Fri, 17 Jun 2011, 07:26 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Tri-Cities Area Ford Dealers listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Austin Lambright Runs 4.145/287.84, Now #1

Lambright making his Top Fuel debut and the car dropped a cylinder early, but he stayed with it for a nice pass. Austin Lambright's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.305, 660ft-3.304/253.14 mph.

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Left Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 6.494/75.49, Now #3
Right Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 4.091/278.23, Now #1

Dakin with a good clean pass, straight down the groove...Pat Dakin's incremental times: 60ft-0.898 sec., 330ft-2.272, 660ft-3.256/257.78 mph. Fuller bang the blower around 400 feet and the chutes automatically deployed.

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Left Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 6.154/107.28, Now #3
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 6.632/103.06, Now #5

Buff starts to lose traction early and clicks it off and then Karamesines start to smoke the tires and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 9.246/69.34, Now #7
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 5.651/116.40, Now #3

Grubnic is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and clicks it off. Vandergriff starts to smoke the tires and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.987/301.94, Now #1
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon No Time, Now #9

Langdon goes to the number one spot, but he started using up the engine around half track and put oil on the track. So Langdon will lose this run because of the oil down rule. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.205, 660ft-3.143/271.46 mph.

McMillen launched hard and keep it hooked to go to the number two spot until Langdon's run got tossed, so McMillen is number one. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.223, 660ft-3.182/263.67 mph.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 7.320/100.99, Now #9
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.950/313.95, Now #1

Lucas was up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off. Bernstein launched hard and keep it hooked up to go to the number one spot. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.215, 660ft-3.170/268.01 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.642/170.64, Now #6
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.909/308.99, Now #1

Brown with a great looking pass and straight to the number one spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.202, 660ft-3.127/272.89 mph. Kalitta appeared to be on a good pass, and then something started to go away and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher No Time, Now #14
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.440/178.52, Now #6

Schumacher broke something as soon as he hit the throttle and came to stop on the track around half track. Dixon got loose and over by the centerline before he clicked it off and coasted on through the 1000 feet. Just go the word that Schumacher broke the top blower pulley.

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Left Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 4.003/299.20, Now #4
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.835/151.10, Now #9

Worsham lost traction just past 330 and clicked it off. Massey with a clean pass to go to the number four spot. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.866 sec., 330ft-2.215, 660ft-3.187/258.02 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink