Fri, 07 Feb 2020, 17:07 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 60th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Brandon Welch Runs 3.841/272.17, Now #2
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.737/322.58, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 28.96 inches, adjusted altitude 2,169 feet, track temperature 102 degrees.

Welch launched hard and was on a good pass until it pushed out a head gasket and then the engine let go with a big fireball. The word from the top end is there is oil. Brandon Welch was charged with an oildown, #1 for the season. That will cost 5 points.

Langdon is in a Top Fueler for the first time since the end of the 2017 season. He launched hard and made a good pass to start the season. Shawn Langdon's incremental times: 60ft-0.833 sec., 330ft-2.125, 660ft-2.996/290.82 mph.

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Left Lane: Justin Ashley Runs 4.094/214.96, Now #4
Right Lane: Shawn Reed Runs 3.771/328.38, Now #2

Ashley was on a goo pass and then the car started to drop cylinders and he clicked it off.

Reed with a good looking pass, straight down the groove. Shawn Reed's incremental times: 60ft-0.837 sec., 330ft-2.145, 660ft-3.033/286.44 mph.

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Right Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 6.757/93.04, Now #5

McMillen with severe tire shake right at the hit and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.798/273.88, Now #4
Right Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.780/322.42, Now #3

Millican with a new look this season and he clicked it off early. It was still a clean pass. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.846 sec., 330ft-2.118, 660ft-2.999/288.15 mph.

Brown is back with Brian Corradi and is now a team owner with Don schumacher. He starts the season with a nice clean pass. Antron Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.852 sec., 330ft-2.156, 660ft-3.036/287.90 mph.

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Left Lane: Austin Prock Runs 5.792/110.95, Now #8
Right Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 3.715/324.75, Now #1

Prock over powered the track right at the hit and clicked it off.

Pruett launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number one spot. Leah Pruett's incremental times: 60ft-0.839 sec., 330ft-2.109, 660ft-2.979/291.95 mph.

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Left Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.706/329.10, Now #1
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 3.729/329.75, Now #3

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

Force launched hard and kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.825 sec., 330ft-2.100, 660ft-2.974/291.63 mph.

Kalitta was right there with her to go to the number three spot. Doug Kalitta's incremental times: 60ft-0.841 sec., 330ft-2.136, 660ft-3.001/292.96 mph.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink