Top Fuel 2nd Round Qualifying Results from the Holley NHRR in Bowling Green, KY:
Pit side grandstands are packed. A good crowd on the spectator side also. A cloud cover is making the heat manageable.
12 fuelers make a pass in this session: The first pair is utterly spectacular. Jim Young said he was turning up the wick on his “Young Guns” rail. That is an understatement, as he rotates the planet with a jaw-dropping 5.66 at 253 mph. Speaking of turning up wicks, Jason Greenwood *BOOMS* on the top-end, pushing out a head gasket at still clocking a 6.19, 185. Pending official word, the 6.19 should be DQ’d.
Next up: Rick White turns a 5.83 ahead of “Diamond” Dave Miller’s 6.31, 205.
Tyler Hilton and the exquisite “Great Expectations III” full-bodied digger posts a 6.59 at 168 mph while his opponent, Paul Schultz and his gorgeous “Spirit of Tulsa” machine, smokes the tires at the hit and gets back in it and goes 8.67 and 158 mph.
Jim Murphy and his Roland Leong-tuned “WW2” machine wows the crowd with a stout 5.70 as Rick Williamson and the Team Craig dragster shakes and then smokes the tires and winds up out of the groove with a disappointing 9.60. After missing yesterday’s hit with an oiling issue, Team Craig has one more shot to get into the 8-car program.
Next up: Tim Cullinan records a respectable 6.25 at 229 mph but sees nothing but Adam Sorokin’s backside as he marches down the track at a breakneck pace, reclaiming the #1 Qualifier spot with a 5.64 (!) at 246 mph.
Tony Bartone climbs into the #3 spot with a 5.68 clocking coupled with a nice-and-easy 226 top-end speed.
And lastly, with the bump at a 6.31, Brendan Murry climbs into the program with a 6.10 at 195 mph.
Unofficial word is that Jason Greenwood’s 6.19 is disallowed. Dave Miller is the unofficial bump with a 6.31.
One more session this afternoon and then eliminations tomorrow.