Sat, 15 Jun 2013, 16:42 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 13th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Tri-Cities Area Ford Dealers 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: Pat Dakin Runs 19.205/64.21, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.993/90.05, Was #17

Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 28.52 inches, adjusted altitude 3,682 feet, track temperature 124 degrees.

Dakin in up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle and then banged the blower. He coasted to the finish line.

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Left Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 4.033/293.54, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.538/126.06, Was #16
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 6.800/85.85, Now #17; Best prior run: 9.638/76.46, Was #19

Buff is up in smoke by 200 feet and clicks it off. Karamesines with his quickest pass of the weekend to get off the bubble.

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Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 5.951/226.35, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.145/230.53, Was #16
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 5.794/273.55, Now #17; Best prior run: 8.907/85.03, Was #19

Herbert is up in smoke right off the starting line and pedals it and is back up in smoke and pedals it a couple more times and he gets it in the show. McMillen is up in smoke a lot like Herbert and he too pedals it a couple times, but can't get it to hook up and he will not qualify.

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Left Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 10.167/62.67, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.744/161.48, Was #15
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.003/277.43, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.837/317.72, Was #11

Pruett is up in smoke as soon as she hits the throttle and clicks it off. Kalitta was on a good pass and then started to haze the tires on the top end and clicked it off. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.232, 660ft-3.180/268.17 mph.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 6.219/113.02, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.864/317.12, Was #13
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.923/315.05, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.836/321.04, Was #10

Lucas starts to drop cylinders right at the hit and then smoke the tires and clicks it off. Vandergriff was on a real good pass until it dropped a cylinder or two on the top end. He still has the quickest pass of the round. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.226, 660ft-3.151/273.83 mph.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.896/313.73, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.838/317.05, Was #12
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 6.126/110.85, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.835/318.47, Was #9

Todd is up in smoke by 200 feet and clicks it off. Brown launched hard and keep it hooked up with the quickest pass of the round. He will stay in the number 12 spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.202, 660ft-3.125/276.46 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.595/168.32, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.826/303.71, Was #7
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 6.959/90.44, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.828/319.98, Was #8

Force is up in smoke and clicks it off early. Langdon started to smoke the tires and pedaled it one time and was back up in smoke.

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Left Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 4.873/149.73, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.824/324.20, Was #6
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.892/320.13, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.795/325.77, Was #5

alBalooshi is up in smoke and clicked it off. Schumacher with a great run here in the heat of the day with the quickest and fastest pass of the round. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.858 sec., 330ft-2.212, 660ft-3.135/277.09 mph.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.933/308.64, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.792/321.12, Was #4
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 5.785/114.80, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.779/324.51, Was #2

Torrence is up in smoke by 250 feet and clicked it off. Grubnic with a real nice pass, straight down the groove with the fourth quickest pass of the round. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.205, 660ft-3.147/269.62 mph.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 5.339/127.99, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.787/326.48, Was #3
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.943/309.42, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.775/326.79, Was #1

Millican started to smoke the tires around 330 feet and clicked it off. Massey with a good clean pass and the fifth quickest pass of the round. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.871 sec., 330ft-2.216, 660ft-3.159/270.00 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink