Sat, 13 Feb 2010, 09:48 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 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: Mike Strasburg Runs 7.791/96.14, Now #18; Best prior run: 9.544/81.84, Was #17
Right Lane: Andy Carter Runs 6.093/107.51, Now #17; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 32 percent, barometer 28.88 inches, adjusted altitude 2,563 feet, track temperature 81 degrees.

Strasburg starts to lose traction and he pedaled it one time and lost traction again before he clicked it off. Carter is up in smoke right off the line and he pedals it a couple times before he clicks it off. Neither of these guys will make the show.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.955/303.64, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.052/287.66, Was #14
Right Lane: Steve Faria Runs 16.261/33.48, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.610/121.18, Was #16

Faria is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and clicks it off. McMillen with his quickest pass of the weekend and he moves up the ladder one spot. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.212, 660ft-3.157/266.95 mph.

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Right Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 8.375/85.82, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.604/176.49, Was #15

Chrisman was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 3.954/294.05, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.950/286.01, Was #12
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.844/314.17, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.929/305.42, Was #11

Torrence with a great looking pass to move up to the number five spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.163, 660ft-3.074/276.58 mph. Buff with another good looking pass...Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.190, 660ft-3.139/264.65 mph.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.863/312.13, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.899/310.98, Was #11
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.849/315.93, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.854/319.60, Was #7

Grubnic with a great looking pass, his quickest pass of the weekend, but he stays in the number seven spot. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.182, 660ft-3.086/279.44 mph. Bernstein with his quickest pass of the weekend and he gets into the top half of the show. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.169, 660ft-3.088/271.19 mph.

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Left Lane: Thomas Nataas Runs 3.844/310.34, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.880/306.33, Was #11
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 8.609/77.56, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.847/309.98, Was #6

Langdon loses traction early and clicks it off. Nataas launched hard and keep it hooked up to run his quickest pass of the weekend. That will get him into the top half of the show. Thomas Nataas' incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.150, 660ft-3.067/274.27 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.822/317.72, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.871/315.78, Was #11
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 3.830/309.91, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.823/316.90, Was #3

Lucas with another good looking pass, but gets bumped back a spot by Kalitta. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.149, 660ft-3.055/276.97 mph. Kalitta with a great pass and he goes to the number three spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.156, 660ft-3.060/279.21 mph.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 8.936/77.39, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.869/313.73, Was #11
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 3.787/320.05, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.809/320.05, Was #2

Brown is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. McClenathan launches hard and keeps the Goodyears stuck all the way down the 1000 feet to go to the number one spot. Another big speed run matching his top speed of the event. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.147, 660ft-3.034/284.56 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.801/320.05, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.828/318.77, Was #5
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.788/314.39, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.795/317.79, Was #2

This was a great drag race to wrap up qualifying...Schumacher with his quickest pass of the weekend and moves to the number three spot. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.146, 660ft-3.046/281.89 mph. Dixon just misses the number one spot by 0.001 seconds. Dixon with his quickest pass of the weekend...Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.840 sec., 330ft-2.128, 660ft-3.025/281.36 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink