Fri, 27 Jun 2003, 08:59 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Rowe

MADISON, Ill. - Notes from round 1 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, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Tim Gibson Runs 5.861/159.36, Now #1

7:12 PM Current weather conditions: 83 degrees, 41 percent relative humidity, the barometer 29.97 inches, with a track temperature of 106 degrees.

Gibson gets about 300 feet out and starts spinning the tires. Raw fuel starts coming out of the headers and the engine explodes. We'll be down for a few minutes for a cleanup.

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Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 9.613/94.32, Now #2
Right Lane: Don Reed Runs 12.990/79.34, Now #3

7:21 PM and we are back from a short cleanup. Reed hits the throttle and goes up in smoke. Hartley gets about 200 feet out and suffers the same fate.

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 6.481/126.25, Now #3
Right Lane: Luigi Novelli Runs 5.760/164.71, Now #1

Novelli gets about 300 feet out, gets sideways and has to shut down. Palmer gets a little further and the engine shuts down.

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Right Lane: Josh Starcher Runs 6.412/137.81, Now #3

Starcher gets about 200 feet out, loses traction, stays with it for another 100 feet and finally aborts the run.

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Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.752/309.42, Now #1

Bernstein gets down the track with no problems and gets the early pole.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 7.480/90.30, Now #7
Right Lane: Scott Weis Runs 4.750/306.12, Now #1

Grubnic was on a decent pass until the 330 foot mark, then he loses traction and aborts the run. Weis kept the Goodyears stuck all the way through and takes the pole for now.

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Left Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 4.941/278.75, Now #3
Right Lane: Paul Romine Runs 5.720/159.04, Now #4

Romine was on a good pass, leading Troxel until half-track, then he goes up in smoke and backs off the throttle.

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Left Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 4.813/303.37, Now #3
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 11.856/73.67, Now #12

The smoke-fest in the right lane continues, Head gets about 250 feet out and goes up in smoke. Hartman-Smith went right down the groove and gets in the third spot for now.

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Left Lane: David Baca Runs 4.738/305.98, Now #1
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.802/298.87, Now #4

A good side-by-side, the first pair to make it down the track, and they get in the first and fourth spots.

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Left Lane: John Smith Runs 4.769/303.37, Now #4
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.779/269.62, Now #5

Two more good runs, both right down the groove.

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.780/290.38, Now #7
Right Lane: Darrell Russell Runs 4.760/308.92, Now #4

McClenethan was on a good run, an .837 sixty-foot time, but then starts hazing the tires about 300 feet out. Russell makes a clean pass, no apparent problems, and gets in the fourth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.818/283.13, Now #11
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.709/319.29, Now #1

Dixon makes a great run for the conditions and takes the pole after the first round. Kalitta was right with him until the 1000 foot mark, then starts mixing up cylinders and slows.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink