Fri, 25 Oct 2002, 10:03 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Darryl Jackman

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Second annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

---

Left Lane: Tim Gibson Runs 5.093/211.00, Now #1
Right Lane: David Baca Runs 7.161/111.46, Now #2

Baca is making his first start in a Top Fuel Car this weekend and it starts with some minor problems. Gibson made it a bit further down track but he also shuts off.

---

Left Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 14.202/51.80, Now #4
Right Lane: Craig Smith Runs 4.948/287.84, Now #1

Chrisman is another young pup that has grown up around drag racing and is making his first start this weekend in a Top Fueler. He has problems here as Baca did on his pass but will have another chance before the day is out. Smith stayed with his pass and appeared to kick all the rods out as his ride neared the finish line. We are down for a few minutes for a cleanup in his lane.

---

Left Lane: Garth Widdison Runs 5.135/237.88, Now #3
Right Lane: Robert Hallock Runs 6.400/133.25, Now #4

Both cars were soft off the line. It was a .927 sixty footer for Widdison and a .916 for Hallock. Hallock's problems set in early as shake set in. Widdison made it further but the car got out of the groove and he clicked it.

---

Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 5.145/221.27, Now #5
Right Lane: Jim Cavalieri Runs 4.730/315.93, Now #1

Cavalieri made a great opener that will put him at the top of the field for at least a few minutes. Strasberg was on a four second pass until something went wrong as the neared the finish.

---

Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 7.503/102.70, Now #9
Right Lane: Shirley Muldowney Runs 4.688/301.54, Now #1

Muldowney takes Cavalieri off the pole in the very next pair. The was a sacrifice to the aluminum gods on the top end but no cleanup. Hartley shook the tires loose and had to call it off.

---

Left Lane: Yuichi Oyama Runs 4.912/289.07, Now #4
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.732/291.26, Now #3

Head puts a good one together and moves into the #3 spot. Oyama appeared to have some minor problem in the second half of the course and the car was slowing as he neared the finish stripe. There are a lot of Top Fuelers here this weekend Head's number should hold up very well.

---

Left Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 5.429/222.80, Now #9
Right Lane: Melanie Troxel Runs 10.508/88.26, Now #13

Troxel is for the first time in a while and she will face the Golden Greek, Chris Karamesines. Troxel never got to half track as the car shook so badly it appeared to jump right off the ground. The Greek got over close to the wall after pedaling several times and finally called it off at about 1000 feet.

---

Left Lane: Scott Weis Runs 4.798/285.05, Now #5
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.711/308.71, Now #2

Nice side by side passes from this pair. Both drivers were off the pedal before the finish but Grubnic is only looking up in the order at Shirley as he's #2. Weis is into the #5 spot but we have lots of cars to run yet.

---

Left Lane: John Smith Runs 4.694/315.27, Now #2
Right Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 6.495/128.95, Now #14

Husband vs. Wife again due to the point standings. We now have a bump of 14.20 seconds and it's held by Steve Chrisman. John Smith gets a nice pass in the left lane and he is now in the #2 position. Rhonda Smith smoked the tires and will get ready for two later on this evening.

---

Left Lane: Andrew Cowin Runs 9.354/82.75, Now #18
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.573/322.34, Now #1

Not to slight any of the earlier cars but we're starting to get into the heavy hitters now. Cowin strikes the tires but it's Herbert that sets the field on it's collective ear. First in the fifties this evening and now Shirley is #2. The bump is David Baca at 7.161

---

Left Lane: Darrell Russell Runs 4.758/309.98, Now #8
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.623/316.45, Now #2

Cory Mac's pass looked better than that to me but it's just that Russell was not moving quite as fast as I thought. Cory is now holding down that very popular #2 position. The bump is now Bob Hallock at 6.400

---

Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.589/323.27, Now #2
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.674/322.04, Now #4

Tony Schumacher is the second car in the fifties tonight. He can't quite match Herbert's pass so he settles for #2. Kalitta had a body panel coming loose on the car all the way down and it must have functioned as an air brake. A tenth was a bout a car length behind Schumacher at the stripe.

---

Left Lane: Kenny Bernstein Runs 4.633/325.14, Now #5
Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.569/323.81, Now #1

The 'Beer Wagons' close out the first round of qualifying. Dixon gets a small lead over Bernstein and holds it all the way to the finish. At about half track there were a few sparklers coming out of the headers on Bernstein's racer. That was the difference between the fifties and a #1 or #2 sport and the final #5 position he wound up in. Dixon will go into round two from the top spot in the field as he pushes Herbert down to #2. Tim Gibson holds down the #16 position with is first round 5.093

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink