Fri, 24 Sep 2010, 06:10 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 25th annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Mike Bowers Runs 4.827/170.90, Now #1
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 7.778/96.33, Now #2

Weather conditions: air temperature 95 degrees, relative humidity 49 percent, barometer 29.47 inches, adjusted altitude 3,840 feet, track temperature 138 degrees.

Bowers is making first appearance this year on the NHRA tour. Bowers starts drifting over by the centerline and then around 700 feet the car pitched the blower belt. Palmer was up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.294/213.47, Now #1
Right Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 5.931/114.27, Now #3

Strasburg started to lose traction around 200 feet and clicked it off...Vandergriff started to haze the tires around 800 feet and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 4.208/236.92, Now #1
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 5.137/145.08, Now #4

McMillen rattled the tires right off the starting line and pedaled it and was back up in smoke before he clicked it off. Buff started to lose traction on the top end and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.192/215.34, Now #2
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.098/289.51, Now #1

Grubnic started to smoke the tires around 3/4 track and clicked it off. Lucas keeps it hooked up all the way through the 1000-foot marker with our first full pull of the day. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.268, 660ft-3.261/254.18 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.339/239.82, Now #5
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 6.103/107.17, Now #9

torrence has won here at this event back in 2005 in the Top Alcohol Dragster category. He starts to rattled the tires around 300 feet and pedals it once and then starts to lose traction around 800 feet before he clicks it off. Langdon starts to smoke the tires around 300 feet and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.536/197.31, Now #7
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.986/300.60, Now #1

brown rattled the tires right off the starting line and pedaled only to go back up in smoke. Bernstein launched hard and keep it hooked up with a great looking pass on this hot track...Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.203, 660ft-3.181/261.78 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.076/273.33, Now #2
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher No Time, Now #14

Kalitta is dropping cylinders early and then right it the lights the engine lets go with a big fireball. He still goes to the number two spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.218, 660ft-3.215/252.10 mph. Schumacher is losing traction on the top end...he won't get a time or speed because of debris from Kalitta's car.

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.030/286.32, Now #3
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.962/306.33, Now #1

This was a great drag race to wrap up round one of qualifying. McClenathan with a good pass to go to the number three spot. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.197, 660ft-3.190/253.28 mph. Dixon launched hard and keep it hooked up all the way down the track to go to the number one spot. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.196, 660ft-3.164/262.28 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink