Fri, 11 Oct 2019, 18:10 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

CONCORD, N.C. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Justin Ashley Runs 3.831/319.67, Now #1
Right Lane: Smax Smith Runs 7.577/73.07, Now #2

Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 29.37 inches, adjusted altitude 2,848 feet, track temperature 113 degrees.

Ashley making his Top Fuel debut. He launched hard and kept it hooked up to make a great pass. Justin Ashley's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.185, 660ft-3.083/283.31 mph.

Smith was mixing up cylinders right at the hit and clicked it off.

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Right Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 4.773/163.93, Now #2

Karamesines starts to drop cylinders early and clicks it off.

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Right Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 4.307/190.32, Now #2

Dakin is up in smoke early and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Cameron Ferre Runs 5.014/147.79, Now #5
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.845/313.58, Now #2

It appears Ferre blew a fuel line off and then the engine let go with a big fireball.

McMillen is straight down the groove with a good clean pass to go to the number two spot. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.861 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.073/275.79 mph.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.467/173.14, Now #5
Right Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 3.805/324.59, Now #1

Millican starts to lose traction before half track and he clicked it off.

Torrence launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number one spot.

Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.862 sec., 330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.062/284.87 mph.

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Left Lane: Austin Prock Runs 5.646/122.60, Now #9
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.792/325.53, Now #1

Prock started to haze the tires and clicked it off.

Brown is straight down the groove to the number one spot. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.051/286.74 mph.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 4.368/184.67, Now #6
Right Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 6.346/95.64, Now #11

Crampton started to haze the tires and clicked it off.

Pritchett double stepped it and then lost traction before she clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.829/271.46, Now #4
Right Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 3.793/329.91, Now #2

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

Force is straight down the groove to the number four spot. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.133, 660ft-3.013/283.13 mph.

Salinas launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number two spot. Mike Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.057/287.78 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.753/321.35, Now #1
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.777/326.48, Now #2

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

Torrence had it hitting on all eight all the way down the track to go to the number one spot. Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.126, 660ft-3.009/288.46 mph.

Kalitta was right there with him to go to the number two spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.844 sec., 330ft-2.151, 660ft-3.038/288.21 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink