Sat, 16 Feb 2013, 16:49 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 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 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: Clay Millican Runs 10.436/66.02, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.799/325.77, Was #6
Right Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 4.465/186.28, Now #13; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 20 percent, barometer 28.99 inches, adjusted altitude 2,456 feet, track temperature 107 degrees.

Millican is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and clicks it off. Chrisman was on a good pass until just past half track when the engine went silent.

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Left Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 9.592/81.07, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.895/318.24, Now #13; No Prior Run

Zizzo is up in smoke right at the hit...McMillen was really skating around on the top end and appeared to pitch the blower belt right before the finish line. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.202, 660ft-3.128/274.44 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.784/326.56, Now #4; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.998/141.18, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.761/325.22, Was #2

Bernstein starts to loose traction and clicks it off...Langdon launched hard and was straight down the groove to go to the number four spot...Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.163, 660ft-3.047/289.63 mph.

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Left Lane: Sidnei Frigo Runs 8.350/75.20, Now #17; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Steve Faria Runs 4.149/263.87, Now #15; No Prior Run

Frigo's car just didn't move when the light went green and he just idled down the track. Faria slowed on the top end, but gets a number on the board.

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Left Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 9.495/65.19, Now #18; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 6.369/72.85, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.845/293.22, Was #13

Pruett is up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off. Force starts to lose traction around 300 feet and then her chute come out...

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.829/317.94, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.793/323.97, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.827/318.17, Was #12

Massey launched hard and was straight down the groove to get into the top half of the show. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.140, 660ft-3.046/281.89 mph. Dixon was on real nice pass until on the top end when the car started to drop cylinders and then skate around a little. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.156, 660ft-3.067/278.58 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.497/173.92, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.813/324.83, Was #10
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 3.907/273.16, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.814/325.06, Was #11

Vandergriff started to haze the tires right before half track and clicked it off. Lucas was on a good pass and then the car went silent on the top end and slowed. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.163, 660ft-3.080/267.64 mph.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 10.250/60.72, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.812/308.14, Was #9
Right Lane: Steve Torrence No Time, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.815/321.50, Was #12

Torrence did the burnout and then as he was staging the car the car went silent. Word from the starting line was it was a blower belt issue. Grubnic is up in smoke as soon he hit the throttle and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 8.861/86.09, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.795/326.71, Was #6
Right Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 6.184/96.03, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.798/326.16, Was #7

Kalitta is up in smoke right at the hit. alBalooshi started to lose traction and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 6.240/101.05, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.758/328.14, Was #1
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 6.451/98.56, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.768/328.14, Was #3

Brown is up in smoke right at the hit and clicks it off. Schumacher starts to lose traction early and clicks it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink