Fri, 26 Sep 2014, 20:38 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

MADISON, Ill. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Third annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest 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: Pat Dakin Runs 3.826/317.72, Now #3; Best prior run: 16.698/59.26, Was #18

Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 29.67 inches, adjusted altitude 2,272 feet, track temperature 89 degrees.

Dakin launched hard and keep it hitting on all eight with his quickest pass of the season. Pat Dakin's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.159, 660ft-3.067/275.22 mph.

---

Left Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 3.812/319.98, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.235/96.72, Was #18
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 5.076/150.48, Now #18; No Prior Run

alBalooshi launched hard and was straight down the groove to go to the number two spot. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.157, 660ft-3.059/281.66 mph. Palmer started to lose traction and clicked it off and he will start over tomorrow.

---

Left Lane: Kyle Wurtzel Runs 4.294/200.44, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.618/165.60, Was #16
Right Lane: Clay Millican No Time, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.224/106.03, Was #19

Wurtzel started to haze the tires and clicked it off. Millican fired the car and it just didn't sound right and he shut it off.

---

Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.780/324.83, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.537/171.47, Was #16
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.809/323.12, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.994/294.18, Was #13

This was a great side-by-side drag race as Kalitta launched hard and keep it hooked up to go to the number one spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.147, 660ft-3.037/285.29 mph. Force with a real nice pass to go to the number three spot. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.160, 660ft-3.060/283.19 mph.

---

Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.764/322.73, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.863/320.36, Was #10

Crampton with a great pass with the header flames shooting high into the air to go to the number one spot. Richie Crampton's incremental times: 60ft-0.831 sec., 330ft-2.126, 660ft-3.019/285.29 mph. Buff was to be in the other lane but can't make the call after his first round incident.

---

Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.856/321.65, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.863/321.50, Was #10
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.796/318.62, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.870/316.60, Was #13

McMillen improves on his E.T. with another good looking pass, but gets bumped back a spot when Brown makes a great pass. He was straight down the groove with a great pass to go to the number three spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.138, 660ft-3.039/281.66 mph.

---

Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 3.798/323.89, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.847/319.98, Was #10
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 3.801/323.50, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.870/318.69, Was #13

This was a great side-by-side drag race with the fourth and fifth quickest passes on the session. They both are straight and true with the header flames shooting over the rear wings all the way down the track. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.156, 660ft-3.052/283.43 mph.
Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.151, 660ft-3.052/282.30 mph.

---

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.780/326.16, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.840/321.88, Was #11
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.786/322.42, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.866/320.97, Was #13

Now this was a drag race...Schumacher goes to the number two spot and runs top speed of the event. Schumacher tied Kalitta's E.T. and gets the position based on speed Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.143, 660ft-3.039/280.78 mph. Torrence was right there with him to go to the number four spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.140, 660ft-3.037/283.13 mph.

---

Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.779/325.37, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.797/323.66, Was #6
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.780/315.19, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.819/322.11, Was #11

This was a great side-by-side drag race to wrap up day one of the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals. Todd goes to the number two spot. J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.835 sec., 330ft-2.135, 660ft-3.034/282.95 mph. Langdon runs the the third 3.780 second pass of the session, he will give up the positions based on his slower speed. He still gets into the top half of the show. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.122, 660ft-3.020/282.48 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink