Sat, 21 Sep 2013, 14:37 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 28th annual AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 3.975/302.48, Now #2
Right Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 3.853/316.52, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 41 percent, barometer 29.37 inches, adjusted altitude 2,598 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

This was a good pair to start the weekend...Torrence launched hard and keep it hooked up all the way down the track. Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.164, 660ft-3.085/275.45 mph. Palmer with a real nice pass, his season quickest and fastest pass. Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.873 sec., 330ft-2.224, 660ft-3.174/266.21 mph.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.871/311.27, Now #2
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 4.521/170.97, Now #4

Todd in the third Bob Vandergriff Racing car this weekend and he launched hard and is straight down the groove. J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.836 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.089/271.84 mph. Buff with a good pass until just past half track when the engine let go with a big fireball.

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Left Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 4.894/150.56, Now #6
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.829/151.75, Now #5

They both appeared to be on good passes and then dixon started to haze the tires and he clicked it off. Zizzo started to drop cylinders and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 5.555/116.97, Now #8
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.925/298.80, Now #3

McMillen was up in smoke by half track and clicked it off. Force was mixing up cylinders on the top end, but still goes to the number three spot. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.187, 660ft-3.131/268.06 mph.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.827/316.38, Now #1
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.895/300.40, Now #4

This was a great drag race with Bernstein going to the number one spot. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.828 sec., 330ft-2.140, 660ft-3.062/276.46 mph. Grubnic was right there with him going to the number four spot. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.177, 660ft-3.098/273.55 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.832/320.89, Now #2
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.322/237.88, Now #8

Brown is up in smoke by half track and he tried to drive through it and never gets it to hook up. Torrence launched hard and keep the big goodyears hooked up to go to the number two spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.830 sec., 330ft-2.151, 660ft-3.074/277.37 mph.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.870/316.75, Now #4
Right Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 4.704/212.09, Now #11

alBalooshi was up in smoke early and he like brown tried to drive through it, but couldn't get it to hook up. Vandergriff with a real nice pass to go to the number three spot. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.177, 660ft-3.102/274.66 mph.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.960/291.63, Now #9
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.891/318.47, Now #6

Millican started to haze the tires and stayed with it to go to the number nine spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.105/253.23 mph. Schumacher launched hard and keeps it hooked up to get into the top half of the show. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.204, 660ft-3.129/276.63 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.835/320.58, Now #3
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 3.928/281.25, Now #10

Kalitta with a great looking pass straight down the groove to the number three spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.836 sec., 330ft-2.167, 660ft-3.079/279.67 mph. Lucas was right there with him until on the top end when he started to get loose and out of the groove. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.167, 660ft-3.101/266.90 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.819/321.04, Now #1
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.880/314.83, Now #8

Langdon launched hard and keep it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.836 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.065/281.83 mph. Massey with a good looking pass to get into the top half of the show. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.176, 660ft-3.105/271.79 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink