Fri, 04 Aug 2017, 19:10 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

KENT, Wash. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Ron Smith Runs 6.917/88.58, Now #2
Right Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 3.846/312.35, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 90 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 29.50 inches, adjusted altitude 3,198 feet, track temperature 132 degrees.

Smith making his first appearance this year. Smith launched and pitched the blower belt right at the hit...

Salinas with a good looking pass to start the weekend, straight down the groove. Mike Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.179, 660ft-3.080/280.02 mph.

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Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 3.862/309.98, Now #2
Right Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 4.013/267.53, Now #3

Buff was on a good pass until right in the lights when it started to drop cylinders. Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.859 sec., 330ft-2.170, 660ft-3.088/275.79 mph.

Reed was dropping cylinders early, but stayed with it...Shawn Reed's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.213, 660ft-3.176/263.10 mph.

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Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.845/314.46, Now #1

Langdon launched hard and kept it hooked up, he dropped a cylinder or two right in the lights. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.858 sec., 330ft-2.183, 660ft-3.084/281.71 mph.

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Left Lane: Troy Coughlin Jr. Runs 4.706/160.50, Now #6
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 4.021/279.73, Now #5

Coughlin Jr. started to drop cylinders early in the run and clicked it off.

Palmer started mixing up cylinders right before the 1/8 mile mark. Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.217, 660ft-3.168/255.48 mph.

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Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 4.825/152.78, Now #7
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 5.924/106.00, Now #8

McMillen started to haze the tires and clicked it off.

Millican to lose traction early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.658/161.77, Now #7
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.792/323.89, Now #1

Kalitta starts to haze the tires early and clicks it off.

Force launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight all the way down the track.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.862/317.12, Now #8
Right Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 4.112/226.20, Now #9

Schumacher was straight down the groove to go to the number four spot.

Pritchett loses traction early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.984/267.27, Now #5
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.564/168.47, Now #9

Brown was on a good pass, but then started to lose traction and clicked it off.

Torrence started to haze the tires early and clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink