Sat, 12 Nov 2016, 16:17 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 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: Terry Haddock Runs 4.269/217.14, Now #13; No Prior Run

Haddock started to mix up cylinders and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.761/321.88, Now #7; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 3.953/285.05, Now #14; No Prior Run

Millican launched hard and kept it hooked up and gets into the top half of the show. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.128, 660ft-3.013/284.93 mph. Palmer with a clean pass to get in the show. Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.208, 660ft-3.149/269.24 mph.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 3.800/322.65, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.892/293.03, Was #12
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 3.879/305.49, Now #13; No Prior Run

Lucas was straight down the groove to make his quickest pass of the weekend to move up the ladder one spot. Morgan Lucas' incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.164, 660ft-3.054/285.65 mph. Buff with a lot of engine smoke as he crossed the finish line, but makes his quickest pass of the weekend to get in the show. Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.153, 660ft-3.092/270.16 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Faria Runs 5.398/101.75, Now #17; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 3.849/319.22, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.921/303.78, Was #14

Faria started mixing up cylinders and then the engine le go with a quick flash of flame. Reed with a great pass, his career quickest and fastest pass to move up the ladder one spot. Shawn Reed's incremental times: 60ft-0.864 sec., 330ft-2.195, 660ft-3.095/281.66 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.764/324.83, Now #9; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.738/320.66, Now #6; No Prior Run

Kalitta with his quickest pass of the weekend to get in the show. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.831 sec., 330ft-2.138, 660ft-3.023/287.11 mph. Crampton kept it hooked up and makes his quickest pass of the weekend to get into the top half of the show. Richie Crampton's incremental times: 60ft-0.845 sec., 330ft-2.125, 660ft-2.997/290.38 mph.

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Left Lane: Tripp Tatum Runs 4.031/227.92, Now #14; Best prior run: 3.815/313.95, Was #14
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.753/320.13, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.770/322.19, Was #11

Tatum started to haze the tires and clicked it off early. Force was on a good pass until just past the finish line when the engine let go with a quick flash of flame. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.835 sec., 330ft-2.120, 660ft-3.003/286.32 mph.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.848/321.19, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.792/323.89, Was #12
Right Lane: Wayne Newby Runs 3.790/323.50, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.766/326.79, Was #11

McMillen with another good pass, but will not improve. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.848 sec., 330ft-2.181, 660ft-3.094/278.81 mph. Newby was straight down the groove with another good pass, but he won't improve. Wayne Newby's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.153, 660ft-3.047/285.71 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.785/323.43, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.729/325.14, Was #4
Right Lane: J.R. Todd Runs 3.680/327.82, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.739/321.58, Was #7

Langdon with another good pass, but will not improve. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.154, 660ft-3.042/286.50 mph. Todd launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number one spot. todd runs his career best E.T. and sets the track E.T. record. J.R. Todd's incremental times: 60ft-0.823 sec., 330ft-2.092, 660ft-2.952/293.03 mph.

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Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.758/325.53, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.726/328.62, Was #4
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.723/329.34, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.734/325.22, Was #6

Pritchett with another good pass, but will not improve and gets bumped back one spot by Schumacher. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.143, 660ft-3.020/289.38 mph. Schumacher with his quickest pass of the weekend to move up the ladder one spot. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.118, 660ft-2.990/291.01 mph. He sets top speed of the event.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.687/156.53, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.713/326.56, Was #2
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.721/326.48, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.716/326.95, Was #3

Brown starts to haze the tires around half track and clicks it off. He will stay in the number two spot. Torrence with another great pass, but will not improve. He will stay in the number three spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.831 sec., 330ft-2.112, 660ft-2.986/290.19 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink