BAZEMORE SAYS RECORD RUNS NOT LIKELY IN ENGLISHTOWN
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 16, 2004) - NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny
Car points leader and defending event champion Whit Bazemore doesn't think
that his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus or any other Funny Car will
break records this weekend at the K&N Filters Supernationals at Old Bridge
Township Raceway Park.
Bazemore, who established the national elapsed-time record of 4.713 seconds
at Route 66 Raceway last month at the same time he was rocketing down the
quarter-mile at the fastest speed ever for a Funny Car, 333.25 mph, says the
date change to a month later from last year will definitely affect
performance at a track where records were broken in every pro class in 2003,
except Pro Stock Bike.
"I think the forecast is for heat this weekend," said Bazemore, who
qualified fifth here last year and defeated Ron Capps for his first victory
of the 2003 season. "This time of year at Englishtown it can be either
fairly hot or maybe you could get a day or weekend with a cold spell, but
right now it doesn't look like that's likely. It's kind of unfortunate
because if it were cool, this is really the last chance we have until next
fall for record-setting performances.
"It's all right," he added. "We have a good hot-weather setup and we have to
try to get back on track after our second-round loss last weekend." Bazemore
has reached the final round in five of the last seven races, won two, but
exited early last week in Columbus, Ohio. He has also qualified in the top
two in seven of the 10 events so far.
Bazemore is now 21 points ahead of last week's winner Del Worsham and 83
ahead of his longtime nemesis John Force. Capturing his first Funny Car
championship after two runner-up finishes in his 15-year career is the goal,
but the season is not quite half over. "It's way too early to even think
about the championship," he said. "Right now the idea is to go out and just
try to be as perfect as we can, do the best possible job that we can and let
the results come to us and hopefully we're in the semis or the final or the
winner's circle.
"You have to minimize mistakes and you have to optimize the performance of
the car and the Matco Tools team has done a perfect job so far this year,
especially the last couple of months. We're very, very competitive. So we
feel very good.
"But the competition is awfully tough, as it usually is. Force still has the
team to beat and Worsham looks strong, so we're right there with them. And
we have to make sure that we stay with them and we beat them when we need
to."
The Indianapolis resident who was born in New York City still pinches
himself at times when he sees how his career has escalated since his early
days struggling as a penny-pinching team owner. "You work your entire career
to have opportunities like what we have right now with Schumacher Racing,
Matco Tools and Dodge and the team that we've put together," he said. "It's
really fantastic. We have huge opportunities this year. I can remember when
I wondered how people ever get into the position that we're in now. To be
here feels good and we just have to keep going, stay focused, and try to do
the most perfect job that we can do."
WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Quickest and fastest Funny Car driver in NHRA history: 4.713-second ET
(national record) at 333.25 mph
* Qualified No. 5 at K&N Filters Supernationals in 2003, won event against
Ron Capps
* No. 1 in NHRA Funny Car points after 10 races, with two wins, five final
rounds
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* 2003 Funny Car points runner-up
* Won three times in 2003, runner-up five times
* Has 17 career Funny Car event wins
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an
exciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was also second in the NHRA Funny Car championship in 2001, third in 1997
and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 11 times in the top
10 since 1992
* Age 41, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with
wife Michelle, a semi-pro cyclist
* 2004 is his fourth season with Don Schumacher Racing
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion
Contact: Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 16, 2004) - NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny
Car points leader and defending event champion Whit Bazemore doesn't think
that his Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus or any other Funny Car will
break records this weekend at the K&N Filters Supernationals at Old Bridge
Township Raceway Park.
Bazemore, who established the national elapsed-time record of 4.713 seconds
at Route 66 Raceway last month at the same time he was rocketing down the
quarter-mile at the fastest speed ever for a Funny Car, 333.25 mph, says the
date change to a month later from last year will definitely affect
performance at a track where records were broken in every pro class in 2003,
except Pro Stock Bike.
"I think the forecast is for heat this weekend," said Bazemore, who
qualified fifth here last year and defeated Ron Capps for his first victory
of the 2003 season. "This time of year at Englishtown it can be either
fairly hot or maybe you could get a day or weekend with a cold spell, but
right now it doesn't look like that's likely. It's kind of unfortunate
because if it were cool, this is really the last chance we have until next
fall for record-setting performances.
"It's all right," he added. "We have a good hot-weather setup and we have to
try to get back on track after our second-round loss last weekend." Bazemore
has reached the final round in five of the last seven races, won two, but
exited early last week in Columbus, Ohio. He has also qualified in the top
two in seven of the 10 events so far.
Bazemore is now 21 points ahead of last week's winner Del Worsham and 83
ahead of his longtime nemesis John Force. Capturing his first Funny Car
championship after two runner-up finishes in his 15-year career is the goal,
but the season is not quite half over. "It's way too early to even think
about the championship," he said. "Right now the idea is to go out and just
try to be as perfect as we can, do the best possible job that we can and let
the results come to us and hopefully we're in the semis or the final or the
winner's circle.
"You have to minimize mistakes and you have to optimize the performance of
the car and the Matco Tools team has done a perfect job so far this year,
especially the last couple of months. We're very, very competitive. So we
feel very good.
"But the competition is awfully tough, as it usually is. Force still has the
team to beat and Worsham looks strong, so we're right there with them. And
we have to make sure that we stay with them and we beat them when we need
to."
The Indianapolis resident who was born in New York City still pinches
himself at times when he sees how his career has escalated since his early
days struggling as a penny-pinching team owner. "You work your entire career
to have opportunities like what we have right now with Schumacher Racing,
Matco Tools and Dodge and the team that we've put together," he said. "It's
really fantastic. We have huge opportunities this year. I can remember when
I wondered how people ever get into the position that we're in now. To be
here feels good and we just have to keep going, stay focused, and try to do
the most perfect job that we can do."
WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Quickest and fastest Funny Car driver in NHRA history: 4.713-second ET
(national record) at 333.25 mph
* Qualified No. 5 at K&N Filters Supernationals in 2003, won event against
Ron Capps
* No. 1 in NHRA Funny Car points after 10 races, with two wins, five final
rounds
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* 2003 Funny Car points runner-up
* Won three times in 2003, runner-up five times
* Has 17 career Funny Car event wins
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an
exciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was also second in the NHRA Funny Car championship in 2001, third in 1997
and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 11 times in the top
10 since 1992
* Age 41, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with
wife Michelle, a semi-pro cyclist
* 2004 is his fourth season with Don Schumacher Racing
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion
Contact: Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
posted by David @ 1:03 AM
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