Sat, 21 May 2016, 19:53 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 28th annual NHRA Kansas 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 4.106/262.44, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.029/256.65, Was #12

Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 28.92 inches, adjusted altitude 2,918 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

Novelli is dropping cylinders right at the hit and then really starts mixing up cylinders around half track before it pushes out head gasket with a quick flash of flames.

---

Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 3.948/305.91, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.872/312.86, Was #11

Palmer with another good looking pass, he will not improve...Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.885 sec., 330ft-2.242, 660ft-3.167/274.94 mph.

---

Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.878/312.57, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.762/324.59, Was #10
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.773/317.64, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.743/323.12, Was #8

McMillen with a clean pass, but will not improve. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.185, 660ft-3.106/275.39 mph. Brown launched hard and was straight down the groove with a nice pass. He will not improve... Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.138, 660ft-3.019/286.25 mph.

---

Left Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.758/320.89, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.759/326.40, Was #9
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 7.487/81.85, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.736/318.24, Was #7

Todd launched hard and keep it hitting on all eight to make his quickest pass of the weekend, but will stay in the number nine spot. J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.133, 660ft-3.016/287.84 mph. Millican started to go up in smoke around 150 feet and clicked it off.

---

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.811/270.37, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.724/324.05, Was #5
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.754/326.56, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.726/330.15, Was #6

These two were glued together until right in the lights when Schumacher started to haze the tires. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.117, 660ft-2.999/287.41 mph. Langdon with a great pass, it was hitting on all eight all the way down the track for the quickest pass of the session. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.131, 660ft-3.014/288.39 mph.

---

Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.702/327.98, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.701/330.88, Was #2
Right Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.721/317.12, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.710/318.99, Was #4

Kalitta launched hard and keep it hitting on eight and hooked up to make the quickest pass of the session. He is just a tick off his quickest pass of the weekend. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.106, 660ft-2.970/292.08 mph. Crampton is right there with Kalitta with the second quickest pass of the session. Richie Crampton's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.107, 660ft-2.975/291.32 mph.

---

Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 8.104/75.01, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.676/325.45, Was #1
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.713/327.90, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.709/329.91, Was #3

Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 2,785 feet, track temperature 91 degrees.

These two were allowed to go back and refuel after being shut off by NHRA officials while experiencing trouble with the starting line timing system. Force is up in smoke early and clicks it off. She will hold on to the number one qualifying spot, this will be her first No. 1 of the season and the fifth of her career. Torrence launched hard and keep it hooked up to make the second quickest pass of the session.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink