Sat, 27 Feb 2016, 19:18 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 32nd annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA 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: Troy Buff Runs 3.871/306.19, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.869/281.19, Was #11
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.922/317.12, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.520/173.12, Was #14

Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 17 percent, barometer 28.70 inches, adjusted altitude 3,382 feet, track temperature 115 degrees.

Buff with a good clean pass, but will not improve...Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec., 330ft-2.170, 660ft-3.090/273.88 mph. Langdon with his quickest pass of the weekend and moves up the ladder two spots. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.863 sec., 330ft-2.218, 660ft-3.159/275.62 mph.

---

Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.860/265.95, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.859/314.31, Was #10

Pritchett slows on the top end and she is just a tick off her qualifying time.

---

Left Lane: Dave Connolly Runs 3.811/317.64, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.794/309.34, Was #8
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 5.661/126.96, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.935/286.07, Was #13

Connolly makes a full pull, but will not improve and will stay in the number eight spot for now. Dave Connolly's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.163, 660ft-3.061/284.69 mph. McMillen was mixing up cylinders early and clicked it off.

---

Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.804/289.69, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.787/318.17, Was #7
Right Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 5.066/138.33, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.812/309.98, Was #9

Todd was on a great looking pass early and then the engine went silent early. J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.155, 660ft-3.035/288.46 mph. He will stay in the number seven spot. Crampton is up in smoke by 330 feet and he will start from the number nine spot.

---

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.764/320.43, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.772/320.51, Was #4
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.773/293.03, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.784/322.96, Was #6

Schumacher launched hard and appeared to be spraying oil early in the run, but stayed with it to make his quickest pass of the weekend to go to the number two spot. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.138, 660ft-3.019/289.07 mph. Schumacher lost the blower belt on the top end. Tony Schumacher was charged with an oildown, #1 for the season. That will cost 5 points and $1K. Millican with his quickest pass of the weekend, but still gets bumped back one spot by Schumacher. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.836 sec., 330ft-2.119, 660ft-3.006/287.29 mph.

---

Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.760/322.65, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.765/319.45, Was #3
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.769/319.14, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.782/321.04, Was #6

After a 25 minute delay to clean up the oil down we are back...Brown launched hard and keep it hooked up to go to the number two spot with his quickest pass of the weekend. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.836 sec., 330ft-2.125, 660ft-3.011/285.41 mph. Force was right there with him and she runs her quickest pass of the weekend to move up the ladder one spot. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.136, 660ft-3.019/285.47 mph.

---

Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.741/320.74, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.747/326.00, Was #1
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.790/318.39, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.766/322.96, Was #4

Kalitta launched hard and keep it hooked up to improve on his number one spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.130, 660ft-3.001/290.07 mph. Kalitta qualifies No. 1 for the 44th time in his career. Torrence with another great pass, but will not improve and will start Sunday from the number four spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.840 sec., 330ft-2.156, 660ft-3.040/286.74 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink