Sat, 14 Sep 2019, 16:55 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil 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: Terry McMillen Runs 3.792/314.75, Now #12; Best prior run: 7.476/89.43, Was #14
Right Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 4.001/299.26, Now #13; Best prior run: 8.174/86.46, Was #15

Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 67 percent, barometer 29.59 inches, adjusted altitude 2,449 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.

McMillen gets the car to hook up and makes his quickest pass of the weekend to go to the number 12 spot. McMillen pitched the blower belt on the top end.

Mercier was on a good pass until it started to mix up cylinders and appeared to push out a head gasket. He still makes his quickest pass of the weekend to go to the number 13 spot.

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Right Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 6.948/121.05, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.732/327.03, Was #10

Torrence started to rattle the tires right at the hit and clicked it off, he then hit throttle to clear the top end.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.697/328.62, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.750/323.97, Was #11
Right Lane: Jordan Vandergriff No Time, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.712/325.77, Was #9

Torrence launched hard and kept it hooked up to move into the top half of the show. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.828 sec., 330ft-2.098, 660ft-2.964/291.19 mph.

Vandergriff spins the Goodyears right at the hit and then bangs the blower. The chutes come out and he comes to a stop on the track.

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Left Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 3.693/328.78, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.698/320.36, Was #8
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.717/326.08, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.702/319.14, Was #9

Salinas kept it hitting on all eight all the way down track with his quickest pass of the weekend to move up the ladder to the fifth spot. Mike Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.822 sec., 330ft-2.086, 660ft-2.958/290.19 mph.

Millican with another good pass, but will not improve. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.107, 660ft-2.979/289.26 mph.

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Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.715/329.50, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.689/323.81, Was #4
Right Lane: Austin Prock Runs 3.738/297.55, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.697/328.94, Was #7

Brown was straight down the groove with the third quickest pass of the session. He will not improve...Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.120, 660ft-2.984/292.14 mph.

Prock was on a good looking pass right there with Brown until right in the lights when the engine let got with a big fireball.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.714/328.70, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.689/328.14, Was #3
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.688/332.59, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.695/331.45, Was #6

This is a good side-by-side drag race.

Crampton is straight down the groove with the fourth quickest pass of the session. He will not improve...Richie Crampton's incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.113, 660ft-2.979/290.44 mph.

Kalitta launched hard and kept it hooked up to make the quickest pass of the session and his of the weekend to go to the number three spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.834 sec., 330ft-2.108, 660ft-2.963/294.82 mph.

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Left Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.676/332.92, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.673/332.92, Was #2
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.623/331.61, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.651/332.92, Was #1

This is a great side-by-side drag race.

Pritchett makes the second quickest pass of the session with a great looking pass. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec., 330ft-2.103, 660ft-2.952/295.85 mph.

Force launched hard and kept it hooked up with the header flames shooting high over the rear wing to run the quickest pass in the history of Top Fuel. She sets the National record to improve on her number one spot. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.816 sec., 330ft-2.056, 660ft-2.902/299.26 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink