Fri, 10 Nov 2017, 16:44 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 53rd annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Steve Faria Runs 4.789/154.35, Now #2
Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 3.969/292.14, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 28.85 inches, adjusted altitude 2,451 feet, track temperature 100 degrees.

Faria started mixing up cylinders just past the 330-foot make and clicked it off.

Alexander dropped a cylinder on the left side early and then pushed out a head gasket on the right side on the top end. Blake Alexander's incremental times: 60ft-0.848 sec., 330ft-2.200, 660ft-3.152/263.20 mph.

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Left Lane: Wayne Newby Runs 3.819/322.96, Now #1
Right Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 4.874/156.55, Now #4

Newby was straight down the groove with a nice pass to go to the number one spot. Wayne Newby's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.174, 660ft-3.074/284.09 mph.

Salinas was mixing up cylinders early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 10.621/77.67, Now #6
Right Lane: Troy Buff Runs 3.830/293.98, Now #2

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

Buff was on a good looking pass until right in the lights when it pitched the blower belt. Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.059/282.54 mph.

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Left Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 11.638/68.19, Now #8
Right Lane: Terry Haddock Runs 3.874/307.51, Now #3

Reed is up in smoke right at the hit and clicks it off.

Haddock was on a real clean pass until right in the lights when the car started to skate around, but he stayed with it. Terry Haddock's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.171, 660ft-3.090/273.16 mph.

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 6.755/99.31, Now #7
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 6.862/100.55, Now #8

Palmer started to shake the tires around 200 feet and clicked it off.

McMillen was up in smoke early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 9.296/88.82, Now #10
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.729/327.27, Now #1

Langdon was up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off.

Millican launched hard and kept it to go to the number one spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.834 sec., 330ft-2.109, 660ft-2.992/283.91 mph.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 5.987/111.74, Now #9
Right Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.712/326.32, Now #1

Schumacher is up in smoke by the 330-foot mark and he clicks it off.

Pritchett kept it hitting on all eight and hooked up to go to the number one spot. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.117, 660ft-2.981/294.11 mph.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 6.302/105.99, Now #11
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.278/191.78, Now #7

Brown started to lose traction and clicked it off.

Kalitta started to haze the tires and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 6.619/92.86, Now #13
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 6.560/93.54, Now #12

Force is up in smoke and clicked it off.

Torrence doubled stepped it and then loses traction before he clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink