Fri, 11 Nov 2016, 20:34 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 52nd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals 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:

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Left Lane: Steve Faria Runs 5.367/103.02, Now #13; Best prior run: 12.527/61.46, Was #18

Faria started to lose traction around half track and he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Tripp Tatum Runs 3.815/313.95, Now #7; Best prior run: 6.426/104.79, Was #17
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.770/322.19, Now #3; Best prior run: 7.428/77.66, Was #18

This was a great drag race...Tatum with a good looking pass and then as he crossed the finish line there was a lot of engine smoke. He gets in the show...Tripp Tatum's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.057/282.42 mph. Force with a great pass to go to the number three spot. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.141, 660ft-3.023/285.71 mph.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.792/323.89, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.617/120.03, Was #18
Right Lane: Wayne Newby Runs 3.766/326.79, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.410/124.56, Was #16

McMillen kept it hitting on all eight to make a good looking pass to get into the top half of the show. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.160, 660ft-3.048/285.11 mph. Newby won a race last weekend in Australia and launched hard here and kept it hooked up to go to the number two spot with his career quickest and fastest pass. Wayne Newby's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.143, 660ft-3.030/288.33 mph.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 6.651/90.73, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.531/121.35, Was #18
Right Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 4.118/208.39, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.696/131.97, Was #15

Millican is up in smoke early and clicks it off. Crampton started to mix up cylinders just before half track and then there was a pop and the engine went silent.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 5.149/142.29, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.704/138.76, Was #16
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.716/326.95, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.336/186.67, Was #15

Kalitta started to haze the tires early and he pedaled it, but couldn't get it to hook up and clicked it off. Torrence with a great pass, he was straight down the groove to go to the number one spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.829 sec., 330ft-2.112, 660ft-2.983/290.44 mph.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 6.223/107.09, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.892/293.03, Was #11
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 6.453/92.11, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.316/187.36, Was #15

Lucas is up in smoke early and clicks it off. Buff is up in smoke right off the starting line and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.729/325.14, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.804/321.96, Was #9
Right Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 6.371/97.93, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.921/303.78, Was #12

Langdon drifted out of the groove, but stayed with it to go to the number two spot with a great pass. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.117, 660ft-2.992/289.63 mph. Reed with tire shake right at the hit and pedaled it, but couldn't get it to recover and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.726/328.62, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.797/314.46, Was #9
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.734/325.22, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.772/321.35, Was #7

This is a great side-by-side drag race...Pritchett kept the header flames shooting high over the rear wing all the way down the track to go to the number four spot. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.120, 660ft-2.994/290.63 mph. Schumacher is right there with her to go to the number four spot. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.830 sec., 330ft-2.113, 660ft-2.992/287.41 mph.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.713/326.56, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.735/322.27, Was #5
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.739/321.58, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.768/324.36, Was #7

Brown with a great pass to go back to the top spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.836 sec., 330ft-2.115, 660ft-2.979/292.39 mph. Todd with another great pass to get into the top half of the show. J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.829 sec., 330ft-2.120, 660ft-2.997/288.33 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink