Sat, 05 Aug 2017, 17:55 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

KENT, Wash. - Notes from round 3 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 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: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.797/322.81, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.845/314.46, Was #6
Right Lane: Ron Smith Runs 5.502/140.65, Now #16; Best prior run: 6.917/88.58, Was #16

Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 29.57 inches, adjusted altitude 2,550 feet, track temperature 120 degrees.

Langdon launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number three spot. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.860 sec., 330ft-2.170, 660ft-3.055/287.47 mph.

Smith started mixing up cylinders around the 330-foot mark and then clicked it off. He improves, but will stay in the number 16 spot.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.801/313.95, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.792/323.89, Was #2
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 6.525/104.48, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.658/161.77, Was #15

Force launched hard and dropped a cylinder early, but stayed with it. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.827 sec., 330ft-2.134, 660ft-3.037/279.44 mph.

Kalitta started to lose traction early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.855/317.12, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.167/210.11, Was #14
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 3.936/308.78, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.862/309.98, Was #9

Millican was straight down the groove with a good clean pass to move into the top half of the show. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.170, 660ft-3.091/275.79 mph.

Buff was on a good pass until around the 1/8th mile mark when it started to drop cylinders. No help here for Buff. Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.214, 660ft-3.153/270.37 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 3.927/313.80, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.013/267.53, Was #14

Reed was straight down the groove with a good looking pass. He moves up the ladder two spots. Shawn Reed's incremental times: 60ft-0.854 sec., 330ft-2.219, 660ft-3.155/272.17 mph.

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 3.879/322.73, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.989/301.60, Was #13
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 6.611/103.41, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.861/279.15, Was #9

Palmer with a good looking pass as he kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight all the way down the track. Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.213, 660ft-3.127/279.67 mph. He moves up the ladder two spots.

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

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Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.755/325.30, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.891/288.70, Was #12
Right Lane: Troy Coughlin Jr. Runs 4.616/164.15, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.854/320.43, Was #7

Pritchett launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.128, 660ft-3.014/287.53 mph.

Coughlin was up in smoke early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 4.854/148.46, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.826/319.29, Was #7
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.796/323.74, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.813/317.42, Was #6

Salinas is up in smoke early and clicks it off.

Brown with a great pass as he kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number four spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.150, 660ft-3.050/283.97 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.270/190.78, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.791/324.75, Was #2
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 6.544/99.72, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.802/322.96, Was #6

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

Schumacher was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink