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Sat, 05 Sep 2015, 21:39 PM

Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Larry Sullivan

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 61st annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. 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: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.806/319.29, Now #1; Best prior run: 18.723/48.81, Was #22

8:30 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 29.16 inches, adjusted altitude 3,242 feet, track temperature 95 degrees.

J.R. Todd is on the bump spot at 4.462.

In the evening hours, with a cooler track, things should pick up in this session.

Langdon shows how much things have improved, going right to the head of the class.

Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.155, 660ft-3.054/283.01 mph.

Now Pat Dakin is on the bump spot at 4.377.

Left Lane: Dave Connolly Runs 3.793/323.58, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.306/104.31, Was #19
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 9.862/67.39, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.983/116.98, Was #20

Nice run by Connolly. McMillen shook and rattled the tires, then went up in smoke. The smoke was oil-aided. Terry McMillen was charged with an oildown, #4 for the season. That will cost 20 points and $6K.

Dave Connolly's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.142, 660ft-3.046/282.01 mph.

Now Leah Pritchett is on the bump spot at 4.330.

Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.798/319.60, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.614/171.88, Was #17
Right Lane: Wayne Newby Runs 4.804/148.94, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.996/141.58, Was #19

Newby had a very good 60-foot time, but the header flames were strangely colored and the engine turned into a fireball by 200 feet. More oil. Wayne Newby was charged with an oildown, #2 for the season. That will cost 10 points and $2K.

Meanwhile, everything went right for Force and she slipped into the #2 spot with a solid run.

Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.154, 660ft-3.050/285.41 mph.

Now Billy Torrence is on the bump spot at 4.273.

Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.778/326.08, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.474/238.64, Was #16
Right Lane: Kebin Kinsley Runs 9.224/81.81, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.756/157.98, Was #18

Kinsley was up in smoke immediately, but Torrence went right down the groove and right to the head of the class.

Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.039/288.21 mph.

Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.795/323.58, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.462/188.83, Was #16
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.744/326.00, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.496/175.32, Was #17

Nice side-by-side runs, filling the #1 and #4 spots.

J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.848 sec., 330ft-2.157, 660ft-3.050/284.69 mph.
Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.129, 660ft-3.010/289.76 mph.

Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.840/320.66, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.330/196.07, Was #16
Right Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 3.817/319.75, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.377/190.08, Was #17

Good runs - no change at the top of the list, but that pushes the bump up two spots again.

Now Khalid alBalooshi is on the bump spot at 3.963.

Left Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 4.452/175.30, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.080/235.64, Was #16
Right Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 3.771/323.58, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.273/203.22, Was #17

Something let go on Zizzo's car, around the 660-foot marker, with a shower and trail of sparks and apparently some oil as well. T.J. Zizzo was charged with an oildown, #2 for the season (and the day). That will cost 10 points and $2K. The problem slowed his momentum and he will start over Sunday.

Meanwhile, Torrence made a nice run, second-quickest of the event so far.

Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.143, 660ft-3.030/287.35 mph.

Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 3.795/320.13, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.038/237.96, Was #15

Chris Karamesines was scheduled to run beside Lucas, but was a no-show.

Nice run by Lucas and he bumped into the field.

Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.048/286.74 mph.

Now Clay Millican is on the bump spot at 3.897.

Left Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 4.197/175.00, Now #14; Best prior run: 3.963/269.67, Was #14
Right Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.998/265.01, Now #15; Best prior run: 3.977/280.78, Was #15

No improvement for either driver. alBalooshi's chutes deployed, then there was a flash of flame from the burst panel. Crampton shook early in the run and lifted past the 660-foot marker.

Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.048/265.22, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.897/299.26, Was #12
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.812/322.88, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.906/316.01, Was #13

These two met in the first round of the Traxxas Top Fuel Shootout, Millican getting the win. Then Millican lost to Doug Kalitta in the semifinals.

Millican's car started getting sideways and he backpedaled, ended up 13th. Schumacher made a full pass, but it was only good for ninth.

Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.147/220.62, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.868/318.69, Was #12
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 6.588/86.46, Now #21; Best prior run: 8.139/93.14, Was #21

These two were in the Traxxas Top Fuel Shootout final round. Brown was on the bump and this run did nothing to get him off, but at least he's in the field. Brown shook and pedaled in the middle of the run, killing his ET. Kalitta came in with a horrible first run. This second qualifying run was also horrible, with lots of early tire smoke. He's well out of the field and will get to start over tomorrow.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink