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Friday
Results for Qualifying 1
NORWALK, Ohio - SUMMIT FastNews - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the
24th annual MOPAR Parts World Nationals presented by Ethanol Performs listing lane,
driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:
Left Lane: Jim Bailey Runs 4.948/251.06, Now #1
Right Lane: Steve Smith No Time, Now #2
9:03 PM The long, skinny cars wrap up the evening with their first
qualifying session. This race is a challenge since two of their three qualifying
sessions come at night and the first round of eliminations is at around 1:30 PM
Sunday. Smith was shut down with a fuel leak after the burnout. Bailey made it
safely to half track, then started spinning the rear tires in his own oil. That
will cost him a total of 20 points, 15 for the oildown and the 5 he would have
gotten for a clean run.
Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.722/313.73, Now #1
Right Lane: Louie Allison Runs 4.960/264.80, Now #3
Two clean runs, Allison shutting it off early with the reason hidden in
darkness. Nice pass by Head, clean, straight, and the header flames tall all the
way to the line.
Left Lane: Paul Romine Runs 4.752/308.28, Now #2
Right Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 4.814/301.20, Now #3
The header flames on Litton's car were greenish, on Romine's they were orange.
Litton's header flames went out a bit early, Romine's went right out the back door.
Nice show for the crowd, but Head still reigns.
Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.920/229.82, Now #4
Right Lane: Roger Dean No Time, Now #8
Millican's car left hard with a 0.869 60-foot time and was right with both
Head and Romine at half track, running 3.195 seconds at 260 mph at the 660-foot
marker and reached the 1,000-foot timer as quickly as Romine, but then the engine
started to go away and his car slowed dramatically. Dean's car drifted left,
taking out the 1,000-foot and finish line reflectors.
Left Lane: Donald Reed Runs 6.234/145.48, Now #7
Last car, several teams electing to wait for tomorrow's afternoon session to
make their first run. There were sparks from under the car on the launch, possibly
a clutch problem, and then the header flames went very green just before they went
out.
That's a wrap for today.
Friday
Order for Qualifying 1
NORWALK, Ohio - SUMMIT FastNews - Order after one round of
qualifying in Top Fuel
at the 24th annual MOPAR Parts World Nationals presented by
Ethanol Performs:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Jim Head Dragster 4.722 313.73
2. Paul Romine CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster 4.752 308.28
3. Bruce Litton WIX Filters Dragster 4.814 301.20
4. Clay Millican Werner Dragster 4.920 229.82
5. Jim Bailey Snap-On Racing Dragster 4.948 251.06
6. Louie Allison Vista Foods Dragster 4.960 264.80
7. Donald Reed Dragster 6.234 145.48
Saturday
Results for Qualifying Round
2
NORWALK, Ohio - SUMMIT FastNews - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the
24th annual MOPAR Parts World Nationals presented by Ethanol Performs 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:
Left Lane: Jerry Freeman Runs 5.297/272.50, Now #7
No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jim Bailey Runs 4.939/295.72, Now #5
Best prior run: 4.948/251.06, Was #5
3:44 PM Freeman didn't make an attempt last night, while Bailey made a
fairly good run with an early shutoff. This time Bailey drove it through the
lights, picking the speed up a bit but running less than a hundredth of a second
quicker. Freeman's first run was uneventful..
Left Lane: Jack Ostrander Runs 5.033/278.52, Now #7
No Prior Run
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.832/297.75, Now #4
Best prior run: 4.832/297.75, Was #4
Ostrander makes his first pass of the event with no major problems. Millican
left hard, posting a 0.869 60-foot time, but started smoking the tires at half
track and had to pedal it at least once.
Left Lane: Steve Smith Runs 5.036/278.81, Now #8
No Prior Run
Right Lane: Paul Romine Runs 4.764/311.05, Now #2
Best prior run: 4.752/308.28, Was #2
Smith made a clean pass, bumping Freeman. Romine made his second full pass
of the event, losing a hundredth of a second in the heat of the day.
Left Lane: Roger Dean Runs 5.253/277.20, Now #9
No Prior Run
Right Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.986/287.78, Now #1
Best prior run: 4.722/313.73, Was #1
Dean made a full pass, but was not quick enough to make the field. Head was
off the pace he ran yesterday from the start and a light green spray began coming
from the rear of the car around half track. The call came, "We've got oil." Head
loses 20 points in his quest for the title for the "black flag" infraction.
Left Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 6.898/122.49, Now #3
Best prior run: 4.814/301.20, Was #3
Forty minutes later...the oildown spread into both lanes, making the cleanup
even more difficult. After waiting through the cleanup, Litton got about 200 feet
off the starting line, then smoked the tires.
Saturday
Order for Qualifying Round
2
NORWALK, Ohio - SUMMIT FastNews - Order after 2 rounds of
qualifying in Top Fuel at
the 24th annual MOPAR Parts World Nationals presented by Ethanol
Performs:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Jim Head Dragster 4.722 313.73
2. Paul Romine CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster 4.752 311.05
3. Bruce Litton WIX Filters Dragster 4.814 301.20
4. Clay Millican Werner Dragster 4.832 297.75
5. Jim Bailey Snap-On Racing Dragster 4.939 295.72
6. Louie Allison Vista Foods Dragster 4.960 264.80
7. Jack Ostrander Dragster 5.033 278.52
8. Steve Smith Smith Trailers Dragster 5.036 278.81
--------- Not Qualified ---------
9. Roger Dean Rupert Oil Dragster 5.253 277.20
10. Jerry Freeman Dragster 5.297 272.50
11. Donald Reed Dragster 6.234 145.48
Saturday
Results for Qualifying 3
NORWALK, Ohio - SUMMIT FastNews - Corrected notes from final, round 3 qualifying in
Top Fuel at the 24th annual MOPAR Parts World Nationals presented by Ethanol
Performs 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:
Left Lane: Donald Reed No Time, Now #11
Best prior run: 6.234/145.48, Was #11
9:55 PM The final round of Top Fuel qualifying opens with a new team and
they have problems getting the car to fire. It almost started once, then died. It
burbled a second time, but then the crew threw their arms up in frustration as it
went silent once again. Reed's last chance went unused, the car pushed away from
the staging area.
Left Lane: Jim Bailey Runs 5.062/263.15, Now #5
Best prior run: 4.939/295.72, Was #5
Right Lane: Jerry Freeman Runs 5.585/232.19, Now #10
Best prior run: 5.297/272.50, Was #10
Bailey's pass looked okay, but maybe it was only by comparison with Freeman's
troubled run. Freeman's header flames were weak and flickering, never a good sign,
but both cars were clean and dry at the finish line.
Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.631/319.22, Now #1
Best prior run: 4.832/297.75, Was #4
Right Lane: Roger Dean Runs 5.125/282.36, Now #9
Best prior run: 5.253/277.20, Was #9
Wow! Millican makes the quickest pass in IHRA Top Fuel history, breaking the
only prior Norwalk track record left untouched to this point in the event. The car
left hard with a 0.846 60-foot time, right in there with the quickest leavers in
any sanctioning body, and reached half track in 3.134 seconds at 265.33 mph, 1,000
feet in 3.936 seconds. Dean comes up short and will be first alternate
tomorrow.
Left Lane: Paul Romine Runs 4.721/309.42, Now #2
Best prior run: 4.752/311.05, Was #3
Right Lane: Steve Smith Runs 5.137/278.52, Now #9
Best prior run: 5.036/278.81, Was #8
Romine reaches deep and comes up with a run that was only slightly behind
Millican's at each incremental timer. That moves him around Jim Head in the
order.
Left Lane: Jim Head Runs 4.794/314.46, Now #3
Best prior run: 4.722/313.73, Was #3
Right Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 4.768/306.53, Now #5
Best prior run: 4.814/301.20, Was #5
Final pair and they gave the crowd a good show, side by side all the way down
the track, the header flames tall and steady all the way through the lights.
Saturday
Order for Qualifying 3
NORWALK, Ohio - SUMMIT FastNews - Final order after 3 rounds of
qualifying in Top
Fuel at the 24th annual MOPAR Parts World Nationals presented by
Ethanol Performs:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Clay Millican Werner Dragster 4.631@ 319.22&
2. Paul Romine CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster 4.721 311.05
3. Jim Head Dragster 4.722 314.46
4. Bruce Litton WIX Filters Dragster 4.768 306.53
5. Jim Bailey Snap-On Racing Dragster 4.939 295.72
6. Louie Allison Vista Foods Dragster 4.960 264.80
7. Jack Ostrander Dragster 5.033 278.52
8. Steve Smith Smith Trailers Dragster 5.036 278.81
--------- Not Qualified ---------
9. Roger Dean Rupert Oil Dragster 5.125 282.36
10. Jerry Freeman Dragster 5.297 272.50
11. Donald Reed Dragster 6.234 145.48
@ = Track ET Record
& = Track Speed Record
Sunday
Results for Elimination Round 1
NORWALK, Ohio - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Fuel
at the 24th annual MOPAR Parts World Nationals presented by Ethanol Performs:
W/L Driver RT ET Speed
(W) Jim Bailey (Snap-On Racing Dragster) 0.824 4.864 288.95
(L) Bruce Litton (WIX Filters Dragster) 0.528 10.496 88.01
12:47 PM The middle of the field meets in the opening pair of cars, Litton
with the apparent edge based on qualifying. So much for qualifying. Litton
launched and was smoking the tires, sideways, before Bailey even left the line, the
difference so great that it looked like Litton redlighted. But a win is a win and
Bailey already won once this year by just going up there and running laps.
(W) Jim Head (Dragster) 0.504 4.874 301.00
(L) Louie Allison (Vista Foods Dragster) 0.518 5.819 161.25
Allison made up the starting line advantage by the 60-foot timers and was
dead-even with Head at 330. Then Allison's blower belt went sailing through the
air and Head pulled away for an easy win.
(W) Paul Romine (CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster) 0.495 4.720 320.66
(L) Jack Ostrander (Dragster) 0.544 6.679 127.07
Romine ran #1 on his car for just one race, in Leicester, NY, then went back
to his traditional #337 plate. Superstition, maybe? Here he nailed Ostrander to
the tree and went right down the groove for an easy win. Romine has lane choice
over Head in round two.
(W) Clay Millican (Werner Dragster) 0.539 4.710 313.44
(L) Steve Smith (Smith Trailers Dragster) 0.530 5.767 186.36
Millican leads Romine by 46 points in the championship chase. The two cars
left together, but then it was all Millican, Smith's car appearing to push out head
gaskets on both sides, green flames coming from both sides of the top of the
engine. The track was dry, no oil. Millican has lane choice against Bailey next
round.
Sunday
Results for Elimination Round 2
NORWALK, Ohio - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Fuel
at the 24th annual MOPAR Parts World Nationals presented by Ethanol Performs:
W/L Driver RT ET Speed
(W) Jim Head (Dragster) 0.555 4.803 311.27
(L) Paul Romine (CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster) 0.481 4.988 229.94
3:52 PM Romine had this race in the bag, Head dead late and Romine on a
strong run. Then "stuff" happened. There was a flash of flame from Romine's
engine and his car slowed, Head going by to win by a margin of victory = 0.111
seconds (approximately 37 feet). Unbelievable!
(W) Clay Millican (Werner Dragster) 0.490 4.734 273.05
(L) Jim Bailey (Snap-On Racing Dragster) 0.000(R) (Broke)
Both these cars barely made the call, Bailey's with reported clutch problems.
Bailey made his burnout and could not get the car into reverse, finally driving it
out the other end so Millican could run. Millican made a strong run, with a 0.852
60-foot time, but the header flames went out way before the finish line. Even so,
the run was good enough to earn lane choice against Head in the finals.
Sunday
Results for Final Round
NORWALK, Ohio - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of final, round 3 eliminations in
Top Fuel at the 24th annual MOPAR Parts World Nationals presented by Ethanol
Performs:
W/L Driver RT ET Speed
(W) Clay Millican (Werner Dragster) 0.489 4.652 320.13
(L) Jim Head (Dragster) 0.475 4.751 310.98
6:24 PM Last pro final of the event and it's a good one, both cars making
full passes. But Millican came back to his qualifying level of performance and
steadily opened the gap to win by more than a car length to lengthen his points
lead over Paul Romine.
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