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Sat, 13 Nov 1999, 04:17 PM

POMONA - Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #3

By Michael L. Jex

Herbert Gets Into 16 Car Field

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the 35th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, a nd position in order prior to run:

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.636/314.90, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.574/327.03, Was #2
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.799/288.46, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.718/297.48, Was #10

11:59 AM After a gorgeous P51 airplane flyby for Veterans Day we are ready for round three qualifying. This is also round one of the Big Bud Shoot Out, Larry "Bud" Sullivan will be posting results for the big buck$...

Schumacher's team made a rare fuel percentage change at the staging lane, adding more alcohol before the run.

It looks like Dan Olson made a wise move, both dragsters started spinning the tires at the top end of the track, the Excide car showing smoke later and less than the Beer Dragster.

Left Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.700/299.60, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.597/317.34, Was #5
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.645/299.33, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.586/307.16, Was #3

.858 to 60-foot for CoryMac, a much better .839 for Kalitta. Both drivers started spinning the tires at the big end of the track, a dropped cylinder on the left side of Cory's engine made his MBNA dragster start moving around at the top end.

Kalitta left some "stuff" on the track, so we have our first cleanup of the afternoon. 12:07 PM

Left Lane: Joe Amato Runs 4.654/314.97, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.587/322.58, Was #4
Right Lane: Mike Dunn Runs 4.748/286.32, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.720/286.13, Was #11

Darrell Gwynn announced yesterday that Mike Dunn had been signed to drive for the team next year. He said this morning that even though no sponsor has been announced yet the team will continue racing in 2000. "We are going to race, it's what we do." was his comment.

Top end traction continues to be elusive this round, both drivers hazed the tires at the top end, more in the right lane.....

Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.701/292.46, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.570/322.11, Was #1
Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.720/297.35, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.653/314.75, Was #7

Scelzi left a trail of tire smoke from about halftrack to the finishline, but it was Bernstein getting close to the centerline that proved the difference.

Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.766/303.16, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.847/284.62, Was #17

Doug's engine explosion yesterday was incredible - all the major networks here highlighted the story. Pieces of the blower and other engine parts are sought for items by the team and NHRA officals, who are conducting a technical investigation to try and find out what happened. Collectors are also involved, rumors of trades and cash being paid for interesting artifacts is the buzz in the pit area.

Doug dropped a cylinder at the top end of the track, but had enough to move into the program, bumping Terry Mullins. Herbert did switch cars, this is his backup car.

Left Lane: Scott Kalitta No Time, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.775/274.27, Was #15
Right Lane: Arley Langlo No Time, Now #25; Best prior run: 17.703/24.47, Was #25

Langlo's motor coughed, sputtered and died. The team got the motor going, luckily no nitro had gone into the engine before that point. Arley's burnout wasn't as good, he blew up the motor at the end of the burnout. Kalitta's

team had started the engine in the Kitty Hawk dragster, so they had to shut-off at that point.

Connie spoke briefly with NHRA officials, then motioned his team to take the car back to the pits so they can service the car before restarting and making their run.

Left Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 4.797/297.09, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.744/301.74, Was #12
Right Lane: Allen Hartley Runs 12.267/80.10, Now #24; Best prior run: 12.829/70.55, Was #24

Hartley boiled the hides off the big Goodyear slicks almost immediately, Litton hazed the tires at the top end of the track, his dragster darting and dancing left and right at the top end of the track.

Left Lane: Robert Reehl Runs 9.454/86.06, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.343/204.91, Was #20
Right Lane: Andrew Cowin Runs 4.762/284.45, Now #14; Best prior run: 10.219/71.13, Was #23

Cowin bumps Mike Smith with a few wisps of tire smoke at the top end of the track. Reehl must have had a mechanical malfunction of some kind, the dragster made a hard move right at the hit of the throttle, then blazed the tire s.

Left Lane: Randy Parks Runs 4.735/303.91, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.928/143.63, Was #22
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.855/299.60, Now #20; Best prior run: 7.696/97.26, Was #23

Parks bumps out Scott Kalitta, putting Doug Herbert on the bubble. Grubnic kicked a rod out of the motor when he lifted off the throttle, so the trucks and tractors roll for another quick cleanup.

Left Lane: Terry Mullins Runs 4.804/267.53, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.792/297.42, Was #19
Right Lane: Bobby Baldwin Runs 4.920/263.56, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.226/205.44, Was #22

Herbert is on the bubble - and stays there. Baldwin spun the tires at the top end and repeats Grubnic's engine troubles, flames and oil on the track once again. 12:40 PM

Left Lane: Tim Gibson Runs 10.708/81.85, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.693/304.39, Was #9
Right Lane: Garth Widdison Runs 5.449/211.93, Now #22; Best prior run: 5.029/286.80, Was #22

12:42 PM Track temps at the starting line are reported to be about 105 degrees right now, it's the top end of the track that is causing problems. The funny cars may have their hands full at the top end when they run next.

Gibson lost traction immediately, Widdison blew up the engine about halftrack after spinning the tires.... See a pattern developing? Down again for a cleanup. 12:45 PM

Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.683/310.98, Now #8; Best prior run: 4.675/295.79, Was #8
Right Lane: Mike Smith Runs 5.038/209.10, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.781/301.13, Was #18

Smith lifted off the throttle when the tires started spinning at the top end of the track. He caught it quickly, no flames, no oil and the order comes to fire up the next pair.

Left Lane: Don Lampus No Time, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.632/312.06, Was #6
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.693/305.63, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.750/299.46, Was #14

Lampus couldn't get the express auto parts dragster started, so Head will have a single. Word comes the blower drive belt started to come apart as they attempted to start the motor.

Nice run for head considering the conditions, no tire smoke and straight down the middle of the right hand lane.

Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.805/252.85, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.775/274.27, Was #17

Scott & Connie went back to the pit area and serviced the car after they were shut off earlier. Doug Herbert will most likely get bumped here, the last dragster of the round...

TDR as Dave McClelland would say "That's drag racing". Kalitta's run looked better than it was, he slowed at the top end the reason not clear from here.

So round three ends with quite a few oil downs, Big Red and Team Winston still on top and Doug Herbert getting the bump spot after bringing out his backup dragster. 1:00 PM