Sat, 19 Jun 2010, 01:40 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley 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: Scott Palmer Runs 4.139/288.39, Now #13; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 87 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 28.53 inches, adjusted altitude 4,288 feet, track temperature 127 degrees.

Palmer with a nice clean until right in the lights when it dropped a cylinder or two.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.379/277.15, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 12.475/60.06, Now #15; No Prior Run

Dakin is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and clicks it off. Kalitta starts to lose traction and pedals it an gets a number on the board.

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Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.016/286.62, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.994/291.95, Was #11
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.357/255.24, Now #14; No Prior Run

Lucas starts to haze the tires around 400 feet and then dropped a bunch of cylinders. Herbert with a clean pass...

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Left Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 5.397/130.67, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 5.894/107.87, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.974/301.47, Was #10

Torrence is up in smoke early and clicks it off. Haddock starts to smoke the tires around 250 feet and clicks it off, but still gets in the show.

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Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 5.906/107.26, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.071/290.13, Was #12
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.972/143.28, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.941/306.19, Was #7

Buff starts to haze the tires around 200 feet and clicks it off. Grubnic is up in smoke and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.928/141.65, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.964/298.34, Was #9
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 6.231/98.21, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.912/310.91, Was #5

Vandergriff with a whisp of tire smoke around 150 feet and he clicks it off. Langdon starts to lose traction early and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 4.018/283.55, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.964/299.13, Was #8
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.234/212.90, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.882/311.77, Was #3

McMillen with clean pass and the second quickest of the session. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.233, 660ft-3.191/261.57 mph. Dixon dropped a cylinder or two and then the engine went silent around 800 feet.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.999/300.00, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.939/311.77, Was #6
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.443/188.25, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.879/313.51, Was #2

McClenathan is mixing up cylinders early and then clicks it off. Schumacher with a great pass for this session. the quickest and fastest pass of the round. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.221, 660ft-3.194/261.88 mph.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.977/283.43, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.901/308.64, Was #4
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.990/302.48, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.856/314.24, Was #1

This was a good drag race to wrap up the session. Bernstein with the quickest pass of the round. He is on a great pass until right in the lights where it goes bang with a quick flash of flames. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.863 sec., 330ft-2.213, 660ft-3.166/267.27 mph. Brown with the second quickest pass of the round. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.221, 660ft-3.189/263.62 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink