Fri, 12 Feb 2016, 17:26 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 56th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 8.001/82.32, Now #2
Right Lane: Steve Faria Runs 6.014/104.54, Now #1

1:43 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 25 percent, barometer 28.97 inches, adjusted altitude 3,032 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

Two hard launches, but neither car can keep the tire stuck to the track.

They leave together, but Palmer's car is shaking and spinning first. Faria gets a little further before kicking the tires too.

Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec., 330ft-2.711, 660ft-5.212/085.97 mph.
Steve Faria's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.296, 660ft-3.948/126.46 mph.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.684/160.61, Now #1
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 7.001/85.61, Now #3

Two more broken passes. They get a little further than the prior pair and Buff's car is done first, quickly followed by Lucas'.

Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.180, 660ft-3.327/187.13 mph.
Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.411, 660ft-4.458/102.00 mph.

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Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 5.296/130.86, Now #3
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 4.008/303.16, Now #1

McMillen get way down track before dropping cylinders and slowing. Lots of smoke right before the lights. Terry McMillen was charged with an oildown, #1 for the season. That will cost 5 points and $1K.

Pritchett's Quaker State fueler gets to right after the 330 lights and then shakes the tires.

Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.213, 660ft-3.627/149.98 mph.
Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.900 sec., 330ft-2.266, 660ft-3.211/267.22 mph.

1:50 p.m. Time for the first significant delay of the weekend. The sweepers are pulling out.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.857/150.93, Now #3
Right Lane: Dave Connolly Runs 5.162/138.36, Now #4

1:57 p.m. Back to qualifying!

They leave together and then smoke the tires right about the 300 foot mark.

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Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 4.655/163.29, Now #3
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.815/322.73, Now #1

Two strong leaves and Torrance makes the first full pass of the session to take over the top spot.

Todd was on a strong pass until right before the 660 lights and slowed.

J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.306/186.10 mph.
Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.165, 660ft-3.068/283.67 mph.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.794/319.98, Now #1
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.833/319.98, Now #3

We finally get two cars to the finish line under power and they are great runs to boot.

Langdon was away first, but Force had all of the better incrementals to take over the top spot.

Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.150, 660ft-3.044/283.97 mph.
Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.171, 660ft-3.079/280.72 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 6.463/116.71, Now #12
Right Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 4.349/185.87, Now #5

They are side by side at the green, but Kalitta's car drops a cylinder right away. Right before the 330 lights, the blower goes BOOM! Doug Kalitta was charged with an oildown, #1 for the season. That will cost 5 points and $1K.

Crampton almost made it to the 660 lights before slowing too.

2:12 p.m. The sweepers are rolling again.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.822/317.34, Now #3
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.491/173.74, Now #7

Both cars were started and had just began to move forward to start their burnouts, when the call came to shut them off, due to oil.

2:19 p.m. All clean and tidy now, so they start the process all over again.

Two strong leaves and they run together to about 500 feet out and Brown's fueler slows . Schumacher gets a full pull and moves into the #3 spot for the session.

Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.156, 660ft-3.064/279.90 mph.
Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.170, 660ft-3.234/202.24 mph.

2:23 p.m. Brittany Force is number one at3.794 and Leah Pritchett is on the bump spot at 5.296.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink