Tags
Reigning World Champion Shawn Langdon and his silver Al-Anabi team just might have found the consistent form that has been missing this season for the Qatar Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel team, the three-time and defending NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel World Champions owned by HE Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al-Thani. |
Langdon made two excellent passes in the first day of qualifying for the third annual AAA Insurance NHRA Nationals just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri, the 21st of 24 races making up the United States’ NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and the third of six races that comprise the Countdown to the Championship NHRA Playoffs. Qualifying resumes Saturday with eliminations set for Sunday.
In the first session, Langdon blasted down the track in 3.819 seconds at 322.11 mph and was second quickest after the first qualifying attempt. More importantly, the run placed Langdon in the last pair of cars in the evening session when air and track conditions are most conducive to quick runs. By the time Langdon ran, 10 teams had passed him in the qualifying order.
The Al-Anabi team made a brilliant run, a 3.780-second effort, but two other teams also recorded identical 3.780-second elapsed times and tied Langdon for third – ties are broken by speed. Because the Al-Anabi car dropped a cylinder during the run, the car slowed to just 315 mph at the finish line so Langdon’s 3.780 at 315 mph relegated him to fifth after the first day of qualifying. Langdon’s elapsed time was one thousandth of a second behind that of the second-place driver.
“That was a very good first day,” Langdon said. “We made two good runs down the track, and that’s something we haven’t been able to do in the last few races. The runs today weren’t just runs down the track – they were fast runs down the track. We made a good run in the night session - it’s just unfortunate three cars had the same elapsed time, but the Al-Anabi car is running well. We have high hopes for the rest of the weekend.”
On the gold side of the Al-Anabi pit area, Khalid al-Balooshi had a more difficult day. The gold Al-Anabi team did not deploy enough power in the first run and the car went into tire shake forcing alBalooshi to abort the run; he was 17th after the first qualifying attempt. In the second session, al-Balooshi dazzled the crowd with an excellent 3.812-second pass at 319.98 mph and was second in the qualifying order. Unfortunately, nine other teams made quicker runs later in the evening, and al-Balooshi dropped all the way to 11th after the first day.
“We didn’t have a god run in the first session, but the second run was very good with how the day started,” al-Balooshi said. “When you miss the first round like we did, you have to be smart in the second run and make sure the car gets down the race track. You can’t take a chance on smoking the tires. We didn’t push it too hard – we made a solid run and got the car in the race. We can improve our position now and get ready to race on Sunday.”
There are no comments.
Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.
Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education
Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions
The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged
Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.
The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.
Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.