Fri, 8 Oct 2004, 04:17 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 1 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, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Bobby Lagana Jr. Runs 5.260/260.71, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 29.71 inches, adjusted altitude 1,567 feet, track temperature 100 degrees.

Lagana Jr. is driving the Darren Bauder Top Fueler here. Lagana dropped a cylinder as soon as he hit the throttle and then it appeared to clean up around half track. The report is he will run here today and then go race the rain-delayed IHRA race in Norwalk tomorrow, only to come back her and race on Sunday. That is because there are only 16 cars on the grounds.

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Left Lane: Mitch King Runs 11.404/68.62, Now #2
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 17.169/36.08, Now #3

Lucas shook the tires hard and then pitched the blower belt by 200 feet. King shook right off the starting line and then blistered the tires by 150 feet.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 12.237/75.32, Now #4
Right Lane: John Smith Runs 4.659/311.56, Now #1

Vandergriff launched with the front end in the air and then smoke the Goodyears when the front end came back to earth. Smith with a great looking pass, clean all the way through the 1320.

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Left Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 4.650/311.77, Now #1
Right Lane: Scott Weis Runs 4.665/318.62, Now #3

Hartman-Smith started to haze the tires on the top end, but still goes to the number one spot for now. Weis with a real nice pass to get solidly into the show.

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Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.661/304.74, Now #3
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 10.727/79.54, Now #6

McClenathan shook the tires hard right off the starting line and clicked it off. Herbert with a real nice pass, but then had a big puff of smoke after he crossed the finish line. Apparently he used up an engine in the lights because the Safety Safari is rolling. Herbert will use up one of his two freebies.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.612/315.93, Now #1
Right Lane: David Grubnic No Time, Now #12

Grubnic did his burnout and then started to back up, but then just drove on through the quarter mile. Dixon with a great looking pass with just a a whisp of tire smoke on the top end. Dixon has outscore Cory McClenathan by 45 points to guarantee his position in the Budweiser Shootout at Las Vegas.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.656/318.09, Now #4
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.616/321.65, Now #2

This was a pretty good looking drag race here and Bernstein with the big top end speed.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.556/320.36, Now #1
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.794/232.03, Now #9

Kalitta launched hard and keep the Goodyears stuck and it hitting on all eight for the number one spot. Schumacher was with him until around half track and then he started using up the engine.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink