Sat, 17 Apr 2010, 07:18 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 11th annual SummitRacing.com 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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Right Lane: Rob Passey Runs 4.562/241.15, Now #14; Best prior run: 13.471/51.86, Was #16

Weather conditions: air temperature 89 degrees, relative humidity 14 percent, barometer 27.75 inches, adjusted altitude 4,783 feet, track temperature 124 degrees.

Passey was on a good pass until right in the lights when the engine let go with a huge fireball.

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 4.137/283.55, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Steve Faria Runs 4.528/185.23, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.562/182.58, Was #15

Haddock making his first pass of the weekend, and drops a cylinder early. He stays with it and gets in the show. Faria starts mixing up cylinders and the car gets real loose before he clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.564/228.34, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.276/118.30, Was #17
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 4.031/290.19, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.088/284.03, Was #10

Torrence starts to smoke the tires early and pedals it a couple times, but will not get it in the show. Torrence will not qualify for the show for the first time in his career. McMillen with a good clean pass...

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.236/261.93, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.105/295.46, Was #12
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.021/304.60, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.000/306.19, Was #8

Grubnic started to haze the tires around 800 feet and then the engine let go with a fireball right in the lights. Bernstein with another good pass, he has been running consistently in the 4.0s...Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.864 sec., 330ft-2.245, 660ft-3.218/261.47 mph.

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Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 7.410/88.96, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.094/276.29, Was #11
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.357/195.48, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.980/303.50, Was #6

Buff starts to lose traction early and clicks it off. Lucas starts to smoke the tires around half track and he clicks it off. These two will match up in round one tomorrow.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.716/164.11, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.991/308.14, Was #7
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.989/305.77, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.942/308.07, Was #5

Langdon starts to lose traction around 400 feet...Schumacher with a good clean pass here in the heat of the day. This is the quickest pass of the session. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.213, 660ft-3.190/261.02 mph.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.936/311.27, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.894/314.24, Was #2
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 3.950/305.63, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.912/312.57, Was #4

This was good looking drag race with the two quickest passes of the round. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.211, 660ft-3.155/269.08 mph.
Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.207, 660ft-3.157/265.85 mph.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.449/175.16, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.881/316.60, Was #1
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 6.145/104.13, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.909/315.56, Was #3

Kalitta is up in smoke by 330 feet and clicks it off...Brown starts to lose traction just past half track.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink