Drag Race Central | Presented by Summitracing.com

Sun, 06 Sep 2015, 17:27 PM

Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Larry Sullivan

BROWNSBURG, Ind. - Notes from round 4 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: Luigi Novelli Runs 4.163/275.90, Now #16; Best prior run: 10.346/82.31, Was #21

4:23 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 93 degrees, relative humidity 41 percent, barometer 29.15 inches, adjusted altitude 3,904 feet, track temperature 127 degrees.

Wayne Newby is on the bump spot at 4.387.

Twenty two cars, sixteen spots, six go home. Chris Karamesines will be one of them, he is 17th and has elected not to run in this session.

Novelli finally got a clean launch (he's been smoking the tires) and got almost to the stripe under power. There was a bright flash (looked like a head gasket) right at the finish line, but he got in, replacing Newby on the bump spot.

Left Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 3.887/315.78, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.987/84.20, Was #21

alBalooshi made his best run of the event and he's apparently safely in the field, bumping Novelli.

Now Doug Kalitta is on the bump spot at 4.002.

Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.838/171.01, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.877/112.33, Was #20
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 4.339/263.41, Now #18; No Prior Run

Millican lost to Kalitta yesterday, in the Traxxas Shootout. Now he is trying to bump Kalitta from the field.

Nope! Both drivers were smoking the tires and pedaling, not even close. Add McMillen and Millican to the "go home list." with Novelli and Karamesines. Still two spots open...

Left Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 4.407/232.23, Now #15; Best prior run: 3.942/278.98, Was #15
Right Lane: Kebin Kinsley Runs 4.035/280.78, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.146/110.30, Was #22

Kinsley came close to making a full pass, came up just short of the bump time. There was a flash and a POP from Zizzo's car as he neared the stripe, but he was already in the field.

Kinsley joined the list and there is just one more open spot in the go-home list.

Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.929/310.41, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.868/318.69, Was #12
Right Lane: Wayne Newby Runs 10.333/76.85, Now #20; Best prior run: 4.387/189.36, Was #20

Newby's chances went up in smoke and the go-home list is full.

Brown made a good run - he did not improve, however, and will start from the bottom half of the field.

Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 4.089/256.94, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.840/320.66, Was #11
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.995/290.63, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.002/266.42, Was #16

Kalitta improved slightly, stayed 16tth and the #1 qualifier will face Kalitta in round one.

Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 4.057/243.90, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.806/319.29, Was #8
Right Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 4.243/202.88, Now #14; Best prior run: 3.892/305.15, Was #14

Dropped cylinders, followed by a big BANG and a flash of flame from Langdon's engine. There may be shrapnel on the track, but the track checkers also found oil. Shawn Langdon was charged with an oildown, #3 for the season. That will cost 15 points and $4K.

Crampton slowed around the 660-foot marker, did not see why.

Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 4.123/238.30, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.798/319.60, Was #7
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.894/317.12, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.812/322.88, Was #9

Schumacher made a full pass. Force slowed around the 660-foot marker. No improvement, no changes.

Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 4.400/189.12, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.795/323.58, Was #5
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.262/202.42, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.795/320.13, Was #6

The middle of the track is proving difficult to navigate without tire spin. These two had good numbers to 330 feet and slowed before reaching the 660-foot speed trap. Again, no improvement and no change.

The track checkers found oil in the right lane. Morgan Lucas was charged with an oildown, #4 for the season. That will cost 20 points and $6K.

Left Lane: Dave Connolly Runs 4.054/238.93, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.793/323.58, Was #4
Right Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 3.873/319.75, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.771/323.58, Was #2

As runs go this session, Torrence made a nice one and that's low ET of this session so far, ahead of Khalid alBalooshi and Tony Schumacher. Connolly stayed with him to about 660 feet, but started hazing the tires and falling back from there on.

Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.871/320.20, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.778/326.08, Was #3
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.967/254.71, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.744/326.00, Was #1

Last pair. Steve Torrence was two thousandths quicker than his dad to take the low ET ;points for the round, followed by Billy and alBalooshi, in that order.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink