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Sat, 13 Nov 1999, 08:32 PM

POMONA - Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Michael L. Jex

It's A LONG Round

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 4 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/s peed, and position in order prior to run:

Left Lane: Joe Amato Runs 10.563/90.65, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.587/322.58, Was #4
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 5.018/226.62, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.586/307.16, Was #3

Big Bud Shoot Out results are being provided separately by Larry Sullivan. We begin the final round of qualifying with a still sunny track, but the air has started to cool off a little.

Amato roasted the Goodyears after going less than a carlength. Kalitta's machine started to spin just coming off the concrete, the motor kicked the rods out almost immediately. The flames were not too bad, the chute did it's job and the safety safari rolls to cleanup the mess. 2:45 PM

Left Lane: Gary Scelzi Runs 4.626/317.19, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.570/322.11, Was #1
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.670/313.95, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.574/327.03, Was #2

Great runs by both teams, there just isn't enough air or track out there to improve on the 4.57's both teams ran last night.

"The kid stole my belt, but it's a great feeling to beat them!" exclaimed an excited Gary Scelzi at the top end of the track. Big rivalries have started with much less..... 2:58 PM

Left Lane: Allen Hartley Runs 10.791/42.62, Now #24; Best prior run: 12.267/80.10, Was #24
Right Lane: Robert Reehl Runs 4.916/303.91, Now #21; Best prior run: 5.343/204.91, Was #23

4:13 PM The Big Bud Competitors ran earlier, we continue now with the rest of the final round of qualifying.

The fireworks continue this weekend, this time it's Hartley that explodes an engine in spectacular fashion coming off the starting line. From the top end camera shot the explosion looked similar to Doug Herbert's yesterday. Hartley pedaled a couple of times, then BOOM! the engine let go in a huge fireball. A photographer was knocked down by the blast, but it looks like nobody got hurt, the photographer is telling officals he's OK. Most of the debris was contained inside the ballistic blanket, aka "The Diaper", the safety safari is cleaning both lanes.

I'd say there are a few jangled nerves out here though.....

Left Lane: Garth Widdison Runs 9.426/71.87, Now #23; Best prior run: 5.029/286.80, Was #23
Right Lane: Terry Mullins Runs 4.694/309.56, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.792/297.42, Was #19

Doug Herbert is still on the bump spot with a 4.766 ET, but the track has cooled quickly. That time should not hold up till the end of the round. Widdison double clutched and left way early, a pushed out head gasket and oil at the top end is the result. Mullins runs a career best speed to bump Herbert, for now anyway. 4:33 PM

Left Lane: Bobby Baldwin Runs 11.800/79.66, Now #22; Best prior run: 4.920/263.56, Was #22
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.632/307.93, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.775/274.27, Was #18

It's crunch time for Scott, this is his last chance to get into tomorrow's program. The bump is now Andrew Cowin's 4.762.

Scott goes 266 mph to half track, then motors on up to the top half of the field. Baldwin had engine troubles of some kind, no header flames from the left side of the motor were visible.

Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.906/275.90, Now #20; Best prior run: 4.855/299.60, Was #20
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.982/256.55, Now #18; Best prior run: 4.766/303.16, Was #18

Bump is now held down by Bruce Litton's 4.744. Both drivers started hazing the tires at midtrack, ending their bids to compete tomorrow. It's the first time this season that Doug Herbert has failed to qualify.

Left Lane: Mike Smith Runs 9.613/86.78, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.781/301.13, Was #19
Right Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 4.739/303.43, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.744/301.74, Was #16

Smith blazed the tires coming off the concrete pad and lifted quickly. Litton gets back into the program with a conservative pass down the right lane. He replaces Andrew Cowin on the bubble.

Left Lane: Andrew Cowin Runs 4.722/303.78, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.762/284.45, Was #17
Right Lane: Randy Parks Runs 7.969/95.15, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.735/303.91, Was #15

Just-bumped Cowin bumps Just-qualified Bruce Litton after going .864 at 60-foot and over 300 miles per hour for the first time this weekend. Down for some cleanup. 4:45 PM

Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 9.653/82.07, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.693/305.63, Was #10
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 5.048/206.35, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.675/295.79, Was #9

4:53 PM Head lifted once the tire smoke started, Vandergriff once the motor started to lay over. No flames came out the Jerzees dragster for quite awhile, perhaps Bob felt the vibration early. More oil to cleanup... 4:56 PM< br>

Left Lane: Mike Dunn Runs 4.580/311.70, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.720/286.13, Was #14
Right Lane: Don Lampus Runs 4.677/310.91, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.632/312.06, Was #6

5:06 PM That must have been a three or four "bagger" lots of oil to clean up this time around. The safety safari doing it's usual good job of cleanup.

Dunn and Ken Veney had the wick set just right this time, the Mopar Dragster thundered all the way to the finishline before a flash of flame signaled the end of that bullet. Funny thing, Dunn almost never looks back at the motor when he gets out of the racecar...

More oil, more sweep. Stay tuned. 5:10 PM

Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 5.600/159.74, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.718/297.48, Was #14
Right Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.610/320.05, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.653/314.75, Was #9

5:20 PM Dixon's Beer wagon made a hard move towards the wall and he wisely lifted. Bernstein's run was quick and straight, the big top end charge helping him move into the top half of the program.

Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 5.082/195.53, Now #6; Best prior run: 4.597/317.34, Was #6

Cory clicked it off about halftrack. He was going almost 266 miles per hour at the time, it was hard to tell in the darkness what may have happened.

We end qualifying action with Gary Scelzi on the pole, and Randy Parks on the bump spot. 5:23 PM