Sat, 25 Jun 2011, 05:14 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

NORWALK, Ohio - Notes from final, round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Fifth annual Summit Racing Equipment 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: Chris Karamesines No Time, Now #16; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 51 percent, barometer 28.98 inches, adjusted altitude 2,843 feet, track temperature 97 degrees.

Karamesines with a good pass until right in the lights when he used up and engine and put oil on the track. That will cost him his run.

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.329/226.01, Now #11; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 7.655/80.04, Now #15; No Prior Run

Dakin started to lose traction and clicked it off, but that will get him in the show. Palmer clicked it off early but gets in the show.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.945/275.00, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.765/118.34, Was #14
Right Lane: Luigi Novelli Runs 10.192/81.07, Now #16; Best prior run: 8.113/91.47, Was #16

Novelli launched hard with the wheels in the air and the tires shaking hard and he clicked it off. Vandergriff was straight down the groove until right in the lights when it started to spin the tires and he clicked it off. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.192, 660ft-3.123/273.05 mph.

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Left Lane: Ike Maier No Time, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.389/188.15, Was #13
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.907/287.78, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.739/231.36, Was #14

Maier was on a good pass until it started to spin the tires and then made a quick move toward the centerline. He collected finish line cones and his run will get thrown out. Brown launched hard and then dropped a cylinder and started to spin the tires on the top end. He gets into the top half of the show. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.194, 660ft-3.108/278.35 mph.

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Left Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.893/301.60, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.886/315.12, Was #6
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.877/306.12, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.160/283.31, Was #12

This was good side-by-side drag race...Dixon launched hard and was straight down the groove to get in the top half of the show. The word from the top end is he had lost is blower belt. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.172, 660ft-3.095/275.22 mph.
Massey with another good clean pass...32 consecutive clean pass now for Massey. The word is he lost his blower belt, too. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.189, 660ft-3.105/277.54 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.908/143.89, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.859/313.66, Was #4
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.965/293.41, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.956/298.27, Was #12

Langdon started to haze the tires just past 330 feet and clicked it off. Grubnic with another good looking pass, but he will not improve...David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.191, 660ft-3.146/264.91 mph.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.892/306.88, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.857/315.71, Was #3
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 4.233/205.72, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.911/303.84, Was #10

McMillen was on a good pass until he started to haze the tires and clicked it off...Bernstein was on real nice pass until right before the finish line where it started to haze the tires. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.186, 660ft-3.109/275.28 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.902/303.03, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.848/316.30, Was #2
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.393/186.23, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.895/309.98, Was #8

Kalitta started to lose traction and clicked it off. Schumacher with a nice pass until right in the lights when it started to haze the tires. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.848 sec., 330ft-2.187, 660ft-3.116/275.11 mph.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.685/158.17, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.798/318.54, Was #1
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.946/147.65, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.860/313.88, Was #5

Lucas began to lose traction and clicked it off and then Worsham lost traction and clicked it off. Worsham will hold on to the number one spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink