Fri, 8 Oct 2004, 06:29 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual Lucas Oil NHRA 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:

---

Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.554/326.08, Now #1; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Todd Paton Runs 5.238/206.83, Now #11; No Prior Run

6:05 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 53 percent, barometer 29.65 inches, adjusted altitude 1,777 feet, track temperature 90 degrees.

Grubnic did a burnout in the first session but then kept going down the track. Paton did not make a qualifying attempt. Grubnic put himself at the top of the order with a good pass from start to finish, while Paton had a little bit of tire shake but was still quick enough to make the field.

---

Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.559/322.81, Now #3; Best prior run: 17.169/36.08, Was #16
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.653/294.95, Now #7; Best prior run: 12.237/75.32, Was #15

A pair of good runs moved Lucas off the bubble and up 13 spots in the order. Vandergriff moved up eight spots in the order.

---

Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.701/321.58, Now #12; Best prior run: 10.727/79.54, Was #15
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.808/229.70, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.661/304.74, Was #10

McClenathan lifted the front wheels, pedaled it, lifted them again, pedaled again and saved the run. Herbert had some tire shake and was not as quick as he was in the first session.

---

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.528/323.89, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.794/232.03, Was #13
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.559/321.65, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.656/318.09, Was #8

Schumacher took over the top spot in the order with a nice pass down the quarter mile. Kalitta also had a good lap and moved up three spots in the order.

---

Left Lane: Scott Weis Runs 4.754/260.01, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.665/318.62, Was #12
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.581/318.47, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.612/315.93, Was #6

Weis engine shut down at 1,000 feet. Dixon had his quickest pass of the day but it had no effect on his place in the order.

---

Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 10.400/76.97, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.616/321.65, Was #7
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.498/326.95, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.556/320.36, Was #3

Bernstein smoked the tires for 100 feet, then his car shut down. Kalitta had the lowest ET of the weekend so far to take over the top spot in the order. At the end of two qualifying sessions, Doug Kalitta is in the top spot and Mitch King is 16th in the qualifying order.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink