Fri, 18 Sep 2015, 20:06 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

CONCORD, N.C. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Eighth annual NHRA Carolina 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: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.774/319.75, Now #1; Best prior run: 11.799/59.40, Was #14
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 4.098/230.92, Now #8; Best prior run: 9.259/94.34, Was #13

Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 46 percent, barometer 29.24 inches, adjusted altitude 3,130 feet, track temperature 94 degrees.

Schumacher launched hard and keep it hooked up to go to the number one spot. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.138, 660ft-3.026/285.71 mph. Todd was on a good pass until the engine let go with a big fireball, but he still gets in the show for now. The word from the top end is there is oil, this is his first of the season, so it will cost him $1000.

---

Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 4.918/159.29, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.074/133.74, Was #12
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 6.588/103.47, Now #14; Best prior run: 9.042/87.13, Was #14

Force starts to lose traction and she pedals it, but can't get it to hook up and clicks it off. McMillen was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

---

Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 4.021/278.92, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.515/169.89, Was #10
Right Lane: Dave Connolly Runs 11.188/58.74, Now #13; Best prior run: 6.053/109.32, Was #13

Crampton was on a good pass until just past half track when it started to haze the tires and he clicked it off. connolly was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

---

Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 10.070/78.15, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.954/303.37, Was #7
Right Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 3.931/277.26, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.607/166.03, Was #11

Kalitta was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off. Dakin's engine was shooting out sparklers from right at the hit and then the engine let go with a big fireball right in the lights. The word from the top end is there is oil in Dakin's lane, this is his second oil down of the season and it will cost him $2,000.

---

Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.758/318.77, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.880/312.28, Was #5
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 15.305/39.31, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.207/201.28, Was #11

Millican launched hard and keep it hooked up to go to the number one spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.829 sec., 330ft-2.114, 660ft-3.004/284.03 mph. Brown was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle and clicked it off.

---

Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.786/320.36, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.829/315.42, Was #4
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 3.870/295.27, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.887/316.30, Was #6

Torrence with a real nice pass, he keep it hitting on all eight all the way down the track to go to the number three spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.147, 660ft-3.036/284.75 mph. Dixon was on a good pass, but then slowed on the top end and stayed in the number six spot. Larry Dixon's incremental times: 60ft-0.835 sec., 330ft-2.173, 660ft-3.088/277.49 mph.

---

Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.803/319.45, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.814/314.61, Was #4
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon No Time, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.868/315.86, Was #5

Pritchett with another good pass, but will stay in the number four spot. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.166, 660ft-3.053/285.29 mph. Langdon with a big boomer right at the hit and the car came to a stop just past the 660-foot mark.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink