Sat, Oct 10, 10:34 PM MEMPHIS - Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the 11th annual Pennzoil Nationals presented by AutoZone, 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: Eddie Hill Runs 5.130/295.46 Now # 9, (Best prior run: 4.703/304.12 Was # 9)
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 5.415/172.39 Now # 1, (Best prior run: 4.597/315.71 Was # 1)

4:21 PM We begin the final round of Top Fuel with Hill and Dixon. Hill pulls the front end, unloads the rear tires, but stays with trying to improve. Dixon hazes the tires at half-track.

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Left Lane: Terry Mullins Runs 12.685/ 74.06 Now #14, (Best prior run: 4.796/258.62 Was #14)
Right Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.671/302.08 Now # 4, (Best prior run: 4.692/319.14 Was # 7)

Scelzi has a .842 60' time on his way to moving up to the #4 position. Mullins goes up in smoke immediately and stays in the 14th spot. Scelzi must have left some oil on the big end of the track, were down for a cleanup.

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Left Lane: Luigi Novelli Runs 16.858/ 59.06 Now #15, (Best prior run: 5.047/225.07 Was #15)
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.722/305.81 Now #10, (Best prior run: 4.782/297.09 Was #13)

Novelli goes up in smoke right off the starting line and shuts down. Head's run looked even faster than the 4.722 he ran.

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Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.784/308.99 Now # 8, (Best prior run: 4.695/307.23 Was # 8)
Right Lane: Connie Kalitta Runs 4.933/299.40 Now #15, (Best prior run: 6.612/123.69 Was #19)

It's do or die time for Connie...he gets in with a good run, but bumps out Doug Kalitta in the process.

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.640/317.72 Now # 3, (Best prior run: 4.623/312.78 Was # 3)
Right Lane: Paul Romine Runs 4.857/273.50 Now #15, (Best prior run: 5.561/170.30 Was #18)

Romine gets in the field with a strong run, but maybe losing an engine in the process as the engine was smoking all the way down the track. Cory makes a picture perfect run. We're down for cleanup in the right lane.

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Left Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.684/299.93 Now # 8, (Best prior run: 4.727/316.01 Was #11)
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.915/263.26 Now #16, (Best prior run: 5.691/149.45 Was #19)

...and here we go again, the cleanup lasted almost 30 minutes. Next up is Bernstein and Grubnic. Last chance for Grubnic to make the field...he gets in, bumping Connie out. Kenny hazes the tires at half-track but he still improves from 11th to 8th.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.751/300.93 Now #12, (Best prior run: 5.526/180.50 Was #19)
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 5.473/171.36 Now # 7, (Best prior run: 4.681/293.09 Was # 7)

This was Doug's last chance....he makes it good.

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Left Lane: Mike Dunn Runs 4.593/315.93 Now # 1, (Best prior run: 4.673/315.34 Was # 6)
Right Lane: Bruce Sarver Runs 4.741/300.20 Now # 6, (Best prior run: 4.672/306.05 Was # 5)

Dunn makes a very impressive looking run....and the numbers show it. He sets the track record while taking the #1 spot from Dixon.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.723/308.28 Now #12, (Best prior run: 4.751/283.31 Was #13)
Right Lane: Joe Amato Runs 4.663/313.22 Now # 3, (Best prior run: 4.619/314.97 Was # 3)

Both dragsters makes flawless runs, Vandergriff improving one spot to #12.

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Left Lane: Shelly Anderson Runs 4.795/283.07 Now #15, (Best prior run: 9.275/ 74.98 Was #20)

Shelly on a single here, the last car this session. She finally gets in, making a strong run.