Morrison – Denver native Melanie Troxel limped into the final of four top fuel qualifying sessions Saturday, sitting 14th among 17 drivers vying to make today’s 16-car field.
Her top elapsed time at Bandimere Speedway was a modest 5.471 seconds (186.43 mph) – nowhere near the provisional pole and track speed-record run by Brandon Bernstein (4.596 seconds, 330.88 mph) on Friday.
But then Troxel made the most of her first two days in her new ride, blitzing to a 4.847-second pass at 281.19 mph to qualify 10th for today’s eliminations of the 26th Mopar Mile-High Nationals.
“We’re just thrilled to be out here and going to the finals,” said Troxel, who is making her 2005 debut for a team that was formed last week.
Bernstein, meanwhile, is favored to join his father and team owner, Kenny, as a top fuel winner at Bandimere. Brandon’s pole-winning pass from Friday’s second session held up, and he finished qualifying with three 310 mph-plus runs.
“It’s obviously going to take consistent runs (today) because of the weather,” said Bernstein, who also started from the pole last year at Bandimere and advanced to the semifinals. “When the sun’s out, you have to get the most of the tricky track. It’s one of those tracks where the atmosphere is going to throw you a bunch of different curves.”
Other No. 1 qualifiers are Robert Hight (funny car), Greg Anderson (pro stock) and Andrew Hines (pro stock motorcycle). Like Bernstein, Hight, Anderson and Hines rewrote track E.T. or speed records, or both.
Hight, who holds both ends of Bandimere’s funny car records (4.796, 322.58 mph), is the son-in-law of car owner and driving legend John Force.
Hight, a rookie who has five poles in 13 races, served as Force’s clutch specialist for seven championship seasons (1995-2001). Hight became team manager and test driver before gunning for his funny car license, which he obtained last year after attending the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School in Gainesville, Fla.
“There’s not much competition between us,” Hight said of teammates Force and Eric Medlen, who qualified sixth and 10th, respectively. “We’d like to be 1-2-3, and if I was three, I’d be happy.”
Anderson, who won this event last year, captured the pole on the strength of Friday’s first run. He rewrote his track E.T. record with a 7.106 pass.
Earlier, former Trinidad resident Hines benefited from a brief weather delay, caused by a few raindrops and wind that blew sand onto the track before the final two passes.
Under cloudy conditions after the delay, Chip Ellis went 7.441 seconds to take the No. 1 spot.
Hines was next and clocked a 7.436, regaining the track record he set last year. He said a tail wind “got me to No. 1” and produced the day’s only track record.
No. 3 qualifier Ryan Schnitz, who held the top spot after Saturday’s first session, still holds the track speed bike record of 186.84 mph.
Aw, Schuck’s
Phil Burkart Jr., driver of the Checker Schuck’s Kragen Chevy, won in funny car here last year and advanced to the final and semifinal, respectively, in this year’s first two races.
Since, he has lost in the first round in eight of 10 events and didn’t qualify for the other two. He led the standings after the second race in Phoenix but is 14th entering today.
He began the year 5-2 in eliminations but is now 41-55.
“We’ve lost by inches. We’ve lost by a foot, and we’ve outrun most of the field on any given day,” said Burkart, who qualified No. 11 today. “What we haven’t been able to do is get to the finish line first.”
Footnotes
Lakewood’s V. Gaines qualified No. 6 in pro stock, tying his fifth-best starting position this year. Division rival Jamey Ober of Littleton failed to qualify, finishing 19th among 20 entries. … In pro bike, Littleton’s Mike Berry qualified 10th. … Pro bike rider Blaine Hale, who won this event in 2003, failed to qualify.
Mike Chambers can be reached at 303-820-5453 or mchambers@denverpost.com.
