Fri, 10 May 2013, 15:18 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

COMMERCE, Ga. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 33rd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Keith Murt Runs 5.667/199.88, Now #2
Right Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 3.944/292.46, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 29.29 inches, adjusted altitude 2,918 feet.

Murt's car just never did move when the light turned green. Dakin started mixing up cylinders on the top end and got real close to the centerline, but keep it in his lane. Dakin with his quickest pass of the season. Pat Dakin's incremental times: 60ft-0.860 sec., 330ft-2.186, 660ft-3.128/267.64 mph.

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Left Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 4.151/237.50, Now #2
Right Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 14.121/47.86, Now #4

Pruett's launched and then went silent and she coasted on through the 1000 feet. Karamesines clicked it off early...

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 4.263/195.45, Now #4
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.930/311.77, Now #1

McMillen with a good clean pass to go to the number one spot. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.209, 660ft-3.150/271.41 mph. Force was right there with him until around half track when her car popped and went silent.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 11.743/69.60, Now #7
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.886/313.37, Now #1

Lee Beard is now calling the shots on the Capco Top Fueler Torrence is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle and clicked it off. Millican launched hard and keep it hooked up to go to the number one spot for now with a nice looking pass. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.863 sec., 330ft-2.192, 660ft-3.112/275.79 mph.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.913/270.86, Now #3
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.847/314.17, Now #1

Bernstein with a great looking pass to go to the number one spot. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.170, 660ft-3.084/279.44 mph. Grubnic was right there with him until Grubnic's engine went silent around 800 feet.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.436/251.58, Now #9
Right Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 3.925/316.30, Now #4

alBalooshi with a good pass to go to the number four spot. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.231, 660ft-3.160/277.03 mph. Vandergriff started mixing up cylinders and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.568/180.94, Now #10
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.635/211.13, Now #11

Lucas started to lose traction and pedaled it , but never got it to hook up. Kalitta started to lose traction and tried to drive through it and never got it to hook up before finally clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.874/314.61, Now #3
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.864/318.84, Now #2

THis was a great side-by-side drag race with Langdon going to the number two spot and Massey right there with him for the number three spot. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.175, 660ft-3.099/272.45 mph.
Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.194, 660ft-3.107/281.07 mph.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.876/316.52, Now #4
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 8.057/77.19, Now #16

Schumacher starts to lose traction early and clicks it off...he gets into the show in the number 16 spot. Brown with a good looking pass to go to the number four spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.194, 660ft-3.111/276.63 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink