Sat, 11 Nov 2017, 16:20 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, 53rd 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:
Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.913/252.61, Now #12; Best prior run: 6.862/100.55, Was #17
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.816/320.13, Now #10; Best prior run: 7.333/89.35, Was #18
Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 28.86 inches, adjusted altitude 2,678 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.
McMillen dropped a cylinder right at the hit, but he stayed with it to get in the show. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.145, 660ft-3.056/274.05 mph.
Langdon was straight down the groove to get in the show. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.851 sec., 330ft-2.173, 660ft-3.065/284.93 mph.
Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.674/325.61, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.712/326.32, Was #4
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.757/326.00, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.987/111.74, Was #18
Pritchett launched hard and kept it hooked to go to the number three spot with a great looking pass. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.828 sec., 330ft-2.095, 660ft-2.944/295.53 mph.
Schumacher was on a great looking pass until right in the light when the car made a quick move toward the centerline, but schumacher stayed with it to get into the top half of the show. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.142, 660ft-3.021/289.07 mph.
Left Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 7.771/85.18, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.508/260.91, Was #18
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 3.813/313.22, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.357/183.00, Was #17
Salinas was dropping cylinders right at the hit and then engine went silent early.
Palmer was on a good looking pass, until right in the lights when it started mixing up cylinders. He still gets in the show up to the number 11 spot. Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.140, 660ft-3.046/278.00 mph.
Left Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 3.877/312.06, Now #15; Best prior run: 3.941/297.61, Was #15
Right Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 3.839/289.32, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.337/193.38, Was #17
Alexander was straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend, but will stay in the number 15 spot. Blake Alexander's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.188, 660ft-3.107/276.92 mph.
Reed was on a good looking pass until right in the lights when it started to mix up cylinders, he gets in the show. He goes to the number 13 spot. Shawn Reed's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.174, 660ft-3.066/285.47 mph.
Right Lane: Steve Faria Runs 8.088/53.10, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.096/232.71, Was #17
Faria with bang and pop early with a quick flash of flames. The chutes deploy and he pulled over by the wall.
Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 3.796/318.77, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.785/320.43, Was #10
Right Lane: Wayne Newby Runs 6.405/104.34, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.785/324.59, Was #9
Buff got real loose on the top end and he did a great job driving it to reel it in. He has another good pass, but will not improve. Troy Buff's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.152, 660ft-3.041/283.07 mph.
Newby is up in smoke early and clicks it off.
Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.045/222.44, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.755/326.71, Was #7
Right Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 4.070/210.70, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.748/316.23, Was #6
Kalitta started dropping cylinders early and then he shut it off around the 1/8 mile mark.
Crampton was on a clean pass and shuts it off early.
Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.681/155.90, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.719/289.26, Was #5
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.740/154.95, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.696/326.00, Was #4
Torrence was up in smoke around the 330-foot mark.
Brown was up in smoke around the same time as Torrence.
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 5.314/127.28, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.667/330.31, Was #1
Force had a cylinder out right at the hit and it pushed the car over toward the centerline before she clicked it off.
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