Sat, 04 May 2019, 12:02 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

COMMERCE, Ga. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Arby's NHRA Southern 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: Antron Brown Runs 3.821/323.19, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.832/306.74, Was #10
Right Lane: Luigi Novelli Runs 4.079/269.94, Now #15; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 29.12 inches, adjusted altitude 3,499 feet, track temperature 110 degrees.

Brown is straight down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to move up the ladder one spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.174, 660ft-3.075/283.55 mph.

Novelli with his first pass of the season and he makes good clean pass to go to the number 15 spot. Luigi Novelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec., 330ft-2.236, 660ft-3.222/252.19 mph.

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Left Lane: Jordan Vandergriff Runs 3.799/324.51, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.788/316.97, Was #5
Right Lane: Cameron Ferre Runs 11.030/68.72, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.310/218.87, Was #16

Vandergriff launched hard and kept it hooked up to make another good pass, but will not improve. Jordan Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.860 sec., 330ft-2.162, 660ft-3.055/284.99 mph.

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

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Left Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 3.939/311.05, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.850/302.55, Was #12
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 4.883/216.72, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.681/101.84, Was #17

Dakin drops a cylinder early and he stays with it and on the top end he drops a couple more cylinders and then it bangs the blower with a quick flash of flames. Pat Dakin's incremental times: 60ft-0.875 sec., 330ft-2.219, 660ft-3.159/270.16 mph.

McMille was up in smoke early and pedaled it, but couldn't get it to hook up. He improves, but not enough to get in the show.

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Left Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 3.855/320.36, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.827/314.24, Was #10
Right Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 5.322/125.97, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.036/237.59, Was #14

Palmer with another good pass, but will not improve. Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.199, 660ft-3.104/282.95 mph.

Reed starts to smoke the tires and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.871/308.85, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.814/312.64, Was #7
Right Lane: Austin Prock Runs 3.913/309.56, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.843/319.37, Was #11

Crampton is straight down the groove, but will not improve. Richie Crampton's incremental times: 60ft-0.867 sec., 330ft-2.198, 660ft-3.102/280.60 mph.

Prock will not improve...Austin Prock's incremental times: 60ft-0.883 sec., 330ft-2.211, 660ft-3.136/274.16 mph.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 6.093/102.32, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.737/320.36, Was #3
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.385/184.35, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.817/321.04, Was #8

Kalitta lost traction early and clicked it off.

Millican starts to haze the tire around half track and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 6.611/94.65, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.720/319.52, Was #1
Right Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 8.945/77.09, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.727/328.46, Was #2

Force rattled the tires early and clicked it off.

Torrence lost traction early and clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink