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Sat, 10 Nov 2018, 20:19 PM

Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 54th 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:

Right Lane: Cameron Ferre Runs 3.929/287.41, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.946/144.75, Was #17

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 14 percent, barometer 28.79 inches, adjusted altitude 2,680 feet, track temperature 83 degrees.

Ferre with a good looking pass until right in the lights when the engine let go with a big fireball. He runs his career best to get in the show. Cameron Ferre's incremental times: 60ft-0.843 sec., 330ft-2.173, 660ft-3.116/267.85 mph.

Left Lane: Audrey Worm Runs 4.005/254.47, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.552/184.95, Was #17
Right Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 3.834/320.05, Now #14; Best prior run: 3.807/323.12, Was #14

Worm started to lose traction around half track and she clicked it off. She makes her quickest pass of the weekend, but will not get in the show.

Reed was straight down the groove, he will not improve and will stay in the number 14 spot. Shawn Reed's incremental times: 60ft-0.866 sec., 330ft-2.190, 660ft-3.086/284.62 mph.

Right Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 3.762/294.50, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.797/317.42, Was #13

Salinas launched hard and kept it hooked up to make his quickest pass of the weekend. He moves up the ladder two spots. The engine lets go as the car crosses the finish line with a big fireball. The word is there is oil on the track. Mike Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.122, 660ft-2.999/288.95 mph.

Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 3.726/326.95, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.767/328.38, Was #12
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.792/324.05, Now #13; Best prior run: 3.794/325.61, Was #13

Palmer launched hard and kept it hooked up make his career quickest pass to move into the top half of the show. Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.825 sec., 330ft-2.116, 660ft-2.991/290.07 mph.

McMillen is on a good looking pass until right in the lights when the engine let go with big engine explosion. He will stay in the number 13 spot. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.157, 660ft-3.047/285.35 mph.

Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.743/316.01, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.740/319.29, Was #8
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 3.722/329.75, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.762/329.02, Was #11

Kalitta is straight down the groove with another good pass, but he will not improve. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.125, 660ft-2.994/291.07 mph.

Schumacher launched hard and kept it hooked up to make his quickest pass of the weekend and move into the top half of the show. Tony Schumacher's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.123, 660ft-2.992/291.51 mph.

Left Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 3.692/331.45, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.711/330.88, Was #5
Right Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.726/325.22, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.754/323.89, Was #11

Alexander with the header flames shooting high over the rear wing and hooked up to make his career best pass to go to the number two spot. He has big top end speed as he sets the track speed record. Blake Alexander's incremental times: 60ft-0.821 sec., 330ft-2.098, 660ft-2.963/291.95 mph.

Crampton kept it hooked up to make his quickest pass of the weekend to go to the number nine spot. Richie Crampton's incremental times: 60ft-0.836 sec., 330ft-2.114, 660ft-2.988/288.39 mph.

Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.706/328.22, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.704/329.50, Was #5
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.667/333.58, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.754/329.50, Was #11

Brown with another great pass, but gets bumped back one spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.834 sec., 330ft-2.110, 660ft-2.975/293.35 mph.

force launched hard and kept it hitting on all eight all the way down the track to make her quickest and fastest pass of the season to go to the number two spot. She sets the tack speed record with a great pass. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.820 sec., 330ft-2.087, 660ft-2.945/294.18 mph.

Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.681/325.14, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.702/327.19, Was #5
Right Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 7.715/89.58, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.711/328.86, Was #7

Millican kept it hitting on all eight to make his quickest pass of the weekend and go to the number three spot. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.817 sec., 330ft-2.088, 660ft-2.949/294.05 mph.

Torrence started to lose traction early and clicked it off.

Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.631/332.84, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.649/329.34, Was #1
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.661/330.96, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.701/325.77, Was #5

This was a great side-by-side drag race to wrap up Top Fuel qualifying. She runs her career quickest pass to improve on her number one spot. This pass ties for the second quickest pass in the history of Top Fuel. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.818 sec., 330ft-2.070, 660ft-2.912/298.47 mph.

Torrence kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number two spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.815 sec., 330ft-2.075, 660ft-2.934/294.24 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink