Drag Race Central | Presented by Summitracing.com

Fri, 28 Oct 2011, 09:34 PM

Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 11th annual Big O Tires 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:

Left Lane: Dom Lagana Runs 3.885/314.46, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.227/102.91, Was #26

Lagana launched hard and keep it hooked up and was straight down the groove to go to the number two spot. Dom Lagana's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.178, 660ft-3.111/271.52 mph.

Left Lane: Rod Fuller Runs 3.884/317.79, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.344/189.68, Was #24
Right Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 4.195/237.50, Now #24; Best prior run: 12.797/78.94, Was #27

Fuller with a great looking pass to go to the number two spot. Rod Fuller's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.187, 660ft-3.114/274.66 mph. Chrisman clicked it off early...

Left Lane: Keith Murt Runs 4.006/296.18, Now #21; Best prior run: 4.199/219.26, Was #25
Right Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 5.459/133.80, Now #27; Best prior run: 5.558/138.34, Was #27

Salinas smoked the tires early and clicked it off. Murt improves, but will not get in the show.

Left Lane: Ike Maier Runs 3.965/305.36, Now #18; Best prior run: 3.989/304.46, Was #20
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.890/316.97, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.364/125.12, Was #26

Millican launched hard and was straight down the groove to go to the number four spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.868 sec., 330ft-2.201, 660ft-3.124/275.96 mph. Maier improves, but not enough to get in the show. Ike Maier's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.220, 660ft-3.172/267.16 mph.

Left Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 7.684/71.26, Now #19; Best prior run: 3.967/298.14, Was #19
Right Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 4.032/286.56, Now #23; Best prior run: 4.151/284.09, Was #25

Dakin is up in smoke right off the starting line. Karamesines improves, but not enough to get in the show.

Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 7.319/76.23, Now #16; Best prior run: 3.961/304.05, Was #16
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 3.964/307.79, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.113/254.38, Was #25

Buff starts to lose traction early and clicks it off. McClenathan makes a move in the right direction. Cory McClenathan's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.245, 660ft-3.182/273.16 mph.

Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.863/318.54, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.941/315.56, Was #15
Right Lane: Ron August Runs 3.899/316.90, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.089/291.70, Was #25

August launches hard and keeps it hooked up to runs his career quickest and fastest pass to get in the top half of the show. Ron August's incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.209, 660ft-3.130/274.78 mph. Brown with the header flames shooting high over the rear wing and keeps it hooked up to go to the top of the list. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.188, 660ft-3.100/276.69 mph.

Left Lane: Thomas Nataas Runs 3.972/291.95, Now #17; Best prior run: 3.939/308.14, Was #17
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.864/311.41, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.864/311.41, Was #2

Nataas with another good pass, but gets bumped back one spot. Grubnic with a great looking pass to go to the number two spot. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.188, 660ft-3.093/277.77 mph.

Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.858/321.88, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.929/291.07, Was #15
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.944/306.12, Now #18; Best prior run: 3.973/312.64, Was #23

McMillen with a good pass, but will not get in the show. Vandergriff with a picture perfect pass to go to the number one spot. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.182, 660ft-3.100/277.60 mph.

Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.872/313.29, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.920/308.00, Was #14
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.833/321.27, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.964/298.54, Was #21

Kalitta with a real nice pass to get into the top half of the show. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.177, 660ft-3.100/274.33 mph. Bernstein with a great pass to go to the number one spot. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.171, 660ft-3.078/280.08 mph.

Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.903/312.50, Now #15; Best prior run: 3.906/316.15, Was #15
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas No Time, Now #17; Best prior run: 3.937/314.68, Was #17

Langdon and Lucas are side-by-side all the way down the track and then Lucas' engine lets go with a quick flash of flames. Langdon had a lot of engine smoke also...the word from the top end is there is oil in Lucas' lane, so this will cost him five points....

Left Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.856/319.67, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.903/316.01, Was #14
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.856/317.49, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.928/313.22, Was #16

This was a great side-by-side drag race as they run identical E.T.s...Massey get the higher spot because of the faster mph. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.184, 660ft-3.097/278.69 mph.
Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.169, 660ft-3.090/276.07 mph.

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.048/289.01, Now #15; Best prior run: 3.902/318.24, Was #14
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.866/321.42, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.903/317.57, Was #15

Schumacher slowed on the top end, and he will go into Saturday not in the show. Dixon will go to the number seven spot. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.204, 660ft-3.113/281.13 mph.

Left Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 4.063/291.89, Now #14; Best prior run: 3.899/310.13, Was #14
Right Lane: Del Worsham Runs 4.478/171.12, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.879/316.97, Was #9

Worsham started to lose traction just past half track and clicked it off. Zizzo with a nice pass until right in the lights when the engine let go with a huge fireball.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink