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KALITTA, BROWN EARN TOP-3 SPOTS TO LEAD TOYOTA IN GAINESVILLE QUALIFYING

GAINESVILLE, FL – Doug Kalitta qualified second, one spot ahead of Antron Brown as the two Top Fuel drivers led Toyota in preparation for Sunday’s 48th annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla.

Kalitta ran a 3.698 in Friday’s second qualifying session to earn the number two spot for the second time in three races this season. On Saturday, it was three-time series champion Brown who stole the spotlight with the best time of the day with a 3.716, which earned him three bonus points in the final qualifying session. Brown has now qualified in the top three at each of the season’s first three events.


“That was a great run,” Brown said of his final qualifying run. “That’s what we needed, especially since Sunday will have similar conditions. It’s the Gators and tomorrow we just need to keep chomping like a Gator. Our Matco Tools/Toyota boys will be ready.”

Rookie Troy Coughlin Jr. qualified sixth after leading Friday’s opening session. He registered three runs of 3.748 or better this weekend in earning five bonus points. The third-generation driver has qualified sixth in each of his first three events. If both should win their opening round runs, Coughlin will square off with Brown in the second round tomorrow.

In Funny Car, J.R. Todd established a personal best with a 3.871-second pass in Friday’s second session good for seventh overall in the DHL Camry. The first-year Funny Car driver has now registered a new personal best at each race this season. His Kalitta Motorsports teammate, Alexis DeJoria, qualified 11th after laying down four consecutive runs of 3.965 or better on the weekend.

Cruz Pedregon ran his quickest pass of the event in the final session on Saturday with a 3.947 and will start from the 12th seed, while Del Worsham placed 16th.

Today’s qualifying show can be seen tonight at 11 p.m. on FS1, while Sunday’s NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Gatornationals eliminations will be shown live on FS1 beginning at 1:00 p.m. (EDT).

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