BAZEMORE AND MATCO TOOLS TEAM WELL-GROUNDED ON HEELS OF HOT STREAK
COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 8, 2004) - As the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
heads into the summer months, beginning another three-race swing at National
Trail Raceway this weekend for the 10th round of the 23-race series, Funny
Car points leader Whit Bazemore and his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus
team have their feet firmly planted on Earth.

Following Bazemore's tear through the first nine races of the season, which
included reaching five final rounds in the last six races, two wins, setting
a Funny Car elapsed time national record of 4.713 seconds, recording the
quickest and fastest Funny Car pass in NHRA history, and establishing the
fastest ever Funny Car speed of 333.25 mph, the team is settling in for a
long, hot summer and not resting on their laurels.

"We're not coming into Columbus on a high, actually," said Bazemore, who
leads the Funny Car point standings by 76 over Del Worsham and 80 over John
Force. "I think our Matco Tools team is very well-grounded. We went into the
last race leading the POWERade points championship. We were able to win the
event with new expectations heaped upon us.

"We're confident. We have to work hard, do a perfect job, the car has to be
right, and we have to have a little bit of racing luck. If we have all those
things I think we can extend our string of final round appearances. That is
our goal.

"A good weekend for us is still getting to the semifinals or better. We're
not aiming just to do that, we're aiming to go and win and we have a team
and car that's capable of it.

"The bottom line is it comes down to us and the decisions we make and the
job we do. If we do all that right, we'll be there," added the two-time U.S.
Nationals champion who is still seeking his first Funny Car championship
after two runner-up finishes in his 16-year pro career.

Bazemore's record at National Trail Raceway includes a runner-up finish in
1997 and a No. 1 qualifying effort in 2002. Last year he qualified seventh,
then lost in the second round to his perennial rival John Force. But, as an
avid cyclist, he enjoys the locale. "It's a fun city," he said. "Columbus is
a good city. And, there's not bad riding right out from the track. We go out
the back of the race track. It's pretty much out in the country and there
isn't much traffic, so there's good cycling here.

"And with our sponsor Matco Tools being based in Stow, Ohio, I know we'll
have a good fan base cheering us on here as well."

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus