Fri, 29 Oct 2004, 08:31 PM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Rowe

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

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Left Lane: Gary Ormsby Jr Runs 4.963/279.44, Now #1
Right Lane: Bill Ancona No Time, Now #2

4:47 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 50 percent, barometer 28.04 inches, adjusted altitude 3,324 feet, track temperature 84 degrees.

Ancona couldn't get the engine to fire and was unable to make a run. Ormsby went right down the groove but had problems near the end of the run.

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Left Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 12.028/77.89, Now #2

Karamesines shook the tires right off the line and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Andrew Cowin Runs 4.682/314.97, Now #1
Right Lane: Steven Chrisman Runs 11.985/98.92, Now #3

Chrisman stuck the tires right off the line and had to abort the run. Cowin went right down the groove for a decent run.

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Left Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 4.864/313.22, Now #2
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 12.456/68.46, Now #6

Palmer shakes the tires at the hit and shuts down. Hartley makes a good run and gets in the second spot for now.

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Left Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 10.797/77.09, Now #4
Right Lane: Mitch King Runs 15.909/81.22, Now #8

A couple of busted runs here, King goes up in smoke about 100 feet out, Strasburg a little further down.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.621/315.93, Now #2
Right Lane: Brady Kalivoda Runs 4.619/323.58, Now #1

A good side-by-side run here, they were glued together all the way through the run. Kalivoda runs a career best and takes the top spot for now, Lucas right behind in the number two spot.

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Left Lane: David Baca Runs 4.651/320.97, Now #3
Right Lane: John Smith Runs 4.674/305.56, Now #4

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Left Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 8.161/109.83, Now #9
Right Lane: Scott Weis Runs 4.735/299.93, Now #6

Hartman-Smith gets about 300 feet out and goes up in smoke. Weis makes a clean pass and gets in the show in the sixth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 12.518/69.65, Now #15
Right Lane: Cory McClenathan Runs 4.627/312.13, Now #3

Herbert rattles the tires right off the line and shuts down. McClenethan goes right down the groove and gets in the third spot for now.

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Left Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 9.083/88.46, Now #12
Right Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.549/321.35, Now #1

Dixon gets about 300 feet out, starts losing traction, then shuts down. Grubnic goes right down the groove and gets in the top spot for now.

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Left Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.526/329.83, Now #1
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 4.619/325.53, Now #3

Another great run for the Kalitta team, Scott goes right down Broadway and takes the pole for now. Bernstein makes a clean pass and gets in the third spot.

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Left Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.526/329.02, Now #2
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 4.579/317.87, Now #4

Doug makes it 1-2-3 for the Kalitta team, equalling Scott's run and falling in right behind in the order. Schumacher makes a good run and gets in the fourth spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink