Sat, 30 Oct 2004, 12:21 AM Top Fuel Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 2 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 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: Bill Ancona Runs 10.075/90.30, Now #18; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Doug Herbert Runs 4.607/310.63, Now #5; Best prior run: 12.518/69.65, Was #21

Ancona started to lose traction and clicked it off. Herbert with nice looking pass to move into the top half of the show. That will bump out Dixon.

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Left Lane: Rob Passey Runs 6.194/144.55, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Chris Karamesines Runs 12.022/74.77, Now #22; Best prior run: 12.028/77.89, Was #21

Karamesines lost traction as soon as he hit the throttle. Passey started mixing up cylinders early in the run and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Mitch King Runs 6.358/136.91, Now #17; Best prior run: 15.909/81.22, Was #24
Right Lane: Mike Strasburg Runs 11.711/76.80, Now #21; Best prior run: 10.797/77.09, Was #20

Strasburg was up in smoke right off the starting line. King was mixing up cylinders early and clicked it off.

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Right Lane: Larry Dixon Runs 4.663/318.84, Now #11; Best prior run: 9.083/88.46, Was #19

Dixon with a great looking pass to get in the show and that bumped out Passey.

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Left Lane: Steven Chrisman No Time, Now #22; Best prior run: 11.985/98.92, Was #22
Right Lane: Rhonda Hartman-Smith Runs 4.708/300.20, Now #14; Best prior run: 8.161/109.83, Was #19

Chrisman had problems and was shut off. Hartman-Smith with a good looking pass until right in the lights when the engine let go with a big fireball.

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Left Lane: Scott Weis Runs 14.617/89.60, Now #15; Best prior run: 4.735/299.93, Was #15
Right Lane: Gary Ormsby Jr Runs 4.918/262.18, Now #17; Best prior run: 4.963/279.44, Was #17

Weis is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and clicks it off. Ormsby with a clean pass, but will stay number 17.

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Left Lane: John Smith Runs 4.627/316.08, Now #9; Best prior run: 4.674/305.56, Was #12
Right Lane: Joe Hartley Runs 4.846/315.71, Now #16; Best prior run: 4.864/313.22, Was #16

Hartley improves, but will stay number 16. Smith made a quick move toward the centerline, but stayed with it to move up three spots on the ladder.

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Left Lane: Cory McClenathan No Time, Now #10; Best prior run: 4.627/312.13, Was #10
Right Lane: Andrew Cowin No Time, Now #13; Best prior run: 4.682/314.97, Was #13

McClenathan gets close to the centerline and then around 900 feet and collected the 1000-foot cones. Cowin was trailing McClenathan so his run will not count either.

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Left Lane: Brady Kalivoda No Time, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.619/323.58, Was #7
Right Lane: David Baca Runs 4.631/319.22, Now #11; Best prior run: 4.651/320.97, Was #11

Kalivoda wasn't able to get the car to fire. Baca with another good looking pass, but will stay number 11.

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Left Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 10.522/76.73, Now #7; Best prior run: 4.619/325.53, Was #6
Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.579/317.79, Now #5; Best prior run: 4.621/315.93, Was #8

Bernstein lost traction early and clicked it off. Lucas with a good looking pass, straight down the groove to move up to the fifth spot.

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Left Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 11.894/70.25, Now #4; Best prior run: 4.579/317.87, Was #4
Right Lane: Doug Kalitta Runs 4.499/330.47, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.526/329.02, Was #2

Schumacher was up in smoke as soon as he hi the throttle. Doug with a great pass. The header flames were shooting over the rear wing all the way down the 1320 as he rocketed into the number one spot.

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Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 4.506/323.04, Now #3; Best prior run: 4.549/321.35, Was #3
Right Lane: Scott Kalitta Runs 4.491/333.00, Now #1; Best prior run: 4.526/329.83, Was #2

This was a great drag race and great way to wrap up the day. Scott was quick enough to bump Doug back and spot and Grubnic is right there in the number three spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink