Sat, 28 Jun 2003, 07:43 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Dave Rowe

MADISON, Ill. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual Sears Craftsman 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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Left Lane: Paul Romine Runs 6.914/120.05, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.720/159.04, Was #16
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 7.710/106.55, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.941/278.75, Was #13

6:02 PM Current weather conditions: 87 degrees, 34 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.99 inches, with a track temperature of 116 degrees.

Romine and Troxel get about 300 feet out and go up in smoke at almost exactly the same time.

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Left Lane: Josh Starcher Runs 5.130/288.70, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.412/137.81, Was #19
Right Lane: John Smith Runs 7.481/118.03, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.769/303.37, Was #7

Starcher keeps the slicks stuck all the way through the run and will get in the show for now, bumping out Romine.Smith goes up in smoke about 200 feet out and shuts down.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 6.575/124.27, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.779/269.62, Was #8
Right Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 5.129/246.26, Now #15; Best prior run: 9.613/94.32, Was #21

Hartley runs quick enough to get in the field....for the bad news, the engine starts smoking heavily in the lights and fire comes out the right side of the engine. The Safety Safari rolls and it appears the trouble started just past half-track. We'll be down for a few minutes.

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Left Lane: Darrell Russell Runs 5.237/196.47, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.760/308.92, Was #6
Right Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 12.617/53.78, Now #22; Best prior run: 10.445/95.58, Was #22

Karamesines gets about 100 feet out and loses the blower belt. Russell was on a decent pass until the 1000 foot mark, then the engine goes silent.

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Left Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.808/299.46, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.752/309.42, Was #5
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.930/284.33, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.780/290.38, Was #9

Bernstein gets about 700 feet out, hazes the tires, goes another 200 feet and hazes them again.

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Left Lane: Don Reed No Time, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.317/203.80, Was #17
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.826/295.27, Now #13; Best prior run: 7.480/90.30, Was #21

Reed completes his burnout, gets ready to stage and shuts down. Grubnic hazes the tires near the end of the run but gets in the show, bumping out Starcher.

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Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 5.145/218.44, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.802/298.87, Was #10
Right Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 4.925/287.17, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.813/303.37, Was #11

Hartman-Smith gets just past half-track, starts mixing up cylinders, the engine then starts eating itself. Herbert was on a good pass, then he hazes the tires about 800 feet out and shuts down.

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Left Lane: Luigi Novelli Runs 6.756/123.05, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.760/164.71, Was #20
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 5.739/161.94, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.818/283.13, Was #12

Both drivers leave the line, get about 300 feet out and go up in smoke.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.694/316.08, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.674/307.37, Was #2
Right Lane: David Baca Runs 4.923/279.50, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.738/305.98, Was #3

Baca gets to half-track, strikes the tires, stays on the throttle and makes a decent pass. Dixon makes a great run for the conditions.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 5.865/153.23, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.667/315.34, Was #1
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.886/275.39, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.042/275.79, Was #15

Head gets to half-track, strikes the tires and aborts the run. Palmer gets a little further, breaks the tires loose and starts mixing up cylinders. The Safety Safari rolls and we'll have a cleanup in the right lane.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink