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Sat, 06 Jul 2013, 13:06 PM

Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

NORWALK, Ohio - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA 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: Morgan Lucas Runs 8.254/80.04, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.874/299.53, Was #12
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.845/316.15, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.813/324.67, Was #8

Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 62 percent, barometer 29.19 inches, adjusted altitude 3,322 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

Lucas is up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off. It appeared Grubnic had a fuel line come off right at the hit and was spraying fuel all the way down the 1000 feet and then just past the finish line there was a big cloud of engine smoke, but the word from the top end is the track is clean. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.868 sec., 330ft-2.175, 660ft-3.079/279.44 mph.

Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 4.059/223.80, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.842/318.39, Now #12; No Prior Run

Force is mixing up cylinders just past half track and then the chutes are out early, but she gets a number on the board and in the show for now. Todd finally gets in a full pull and goes to the number 12 spot. He tied McMillen's E.T. but gave up the spot based on his slower speed. J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.171, 660ft-3.083/278.46 mph.

Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 6.422/109.69, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 4.020/264.55, Now #14; No Prior Run

Palmer started to smoke the tires and clicked it off. Karamesines was drifting out of the the groove and got real close to the centerline on the top end, but keep it in his lane. He will get in the show.

Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.871/320.58, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 5.495/120.78, Now #17; No Prior Run

Pruett started to haze the tires early and clicked it off. Dixon launched hard and keep it hooked up with a real nice pass to get in the show at the number 13 spot. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.199, 660ft-3.114/278.92 mph.

Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 4.021/292.27, Now #16; No Prior Run

Dakin was scheduled to run against Buff and chose to sit this session out. Buff was straight down the groove to get in the show and that will bump out Force. Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.868 sec., 330ft-2.225, 660ft-3.194/259.21 mph.

Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.884/321.96, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.842/322.19, Was #11
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.822/317.87, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.819/324.67, Was #9

McMillen with another good clean pass, he didn't improve. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.206, 660ft-3.125/277.77 mph. Massey was on a good pass and then started dropping cylinders just before the finish line. Massey with the quickest pass of the round. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.165, 660ft-3.060/279.79 mph.

Left Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 3.820/321.50, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.820/321.50, Was #10
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 6.757/87.29, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.801/321.04, Was #4

Vandergriff started to lose traction early and clicked it off. alBalooshi with an identical pass to his qualifying pass last night....the E.T. exactly the same and the speed is exactly the same and it is the quickest of this session. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.160, 660ft-3.069/280.66 mph.

Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.950/271.30, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.812/315.78, Was #7
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.789/327.27, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.795/323.66, Was #3

Millican launched hard and keep it hitting on all eight with a great pass. His quickest of the weekend and the quickest of the session and the second fastest of the event. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.154, 660ft-3.047/284.56 mph. Brown was on a good pass, but then clicked it off early. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.858 sec., 330ft-2.195, 660ft-3.126/271.19 mph.

Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 7.494/75.82, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.806/327.03, Was #6
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.930/298.67, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.778/320.74, Was #2

Torrence with a lot of tire shake and then went up in smoke. Schumacher slowed on the top end and had a lot of engine smoke right in the lights. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.221, 660ft-3.145/273.50 mph.

Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 8.823/81.41, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.802/315.64, Was #5
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.880/312.42, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.767/327.74, Was #1

Langdon is up in smoke right at the hit and clicks it off. Kalitta started mixing up cylinders just past half track, but stayed with it and stays in the number one spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.179, 660ft-3.103/274.00 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink