.227/212.79, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.929/305.42, Was #11
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.952/312.57, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.899/310.98, Was #10

Torrence starts to lose traction and clicks it off early. Bernstein with the third quickest pass so far this session. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.242, 660ft-3.174/271.57 mph.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.685/158.22, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.854/319.60, Was #6
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.871/315.78, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.876/313.44, Was #8

Grubnic starts to smoke the tires around 660 feet. Kalitta with his quickest pass of the weekend, but will stay number eight. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.189, 660ft-3.104/276.86 mph.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 5.749/90.19, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.823/316.90, Was #3
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 6.566/96.27, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.869/313.73, Was #7

Brown started to smoke the tires and clicked it off. Apparently Lucas banged the blower around 660 feet and the chutes deployed automatically.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.774/150.45, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.795/317.79, Was #1
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.828/318.77, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.835/317.57, Was #4

Dixon started to haze the tires just past the 330-foot mark and clicked it off. Schumacher with the quickest pass of the session and his quickest pass of the weekend, but he will stay in the number four. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.168, 660ft-3.071/281.19 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink