Sat, 15 Oct 2011, 07:40 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 27th annual NHRA Arizona 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 #18; Best prior run: 4.646/185.92, Was #18

Weather conditions: air temperature 91 degrees, relative humidity 15 percent, barometer 28.55 inches, adjusted altitude 3,819 feet, track temperature 128 degrees.

Karamesines did the burnout and at the end of the burnout the chute deployed and then before his crew could get him stopped he backed over it. So he shut it off...

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Left Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 9.442/76.30, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.422/243.50, Was #17
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.431/191.57, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.370/135.96, Was #19

Massey is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle and clicked it off. Massey will not qualify for only the second time in his 46 race career. So the point leader will not qualify. Lucas started to smoke the tires early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Mike Strasburg No Time, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.099/284.75, Was #15
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 4.272/234.90, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.131/253.33, Was #16

Strasburg is in the show and he will not make a run this time. McMillen started mixing up cylinders just pass half track and clicked it off. McMillen will start Sunday from the number 16 spot.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.427/200.20, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.062/286.19, Was #13
Right Lane: Dom Lagana Runs 8.753/82.97, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.068/278.52, Was #14

Lagana shook the tires right at the hit...Torrence had a hole or two out right at the hit and then really started dropping cylinders just past half track and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.093/287.17, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.014/295.59, Was #10
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.052/293.41, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.035/296.70, Was #12

Neither driver improves, but both drivers get down the track. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.863 sec., 330ft-2.261, 660ft-3.262/255.68 mph.
Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.237, 660ft-3.228/256.06 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.089/279.90, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.012/266.53, Was #9
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 8.728/74.26, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.027/295.21, Was #11

Grubnic is up in smoke right at the hit and clicks it off. Vandergriff with a real nice pass until right on the top end when it started hazing the tires. Vandergriff with the second quickest pass of the round. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.248, 660ft-3.231/253.33 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 10.338/79.92, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.012/293.98, Was #8
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.991/297.22, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.988/283.97, Was #6

Kalitta is up in smoke right at the hit...Brown with another good pass, straight down the groove with the quickest pass of the round. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.220, 660ft-3.182/263.56 mph.

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Left Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 9.744/67.78, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.007/300.20, Was #7
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.058/292.77, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.985/298.27, Was #5

Fuller is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. Bernstein with a good clean pass, the third quickest pass of the round. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.234, 660ft-3.230/254.33 mph.

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Left Lane: Del Worsham Runs 6.281/106.75, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.936/291.13, Was #3
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 6.865/80.40, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.954/302.75, Was #4

These two were up in smoke right at the same time...

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 6.630/97.69, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.921/301.27, Was #2
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.010/293.66, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.919/303.84, Was #1

Schumacher is up in smoke by 330 feet and clicks it off. Dixon with the second quickest pass of the round with a real nice pass. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.223, 660ft-3.197/262.59 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink