BAZEMORE QUALIFIES NO. 5 AT LUCAS OIL NATIONALS IN BRAINERD

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 14, 2004) - Whit Bazemore, driver of the Matco ToolsIron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car, qualified No. 5 for Sunday's Lucas OilNationals, posting the following four qualifying rounds:
1. 4.916/313.51
2. 4.875/306.19 - No. 5 qualifying run
3. 8.513/91.51
4. 4.933/312.93

Bazemore: "Today was a good day. So far, the Matco Tools team has donefairly well. We're pretty happy with the way the car has responded to theconditions that we've been faced with and the changes that have happened. Ithink our testing at Route 66 Raceway last week definitely paid off (undercool conditions similar to the ones here in Brainerd), and we we're able tocome into the race here in Brainerd with some ideas that we didn't havebefore testing and ideas that we wouldn't have implemented during a race.

"So, we're still going in a certain direction with the race car and we feelvery confident. We're on a good side of the ladder tomorrow, and it'simperative at this point for our championship hopes that we go rounds andhave a good day.

"It's more than just wanting to win a race. We find ourselves in a situationwhere now is the time that we have to really step up at the plate andperform. As a driver, it's the kind of pressure that I really like and it 'sthe kind of pressure I think that our team will thrive under. For thatreason we have a lot of confidence and we're ready to go race tomorrow."

Courtesy Judy Stropus
DON SCHUMACHER RACING