Sat, 23 Feb 2013, 15:51 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 29th 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:

---

Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.507/168.60, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.874/292.84, Now #12; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 34 percent, barometer 28.77 inches, adjusted altitude 1,919 feet, track temperature 95 degrees.

Torrence was on a good pass until just past half track when the car started to lose traction and he clicked it off. He does get a number on the board...Massey was on a real good pass until right in the lights when the engine let go with a huge cloud of engine smoke. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.834 sec., 330ft-2.150, 660ft-3.071/273.83 mph. The word from the top end is there is oil in Massey's lane and that will cost him five points.

---

Left Lane: Sidnei Frigo Runs 4.589/173.72, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.001/292.71, Was #13
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.815/319.90, Now #6; No Prior Run

Langdon launched hard and keep it hooked up to get in the top half of the show. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.164, 660ft-3.062/282.19 mph. Frigo was dropping cylinders early and then the engine let go just past half track with a quick fireball, but will stay on his number from yesterday...

---

Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.109/218.23, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.860/300.60, Was #10
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 7.090/93.28, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.872/320.51, Was #12

McMillen shook and smoke the tires right at the hit and clicked it off. Millican started to haze the tires before half track and clicked it off.

---

Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 3.839/319.22, Now #9; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 4.303/193.60, Now #16; No Prior Run

Lucas launched hard and keep it hooked up with the second quickest pass of the round to go to the number nine spot. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.170, 660ft-3.084/279.73 mph. Force started dropping cylinders on the top end and she clicked it off early, but she gets in the show on the bubble...

---

Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 4.005/300.46, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 3.811/315.86, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.871/298.01, Was #12

Strasburg with his quickest pass of the weekend to get in the show and that will bump out Force. Mike Strasburg's incremental times: 60ft-0.884 sec., 330ft-2.258, 660ft-3.210/267.06 mph. alBalooshi launched hard and was on a good pass until right in the lights when there was a quick flash of flames, but still runs his quickest pass of the weekend to move into the top half of the show. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.154, 660ft-3.048/280.54 mph.

---

Left Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 5.344/122.30, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.812/310.63, Was #6
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.973/278.69, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.843/267.64, Was #11

Pruett started to shake the tires and clicked it off around 400 feet. Bernstein started mixing up cylinders on the top end and clicked it off early. both of these drivers will stand on their times from yesterday.

---

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 5.924/107.39, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.768/321.96, Was #2
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.814/320.51, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.818/320.58, Was #9

Schumacher rattled and shook the tires right off the starting line and clicked it off. Dixon with his season quickest pass in Rapisarda dragster to move into the top half of the show. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.157, 660ft-3.059/281.66 mph.

---

Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.829/299.20, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.769/325.92, Was #3
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 5.820/106.74, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.818/321.88, Was #9

Vandergriff was up in smoke by 300 feet and clicked it off. Kalitta was on a good pass until right in the lights when there was a quick flash of flames and big boom when it banged the blower. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.056/283.79 mph. He still runs the fourth quickest pass of the session., but will stand on yesterday's time.

---

Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.845/318.77, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.765/314.83, Was #1
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.867/145.41, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.783/318.62, Was #4

Grubnic started to haze the tires around 400 feet and clicked it off. Brown said in his No. 1 qualifier interview last night that the first pass yesterday was a planned shut off pass, then they came out with the second pass on the new car and went to the number one spot. He has another good clean pass, the sixth quickest pass of the session, but holds on to the number one spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.858 sec., 330ft-2.168, 660ft-3.090/271.19 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink