BUDDS CREEK, Md. - BUDDS CREEK - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Fuel at the
Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series, 11th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Mid-Atlantic
Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order
following run:
BUDDS CREEK, Md. - SUMMIT FastNews - Order after
one round of qualifying in Top
Fuel at the Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series, 11th annual CARQUEST
Auto Parts
Mid-Atlantic Nationals:
Saturday
Results for Qualifying 2
BUDDS CREEK, Md. - BUDDS CREEK - Notes from round
2 qualifying in Top Fuel at the
Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series, 11th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts
Mid-Atlantic
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:
Left Lane: Jack Ostrander Runs 14.432/69.70, Now #9
No Prior Run
Right Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 16.760/59.21, Now #3
Best prior run: 5.464/182.43, Was #3
4:04 PM It's 78 degrees, 50 percent relative humidity, the barometer 30.13
and steady, under cloudless skies.
Louie Allison's car in in the field at
5.33, so it's Ostrander's turn. Both cars went up in smoke immediately.
Left Lane: Bobby Lagana Jr Runs 6.021/153.88, Now #6
Best prior run: 11.014/80.17, Was #8
Right Lane: Paul Romine Runs 5.011/277.15, Now #1
Best prior run: 9.982/77.43, Was #6
Lagana was losing ground all the way down the track, even before there was a
flash of flame from the rear of the engine, possibly head gaskets. Much better ru
for Romine - nothing spectacular, but clean and straight.
Left Lane: John Sipple Runs 5.223/278.46, Now #3
Best prior run: 10.795/87.51, Was #8
Sipple's car trailed lots of clutch dust, but the soft launch apparently
suited the track because his car made a smooth, straight pass to move him off the
bump spot.
Left Lane: Clay Millican Runs 5.263/201.76, Now #4
Best prior run: 8.094/91.89, Was #8
Right Lane: Roger Dean Runs 8.769/105.03, Now #9
No Prior Run
Interesting situation - Millican on the bubble and Dean not in the field at
all. Millican was on a pretty good run, ahead of Romine's pace to half track, then
started smoking the tires and lifted before the 1,000-foot marker. Dean smoked the
tires and lifted.
Left Lane: Josh Starcher Runs 11.431/82.69, Now #2
Best prior run: 5.127/263.10, Was #2
Right Lane: Grant Flowers No Time, Now #7
Best prior run: 5.650/192.36, Was #7
Flowers was a no-show. Starcher went up in smoke before going 100 feet.
Saturday
Order for Qualifying 2
BUDDS CREEK, Md. - SUMMIT FastNews - Order after 2 rounds of
qualifying in Top Fuel
at the Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series, 11th annual CARQUEST Auto
Parts
Mid-Atlantic Nationals:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Paul Romine CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster 5.011 277.15
2. Josh Starcher WIX Filters Dragster 5.127 263.10
3. John Sipple Wellness Group Dragster 5.223 278.46
4. Clay Millican Werner Dragster 5.263 201.76
5. Louie Allison Vista Foods Dragster 5.339 258.17
6. Bruce Litton Lucas Oil Dragster 5.464 182.43
7. Grant Flowers Amalie Oil Dragster 5.650 192.36
8. Bobby Lagana Jr Twilight Zone Dragster 6.021 153.88
--------- Not Qualified ---------
9. Roger Dean Rupert Oil Dragster 8.769 105.03
10. Jack Ostrander Dragster 14.432 69.70
Saturday
Results for Qualifying 3
BUDDS CREEK, Md. - BUDDS CREEK - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel
at the Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series, 11th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts
Mid-Atlantic 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:
Left Lane: Paul Romine Runs 4.832/293.41, Now #1
Best prior run: 5.011/277.15, Was #1
Right Lane: Jack Ostrander Runs 5.586/246.57, Now #7
Best prior run: 14.432/69.70, Was #10
10:02 PM The bump is a soft 6.021, so the ten cars here should do a bit of
shuffling this round and we should see our first four-second run. Didn't take
long, Romine stuck to the track and pulling hard all the way. Ostrander gave it a
shot, but lost traction about 100 feet out and had to pedal it. He got in, but
he's vulnerable.
Left Lane: Bruce Litton Runs 4.910/302.01, Now #2
Best prior run: 5.464/182.43, Was #6
Right Lane: Bobby Lagana Jr Runs 5.515/259.71, Now #7
Best prior run: 6.021/153.88, Was #9
Lagana needed to beat Grant Flowers' 5.650 to get in. Litton needed to
improve to cut into Clay Millican's points lead. Both achieved their mission,
Lagana losing traction about 200 feet out and pedaling his way into the field,
pedaling again on the top end. Meanwhile, Litton slid into the #2 spot with the
first-ever 300 mph Top Fuel speed at MIR on a clean, smooth pass.
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 4.695/304.74, Now #1
Best prior run: 5.263/201.76, Was #5
Millican's crew chief, Mike Kloeber, had trouble sorting this track out -
with its short, 300 foot, concrete launch pad and a relatively green surface, it is
different than any other track they have run on. Once again the cream rose to the
top - the quickest and fastest run ever in the State of Maryland - and it was far
from perfect, the car moving around a lot on the top half of the run.
Left Lane: Grant Flowers Runs 14.532/73.99, Now #9
Best prior run: 5.650/192.36, Was #9
Right Lane: Josh Starcher Runs 5.005/292.96, Now #4
Best prior run: 5.127/263.10, Was #4
Flowers was bumped earlier in this session. He lost traction immediately.
Starcher made a good-looking run, the numbers a bit of a surprise when they came
up, and he remained fourth in the order.
Left Lane: Steve Hamilton No Time, Now #11
No Prior Run
Hamilton made his Top Fuel debut in Roger Dean's car. He was originally
supposed to do so at Norwalk, in Dean's second car, but it never happened. Dean
withdrew here so Hamilton could make his first run. He cautiously staged, taking a
long time with the fuel system "on the high side" and when he launched, the front
wheels came up a couple feet. he pedaled, the wheels came up again, and then he
took out the 330-foot and half-track timing reflectors.
Saturday
Order for Qualifying 3
BUDDS CREEK, Md. - SUMMIT FastNews - Final order after 3 rounds
of qualifying in
Top Fuel at the Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series, 11th annual
CARQUEST Auto Parts
Mid-Atlantic Nationals:
Psn Driver Vehicle ET Speed
1. Clay Millican Werner Dragster 4.695@ 304.74&
2. Paul Romine CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster 4.832 293.41
3. Bruce Litton Lucas Oil Dragster 4.910 302.01
4. Josh Starcher WIX Filters Dragster 5.005 292.96
5. John Sipple Wellness Group Dragster 5.223 278.46
6. Louie Allison Vista Foods Dragster 5.339 258.17
7. Bobby Lagana Jr Twilight Zone Dragster 5.515 259.71
8. Jack Ostrander Dragster 5.586 246.57
--------- Not Qualified ---------
9. Grant Flowers Amalie Oil Dragster 5.650 192.36
10. Steve Hamilton Dragster DQ
@ = Track ET Record
& = Track Speed Record
Sunday
Results for Elimination Round 1
BUDDS CREEK, Md. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top
Fuel at the Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series, 11th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts
Mid-Atlantic Nationals:
W/L Driver RT ET Speed
(W) John Sipple (Wellness Group Dragster) 0.592 9.774 79.30
(L) Josh Starcher (WIX Filters Dragster) 0.546 12.019 84.32
1:40 PM This is the first time these two rookies have raced each other.
Starcher has made the field in the six races he's entered and has gone past the
first round three times so far this year, while Sipple has five DNQ's in eight
races and has never gone past the first round. So much for past performance.
Starcher was up in smoke early and coasting when Sipple appeared to lose the blower
belt, the engine going silent. Starcher hit the throttle, but lost traction again,
and then it was a coasting contest, Sipple with a big lead and his first-ever round
win.
(W) Louie Allison (Vista Foods Dragster) 0.534 5.267 265.69
(L) Bruce Litton (Lucas Oil Dragster) 0.521 13.025 75.23
These two have met just once this season, Litton the victor. Litton is
second in points and will finish there, his mathematical chances of catching
Millican rapidly dwindling, but his 181-point lead over Romine almost a lock. What
an upset! Litton lost traction in the first 100 feet and Allison raced to victory
unopposed. That clinches the title for Millican.
(W) Paul Romine (CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster) 0.940 5.011 283.85
(L) Bobby Lagana Jr (Twilight Zone Dragster) 0.000(R) (Broke)
This is the third race in a row these two have met in the first round, Romine
winning the other two. Romine is third in points and will probably finish the
season there. To set the record straight, despite what you've read on the Internet
websites and heard on TV, in the three races where Romine has raced Clay Millican
this year, Millican staged first all three times. Lagana rolled through the
staging beams and Romine got a free pass to the semifinals, where he will have lane
choice against Allison.
(W) Jack Ostrander (Dragster) 0.580 7.207 206.80
(L) Clay Millican (Werner Dragster) 0.510 8.343 132.74
This is the first time these two have faced each other this year. Millican
has clinched the 2002 championship and now what's at stake is an almost-perfect
season, Millican leaving just one point on the table by failing to qualify #1 at
Shreveport. There was a bit of a delay because Millican's team waited for
Ostrander's crew chief, Louie Allison, to get back from the top end to fire
Ostrander's car. And the streak is over! Both cars went up in smoke and Ostrander
won the pedaling contest, getting a bit further down the track before losing
traction and doing a better job of pedaling. At one point, Millican's car was
almost completely sideways, but he didn't hit anything and neither car crossed the
centerline. Now Ostrander's team faces the challenge of getting two cars turned
for round two, where Ostrander will have lane choice against Doc Sipple.
Sunday
Results for Elimination Round 2
BUDDS CREEK, Md. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top
Fuel at the Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series, 11th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts
Mid-Atlantic Nationals:
W/L Driver RT ET Speed
(W) Jack Ostrander (Dragster) 1.798 17.774 76.07
(L) John Sipple (Wellness Group Dragster) 0.000(R) (Broke)
4:15 PM Sipple could not answer the call, suffering engine damage in the
first round, so Ostrander got a freebie and idled through. Neither driver had been
past round one this year, so Ostrander will be in his first final round of the
season.
(W) Paul Romine (CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster) 0.491 5.111 281.19
(L) Louie Allison (Vista Foods Dragster) 0.563 5.124 282.78
These two have raced each other twice so far this season, each winning once.
Romine has been in two final rounds so far, Allison none.
Members of all the losing teams, including Litton's and Millican's, helped
Ostrander's team turn their two cars for the second round. Romine went in deep,
almost turning out the top bulb, and got away first. From there on, the two cars
ran almost identical incremental times, Romine winning by a car length. He will
have lane choice against Ostrander in his third final round of the season.
Sunday
Results for Final Round
BUDDS CREEK, Md. - SUMMIT FastNews - Results of final, round 3 eliminations
in Top Fuel at the Hooters IHRA Drag Racing Series, 11th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts
Mid-Atlantic Nationals:
W/L Driver RT ET Speed
(W) Jack Ostrander (Dragster) 0.582 5.193 275.90
(L) Paul Romine (CARQUEST Auto Parts Dragster) 0.431 8.612 131.23
6:20 PM No matter who wins, it will be their first win of the year. This
was Romine's third final round appearance of the year, the 23rd of his career, with
ten prior wins. It was Ostrander's 14th final round appearance, with three prior
wins.
Romine was up in smoke almost instantly and Ostrander sailed to the
win uncontested, his first victory since 1993. Congratulations to "the Mayor of
Top Fuel" for his win, pulling off the ultimate upset by winning from the last
qualifying position.
