Sat, Oct 24, 10:10 PM ENNIS - Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from final, round 4 qualifying in Top Fuel at the 13th annual NHRA Revell 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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Left Lane: Shelly Anderson Runs 7.893/ 94.44 Now #20, (Best prior run: 11.177/ 68.40 Was #20)
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.591/319.03 Now # 4, (Best prior run: 4.590/309.49 Was # 4)

4:09 PM We start this session with Parks on the bump with a 4.728.

Here is one of the cars that could bump him, as Shelly has not been able to get down the track yet this weekend. This is the quickest Top Fuel field in history. Anderson stands it up on the tires and then just bounces the big rear slicks until half track and finally lifts. McClenathan with another 4.59 and picks up 10 mile per hour.

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Left Lane: Cristen Powell Runs 4.652/299.40 Now #11, (Best prior run: 4.685/278.81 Was #13)
Right Lane: Bruce Sarver Runs 6.280/132.64 Now #12, (Best prior run: 4.655/308.43 Was #11)

Sarver blisters the big Goodyears around 200 feet and attempts to drive through it, but does not and clicks it off. Powell picks up a couple spots.

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Left Lane: Mike Dunn Runs 8.706/ 82.93 Now #10, (Best prior run: 4.644/309.70 Was #10)
Right Lane: Terry Mullins Runs 5.882/148.61 Now #17, (Best prior run: 4.733/299.30 Was #17)

Mullins is one of the cars not in the show, and still is not. Dunn starts to smoke the tires 100 feet off the line. Mullins makes to half track and then fireballs it. The flames trail him all the way through the finish line. Parks is safe now as the only two driver still on the grounds that could bump him out have already run. The other two are over in Shreveport for the makeup of the IHRA rain out from last week. That is where Herbert is today, but he will hold on, and will get to play tomorrow.

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Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.673/294.88 Now # 9, (Best prior run: 4.640/314.46 Was # 9)
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.564/307.69 Now # 3, (Best prior run: 4.586/311.31 Was # 3)

Dixon ties Bernstein's ET, but Bernstein's faster speed keeps him in the number two spot. Head with another clean pass, but does not help himself.

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Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.605/318.02 Now # 1, (Best prior run: 4.525/319.37 Was # 1)
Right Lane: Randy Parks Runs 4.747/305.81 Now #16, (Best prior run: 4.728/307.16 Was #16)

If things stay the way they are now, here is a preview of tomorrow's round one matchup. Both cars go in the wrong direction.

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Left Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 9.761/ 78.32 Now # 2, (Best prior run: 4.564/320.51 Was # 2)
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.606/308.95 Now # 6, (Best prior run: 4.622/314.57 Was # 6)

Bernstein launches hard with the front wheels in the air and when they come back down to earth he loses the traction and boils the hides. Kalitta with his best pass of the weekend, but it is not good enough to move him up in the program.

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Left Lane: Eddie Hill Runs 4.667/311.52 Now # 7, (Best prior run: 4.626/309.06 Was # 7)
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 11.698/ 68.29 Now #14, (Best prior run: 4.691/313.91 Was #14)

Hill with another mid-.60 while Schumacher heads toward the sky on the launch and lifts. He just coast on through the quarter mile.

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Left Lane: Connie Kalitta Runs 5.126/200.26 Now #13, (Best prior run: 4.671/312.60 Was #13)

Connie launches hard and is truckin' on down there until he pitches the blower belt.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.611/317.23 Now # 7, (Best prior run: 4.640/316.01 Was # 8)

Vandergriff moves up one spot with a clean pass keeping all the candles lit to the finish line.

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Left Lane: Joe Amato Runs 4.589/319.48 Now # 4, (Best prior run: 4.605/318.13 Was # 5)

Amato waits for the last session to lay down his best pass of the weekend, and moves up one spot. He will face Connie Kalitta. Scelzi holds on to number one and will have Parks, Bernstein vs. Herbert, Dixon vs. Schumacher, McClenathan vs. Sarver, D. Kalitta Powell, Vandergriff vs. Dunn, and Hill vs. Sarver.