Sat, 12 Oct 2019, 14:39 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Rick Green

CONCORD, N.C. - Notes from round 3 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 this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Right Lane: Smax Smith Runs 3.938/281.01, Now #11; Best prior run: 7.577/73.07, Was #16

Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 29.29 inches, adjusted altitude 3,102 feet, track temperature 110 degrees.

Smith launched hard and kept it hooked to make his career quickest pass to get off the bump spot. Smax Smith's incremental times: 60ft-0.866 sec., 330ft-2.211, 660ft-3.135/275.90 mph.

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Left Lane: Lex Joon Runs 4.476/168.75, Now #14; Best prior run: 15.893/48.20, Was #18
Right Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 4.468/184.19, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.773/163.93, Was #13

Joon was on a good pass until just before half track when the engine let go with a quick fireball. He still improves and gets in the show.

Karamesines with his pass of the weekend. He will stay in the number 13 spot.

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Left Lane: Todd Paton Runs 7.735/91.99, Now #18; Best prior run: 11.622/89.25, Was #18
Right Lane: Mike Salinas Runs 3.752/328.70, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.793/329.91, Was #6

Patton with a cylinder out right at the hit and clicked it off.

Salinas launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number three spot. Mike Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.835 sec., 330ft-2.135, 660ft-3.019/289.14 mph.

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Left Lane: Austin Prock Runs 3.948/312.35, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.646/122.60, Was #16
Right Lane: Leah Pritchett Runs 3.766/323.50, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.346/95.64, Was #17

Prock double steps it, but gets it straight down the groove to get off the bump. Austin Prock's incremental times: 60ft-0.902 sec., 330ft-2.240, 660ft-3.174/274.05 mph.

Pritchett launched hard and kept it hooked up to make her quickest pass of the weekend to move into the top half of the show. Leah Pritchett's incremental times: 60ft-0.853 sec., 330ft-2.147, 660ft-3.025/289.38 mph.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.773/325.06, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.467/173.14, Was #14
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.773/323.35, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.777/326.48, Was #7

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

They run identical E.T.s, both their quickest pass of the weekend. Millican will get the position based on his faster speed.

Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.149, 660ft-3.036/287.72 mph.
Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.146, 660ft-3.030/288.15 mph.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.738/328.14, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.829/271.46, Was #11
Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.800/324.83, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.806/318.24, Was #10

Force launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number two spot. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.838 sec., 330ft-2.127, 660ft-3.006/291.26 mph.

McMillen with his quickest pass of the weekend, but gets bumped back one spot. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.856 sec., 330ft-2.156, 660ft-3.054/284.09 mph.

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Left Lane: Justin Ashley Runs 3.863/317.72, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.831/319.67, Was #12
Right Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 4.457/183.94, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.798/320.28, Was #10

Ashley is straight down the groove with another good pass, but will not improve. Justin Ashley's incremental times: 60ft-0.864 sec., 330ft-2.199, 660ft-3.108/278.46 mph.

Dakin starts to lose traction and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Richie Crampton Runs 3.796/325.14, Now #3; Best prior run: 3.742/328.06, Was #3
Right Lane: Billy Torrence Runs 3.785/325.92, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.765/325.77, Was #6

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

Crampton is straight down the groove, he will not improve. Richie Crampton's incremental times: 60ft-0.850 sec., 330ft-2.164, 660ft-3.055/287.23 mph.

Torrence kept it hitting on all eight all the way down the track. He will not improve, but makes the sixth quickest pass of the session. Billy Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.849 sec., 330ft-2.158, 660ft-3.045/289.38 mph.

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Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 4.213/199.85, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.711/325.53, Was #1
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 4.679/160.88, Now #5; Best prior run: 3.758/328.94, Was #5

Torrence started to lose traction and clicked it off.

Brown was up in smoke early and clicked it off.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink