Sat, 2 Oct 2004, 05:57 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

JOLIET, Ill. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA 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: Tim Gibson No Time, Now #26; Best prior run: 10.553/83.18, Was #26
Right Lane: Gary Ormsby Jr Runs 5.040/234.41, Now #21; Best prior run: 9.973/81.56, Was #25

4:13 p.m. Gibson completes his burn-out then shuts down. Ormsby was on a decent pass, then the engine went silent about 1000 feet out.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 7.283/108.80, Now #25; Best prior run: 7.574/97.06, Was #24
Right Lane: Andrew Cowin Runs 5.243/254.52, Now #22; Best prior run: 8.452/96.53, Was #25

Dixon gets about 300 feet out, strikes the tires, pedals a couple of times, then gives up on the run.

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Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 11.262/76.22, Now #24; Best prior run: 6.648/123.59, Was #24
Right Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 5.278/196.76, Now #23; Best prior run: 5.560/169.96, Was #23

Strasburg gets about 200 feet out, strikes the tires, then aborts the run. Hartley gets to half-track, strikes the tires, then pitches the blower belt.

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Left Lane: Mitch King Runs 5.297/233.32, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.015/296.83, Was #20
Right Lane: Scott Weis Runs 7.041/113.00, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.820/287.17, Was #16

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Left Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 4.698/321.96, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.956/255.82, Was #19
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.752/294.56, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.716/310.41, Was #15

Lucas was on a good run, then starts mixing up the cylinders about 1000 feet out.

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Left Lane: Luigi Novelli Runs 7.673/115.35, Now #19; Best prior run: 4.904/292.01, Was #19
Right Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 4.696/313.29, Now #14; Best prior run: 4.690/316.90, Was #14

Novelli gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke.

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Left Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 4.819/310.41, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.858/300.60, Was #18
Right Lane: David Baca Runs 4.558/329.83, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.647/315.78, Was #13

Karamesines makes a clean pass but comes up a little short. Baca makes a great pass and moves all the way to the third spot.

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Left Lane: T.J. Zizzo Runs 4.624/311.85, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.622/322.27, Was #11
Right Lane: John Smith Runs 9.558/106.10, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.634/306.74, Was #13

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 9.361/81.48, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.622/324.28, Was #10
Right Lane: Brady Kalivoda Runs 4.625/325.30, Now #12; Best prior run: 4.630/324.75, Was #12

Grubnic gets about 300 feet out and strikes the tires. Kalivoda improves on his career best ET and speed.

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Left Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 14.368/72.84, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.615/309.63, Was #9
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.490/328.62, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.571/313.44, Was #6

A good looking pass for McClenethan, a 4.49 on 85 percent nitro, the quickest so far. Vandergriff goes up in smoke at the hit.

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Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.540/322.88, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.602/319.22, Was #8
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.541/333.41, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.568/331.04, Was #6

A great side-by-side, both right down the groove. Bernstein ties the speed record he set earlier this year at this track.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.496/330.63, Now #2; Best prior run: 4.575/330.15, Was #8
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.517/332.34, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.564/330.47, Was #7

Another good side-by-side, both Kalitta cars right down the groove to take the second and third spots in the order.

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Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.898/316.15, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.540/326.16, Was #4
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.549/326.24, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.542/329.02, Was #7

Millican hazes the tires about 200 feet out, pedals once, then goes on through. Schumacher makes another good run.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink