Sat, 20 Jul 2013, 17:22 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

MORRISON, Colo. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 34th annual Mopar Mile-High 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:

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Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.219/290.32, Now #12; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 92 degrees, relative humidity 27 percent, barometer 24.16 inches, adjusted altitude 9,960 feet, track temperature 116 degrees.

Palmer with a nice clean pass until right in the lights where it dropped a cylinder or two, but still gets him in the show. Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.367, 660ft-3.385/252.76 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.111/262.59, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.376/188.96, Was #13
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 4.143/275.90, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.002/307.51, Was #7

Massey dropped a cylinder right at the hit, but stayed with it. Torrence started dropping cylinders around 300 feet and then pushed out a head gasket around half track and then banged the blower and had quick fireball. He still makes his quickest pass of the weekend to move up to the number 11 spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.207, 660ft-3.211/248.39 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.514/206.04, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.319/208.33, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.975/308.57, Was #6

Schumacher starts to smoke the tires around 300 feet and stays with it, but can't get it to hook up. He gets a number on the board and is into the number 14 spot. Millican is up in smoke just past half track and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.410/244.87, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.131/288.70, Now #12; No Prior Run

Lucas is up in smoke around 300 feet and pedals it and gets it to hook up enough to get in front of Schumacher in the number 15 spot. Brown was hazing the tires, but goes to the number 12 spot.

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Left Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 4.342/229.24, Now #15; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 5.054/143.96, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.108/251.49, Was #10

Chrisman with the YNOT racing logo on the side of the car. Chrisman with a nice pass until on the top end and it started mixing up cylinders, but he still gets in the show. That bumps out Schumacher. Bernstein is up in smoke early and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.500/181.01, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.052/288.89, Was #8
Right Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 5.461/131.24, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.189/275.90, Was #13

Strasburg is dropping cylinders right at the hit and then is up in smoke by 300 feet and he clicks it off. Grubnic's engine goes silent around half track and he coast across the finish line.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 4.769/163.65, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.926/309.56, Was #3
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 5.001/146.11, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.077/245.81, Was #9

Both cars are up in smoke around 350 feet and both of them click it off.

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Left Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 4.353/207.62, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.924/313.95, Was #2
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.000/294.95, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.935/315.12, Was #4

alBalooshi is up in smoke just before half track. Langdon with a nice clean pass, the quickest of the day. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.865 sec., 330ft-2.227, 660ft-3.190/267.16 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.469/187.60, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.889/310.13, Was #1
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.091/297.94, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.949/302.14, Was #5

Kalitta starts to drop cylinders and then smokes the tires and bangs the blower. Vandergriff was straight down the groove with the second quickest pass of the day. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.279, 660ft-3.272/256.26 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink