Sat, 27 Jul 2013, 16:46 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

SONOMA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 26th annual NHRA Sonoma 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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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 6.966/87.33, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.830/312.86, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.843/318.84, Was #11

Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 29.92 inches, adjusted altitude 1,552 feet, track temperature 112 degrees.

Force is up in smoke right off the starting line and clicks it off. Millican launched hard and keep it hooked up and was straight down the groove to move up the ladder one spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.151, 660ft-3.060/277.43 mph.

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Left Lane: Tommy Johnson Jr. Runs 5.804/113.43, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.875/303.71, Was #12
Right Lane: Steven Chrisman No Time, Now #18; No Prior Run

Chrisman is celebrating a birthday today...he is up in smoke as soon as he hits the and clicks it of and coast to a stop on the track. Johnson Jr. is up in smoke a little farther down track and he clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.903/317.27, Now #13; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.688/157.59, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.797/321.96, Was #6

Langdon was up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off. McMillen with a nice pass, as he launched hard and was straight down the groove to get in the show. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.874 sec., 330ft-2.216, 660ft-3.142/276.24 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.838/323.89, Now #11; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 6.495/101.33, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.827/319.37, Was #9

Lucas was up in smoke by 200 feet and clicks it off. Schumacher with the second quickest pass of the round to get in the show. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.178, 660ft-3.088/280.43 mph.

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Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 5.089/136.22, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.841/319.14, Now #13; No Prior Run

Buff was up in smoke by 300 feet and clicked it off. Bernstein with the third quickest of the session to go to the number 13 spot. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.179, 660ft-3.086/281.01 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.240/194.32, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.839/316.75, Was #12
Right Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 3.984/291.51, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.821/319.37, Was #8

Vandergriff was on a good pass and then it started to haze on the top end and clicked it off. Zizzo was on a good clean pass, but slowed on the top end. T.J. Zizzo's incremental times: 60ft-0.870 sec., 330ft-2.229, 660ft-3.178/266.90 mph.

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Left Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 3.821/322.96, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.789/320.97, Was #4
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 5.972/106.54, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.803/320.66, Was #7

Brown is up in smoke early and he clicks it off. alBalooshi launched hard and keep it hitting on all eight to run the quickest pass of the round. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.840 sec., 330ft-2.160, 660ft-3.070/281.54 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.700/158.67, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.780/324.83, Was #3
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.822/321.35, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.793/314.17, Was #5

Kalitta starts the smoke the tires around half track and clicks it off. Massey launched hard and keep the big Goodyears hooked up with the second quickest pass of the session. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.166, 660ft-3.070/280.43 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.810/322.73, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.766/323.27, Was #2
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.806/321.58, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.765/324.28, Was #1

This was a great side-by-side drag race to wrap up round three of qualifying. These two are straight down the groove and run the two quickest passes of the round. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.146, 660ft-3.057/279.38 mph.
David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.057/284.39 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink