Drag Race Central | Presented by Summitracing.com

Sat, 30 Oct 2010, 06:10 PM

Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 10th annual NHRA Las Vegas 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:

Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.997/291.32, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 3.822/321.50, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.892/316.01, Was #7

Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 28 percent, barometer 27.78 inches, adjusted altitude 3,792 feet, track temperature 93 degrees.

McClenathan launched hard and keep it hooked up all the way down the track to to go to the number two spot. Vandergriff was mixing up cylinders from half track on, but still runs his quickest pass of the weekend. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.878 sec., 330ft-2.224, 660ft-3.176/262.49 mph.

Left Lane: Ron August Runs 29.765/0.00, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Mark Mariani Runs 4.040/297.81, Now #14; No Prior Run

August is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. Mariani with his quickest pass of the weekend to get in the show for now. Mark Mariani's incremental times: 60ft-0.902 sec., 330ft-2.276, 660ft-3.231/264.80 mph.

Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 5.479/128.46, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 6.933/99.42, Now #16; No Prior Run

Palmer is up in smoke right off the starting line sand clicked it off. McMillen starts to lose traction around 330 feet and clicks it off.

Left Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 3.949/308.50, Now #12; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.086/301.20, Now #16; No Prior Run

Kalitta with his quickest pass of the weekend to get in the show just in at the bump spot. Apparently he used up an engine in process as the Safety Safari is rolling. Karamesines with a great pass to get in the show up to the number 12 spot. Chris Karamesines' incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.230, 660ft-3.166/271.13 mph.

Left Lane: Rob Passey Runs 4.556/206.61, Now #18; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 4.141/276.46, Now #17; No Prior Run

Passey was on a good pass until around 500 feet when the engine let go with a big fireball. Chrisman uses up an engine on the top end as he slows from his best time yesterday and he will not get in the show for now.

Left Lane: Steve Faria Runs 6.722/93.78, Now #20; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Tim Boychuk No Time, Now #25; No Prior Run

Boychuk has big problems on the burnouts as oil is pouring out of his car and he gets side ways before he gets it stopped. This will be a big clean up. Faria is up in smoke by 200 feet and he clicks it off...

Left Lane: Stig Neergaard Runs 6.872/100.54, Now #22; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.106/286.19, Now #17; No Prior Run

Neergaard is up in smoke and he will not get in the show. Lucas slowed on the top end and he will not get in the show.

Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 4.154/272.34, Now #19; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Troy Buff No Time, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.973/289.51, Was #13

Buff shook the tires hard and then the chutes deployed. Strasburg used an engine as the truck are rolling...

Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.891/315.19, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.918/312.21, Was #9
Right Lane: Dom Lagana Runs 5.601/122.52, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.928/309.27, Was #11

Lagana pitched the blower belt around 330 feet and he coasted on through the 1000 feet. Langdon with his quickest pass this weekend to move into the top half of the show...Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.184, 660ft-3.118/272.61 mph.

Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.850/151.77, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.911/311.27, Was #9
Right Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 7.388/80.39, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.923/309.49, Was #10

Zizzo started to lose traction around 400 feet and he clicked it off. Brown started to haze the tires around half track and he clicked it off.

Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.866/317.49, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.874/315.27, Was #5
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 5.926/111.88, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.885/302.55, Was #7

Bernstein started move around on the top end and hazing the tires before he lifted...Grubnic launched hard and was straight down the groove with the second quickest pass of the round. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.179, 660ft-3.099/274.72 mph.

Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 5.456/123.20, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.825/318.99, Was #3
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 10.014/76.92, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.878/309.77, Was #6

Millican is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. Dixon started to lose traction around half track and he clicked it off.

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.816/324.12, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.812/325.14, Was #1
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 5.169/135.20, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.865/312.71, Was #4

Torrence started to haze the tires around half track and he clicked it off. Schumacher launched hard and keep it hooked up to go straight down the groove with another big time speed on the top end. That was fast enough to back up his run from last night for the National speed record. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.169, 660ft-3.069/282.24 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink