Sat, 09 Feb 2019, 18:40 PM Top Fuel Harley Qualifying Notes, Session #4

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel Harley at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 59th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com listing lane, rider 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: Mike Scott Runs 8.205/164.81, Now #11; Best prior run: 7.752/196.36, Was #11
Right Lane: Mike Balch Runs 12.905/58.65, Now #12; Best prior run: 10.552/69.81, Was #12

3:15 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 28.86 inches, adjusted altitude 1,904 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

Randal Andras is on the bump spot at 6.577.

Scott has smoke from the engine about 330 feet out and slows.

Balch is coasting early too.

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Left Lane: Randal Andras Runs 10.185/91.11, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.577/212.36, Was #8

Strong leave, but the bike starts to drive hard toward the centerline. Big time "body english" won't save the run.

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Left Lane: Andy Beauchemin Runs 6.579/214.48, Now #7; Best prior run: 6.574/213.16, Was #7
Right Lane: Bob Malloy Runs 12.055/64.35, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.764/215.68, Was #9

Malloy strikes the slick off the line and slows. He won't bump in and that sets the field.

Nice clean pass for Beauchemin. He picks up a little speed and runs close to his Q3 best.

Andy Beauchemin's incremental times: 60ft-1.114 sec., 330ft-2.884, 660ft-4.316/173.29 mph, 1,000ft-5.536.

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Left Lane: Kevin Boyer Runs 6.373/215.51, Now #5; Best prior run: 6.559/201.40, Was #6
Right Lane: Beau Layne Runs 6.485/229.98, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.402/225.82, Was #5

Layne finds some more speed, but can't improve his ET on a clean pass.

Boyer has a 1.115 sixty foot time and swaps spots with Layne on the ladder with a big ET improvement.

Kevin Boyer's incremental times: 60ft-1.118 sec., 330ft-2.800, 660ft-4.149/185.23 mph, 1,000ft-5.336.
Beau Layne's incremental times: 60ft-1.200 sec., 330ft-2.976, 660ft-4.332/182.90 mph, 1,000ft-5.492.

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Left Lane: Jay Turner Runs 6.545/224.47, Now #3; Best prior run: 6.359/220.80, Was #3
Right Lane: Rickey House No Time, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.367/223.39, Was #4

House has a strong leave and then has the bike pull steadily towards the center line. He is well ahead at the 660 lights and then finally nails the 1000 foot reflector to finish the run right behind Turner. He will get no time and lose five points.

Clean pass for Turner. Like some of the others, he picks up some speed and loses some ET to stay #3.

Jay Turner's incremental times: 60ft-1.184 sec., 330ft-2.932, 660ft-4.339/174.01 mph, 1,000ft-5.538.
Rickey House's incremental times: 60ft-1.117 sec., 330ft-2.841, 660ft-4.211/178.90 mph, 1,000ft-5.498.

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Left Lane: Tii Tharpe Runs 6.301/223.76, Now #2; Best prior run: 6.264/223.88, Was #1
Right Lane: Doug Vancil Runs 6.247/235.64, Now #1; Best prior run: 6.271/228.07, Was #2

These two finished one and two in the points in 2018 and are currently qualified one and two on the ladder.

Not for long though. Vancil gets a big lead off the line and pulls steadily ahead all the way to the finish line to take over the final top spot with both ET and speed.That's a speed record for him too. Nice!

Clean pass for Tharpe, but just a little off his prior best.

3:33 p.m. Randal Andras is on the bump spot at 6.577.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink