Sat, 18 Jun 2011, 12:42 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Notes from round 3 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Right Lane: Austin Lambright Runs 4.324/206.10, Now #13; No Prior Run

Lambright launches with the wheels in the air and then starts moving around getting close to the centerline and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Rod Fuller No Time, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.428/217.07, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.428/217.07, Was #14

Fuller had a wacky burnout...and then as soon as he hit the throttle it banged the blower and deployed the chutes and he came to a stop on the track. Worsham started to lose traction, but gets a time on the board.

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Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 7.051/80.17, Now #15; No Prior Run

Karamesines was scheduled run next to Buff and was already in the show and pulled out of line. Buff is up in smoke early and clicked it off. Buff puts a number on the board to get in the show.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 7.916/73.41, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.920/314.09, Was #10
Right Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 4.057/296.76, Now #13; No Prior Run

Grubnic with problems early and coast on through the 1000 feet. Dakin with a nice clean to get in the show.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 6.832/96.09, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.902/314.02, Was #8
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 9.405/81.95, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.994/305.29, Was #11

Vandergriff is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Lucas makes it to about 330-feet before it started to smoke the tires.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 6.914/92.30, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.901/316.38, Was #7
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 7.019/96.60, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.916/307.09, Was #9

They are both up in smoke early...Langdon first and the Schumacher.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 10.506/63.64, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.888/312.71, Was #6
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.924/313.44, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.864/310.13, Was #3

Kalitta is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Dixon launched hard and keep the Goodyears hooked up...Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.194, 660ft-3.143/268.06 mph.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 5.447/135.12, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.879/316.45, Was #5
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.957/144.94, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.864/317.12, Was #2

McMillen is up in smoke first and then Brown is up in smoke.

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Left Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.935/309.70, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.866/321.73, Was #4
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.956/313.37, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.859/312.50, Was #1

This was a good drag race to wrap up qualifying. Massey with the second quickest pass of the session and Bernstein with the third quickest. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.201, 660ft-3.150/266.11 mph.
Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.224, 660ft-3.176/268.22 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink