Thu, 14 Feb 2013, 19:15 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 53rd annual O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 4.018/251.86, Now #1
Right Lane: Brittany Force No Time, Now #2

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 26 percent, barometer 28.96 inches, adjusted altitude 2,533 feet, track temperature 87 degrees.

We sart with a couple Top Fuel rookies and couple females. Pruett launched and was on a good pass and clicked it off early. Force didn't move when the light turned green.

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Left Lane: Sidnei Frigo Runs 3.890/298.60, Now #1
Right Lane: Steve Faria Runs 5.592/120.23, Now #3

Frigo is making his Top Debut and he too will be running for the Rookie of the Year Award...he made a good clean pass to start the season. Faria started mixing up cylinders early and clicked it off...

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.968/244.74, Now #2
Right Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 10.403/83.38, Now #5

Chrisman was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Dixon launched hard, but then was real loose on the top end and clicked it off early. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.167, 660ft-3.089/274.89 mph.

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Left Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 3.959/270.48, Now #2
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.962/286.32, Now #3

A couple good clean passes for both of these drivers to go to the number two and three spots. T.J. Zizzo's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.176, 660ft-3.131/265.53 mph.
Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.883 sec., 330ft-2.208, 660ft-3.153/265.27 mph.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.799/325.77, Now #1
Right Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 3.802/325.37, Now #2

This was a great drag race as Millican goes to the top of the list and big top end speed. This is a career quickest and fastest pass for Millican. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.164, 660ft-3.054/284.33 mph.
alBalooshi was right there with him to go to the number two spot. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.170, 660ft-3.059/285.47 mph.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.045/228.85, Now #9
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.037/229.12, Now #8

These two are side-by-side all the way down the track...both drivers clicking them off around the same time. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.168, 660ft-3.103/269.73 mph.
Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.151, 660ft-3.090/258.91 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.488/173.90, Now #11
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 3.814/325.06, Now #3

Vandergriff was on a good pass until just past half track when the car went up in smoke. Lucas launched hard and keep it hooked up all the way down the track to go to the number three spot. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.169, 660ft-3.069/283.73 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.584/164.11, Now #13
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.761/325.22, Now #1

Kalitta was up in smoke around half track...Bernstein with a great pass to go to the number one spot. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.126, 660ft-3.017/285.29 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 5.800/115.01, Now #15
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 6.160/103.54, Now #16

Langdon is up in smoke by 330 feet and clicked it off. Massey is up in smoke early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.777/326.08, Now #2
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.834/322.19, Now #6

Both dragsters running the canopy here and Schumacher makes a really nice pass to go to the number two spot. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.141, 660ft-3.033/284.81 mph. Brown begins the defense of his Championship with a good pass to get into the top half of the show. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.175, 660ft-3.081/280.19 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink