Bazemore back in Funny Car hunt
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
KENT, Wash. (July 22, 2005) - Whit Bazemore is back in the hunt for the POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship, having qualified No. 2 at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver last week and twice breaking the track ET record at Bandimere Speedway that he owned coming into that race.
Event winner Robert Hight eventually took the track record away from Bazemore, but the two-time U.S. Nationals champion was encouraged by the performance of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car, tuned now by Dan Olson and Todd Okuhara, and is ready to attack this weekend's CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals at Pacific Raceways, the second round of the three-race Western Swing.
Bazemore has a strong record at this Northwest track. He's won here twice (1997, 2001), was runner-up twice (1999 and 2003), and was No. 1 qualifier in 2000.
"We have done well here in the past, but this year we're coming basically with a new team," he said. "So, it's a challenge, as always, and we're grateful that they re-paved this track last year, which seemed to help it quite a bit.
"Our priority is to be able to get the Matco Tools Dodge to go down the track without smoking the tires right now, because we're making a lot of power, and that seems to be what cost us the most in the last couple of races, is smoking the tires.
"The goal is to go down the track in qualifying, get a good handle on it, go into race day and take it as it comes."
Bazemore started out strong in the 2005 season, winning two races and leading the Funny Car points through three events. He has been in a slump since the sixth race of the year and is gradually getting back into the hunt with his new crew chiefs Olson and Okuhara on board. He's seventh in points, 204 behind first place, and definitely in the mix. "As far as the championship goes, we've come back before from a 300 or 400-points deficit in the past (to vie for the crown). But, we have to get down the track consistently and if we do that we'll have a car that's going to win a lot of rounds.
"You have to assess where you are five, six or seven races to go (in the season) and just make progress each race."
SCHEDULE:
On Friday, July 22, pro qualifying sessions are at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, July 23, pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. (Pro Stock), noon (TF, FC); and 3 p.m. (all classes). On Sunday, July 24, pre-race ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
On Saturday, July 23, ESPN HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 8 p.m. (ET). On Sunday, July 24, ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations at 9 p.m. (ET). On Sunday, July 24, ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute magazine show at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Seventh in 2005 Funny Car point standings after 13 events, 204 points out of lead
* Won two events this year (Gainesville, Las Vegas), No. 1 qualifier once (Columbus)
* Qualified No. 7 at 2004 CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals, lost semis to Cruz Pedregon
* Won here in 1997 and 2001; was runner-up in 1999 and 2003
* No. 1 qualifier here in 2000
* Qualified in the top two in nine events in 2004, four times in No. 1
* No. 6 in 2004 Funny Car points, with two wins, five final rounds
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* Career quickest ET is 4.713 seconds, career fastest speed is 333.25 mph, both set at Route 66 Raceway in 2004 in what was at the time the quickest and fastest speed in Funny Car history
* Won three times in 2003, runner-up five times
* Has 19 career Funny Car event wins in in 43 final rounds in 308 races
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an exciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was second twice in the Funny Car championship in 2001 and 2003, third in 1997 and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 12 times in the top 10 since 1992
* Age 42, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with wife Michelle, a competitive amateur cyclist, and son Dashiell Aidan, born March 12, 2005
* 2005 is his fifth season with Don Schumacher Racing
Contact: Judy Stropus
KENT, Wash. (July 22, 2005) - Whit Bazemore is back in the hunt for the POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car championship, having qualified No. 2 at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver last week and twice breaking the track ET record at Bandimere Speedway that he owned coming into that race.
Event winner Robert Hight eventually took the track record away from Bazemore, but the two-time U.S. Nationals champion was encouraged by the performance of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car, tuned now by Dan Olson and Todd Okuhara, and is ready to attack this weekend's CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals at Pacific Raceways, the second round of the three-race Western Swing.
Bazemore has a strong record at this Northwest track. He's won here twice (1997, 2001), was runner-up twice (1999 and 2003), and was No. 1 qualifier in 2000.
"We have done well here in the past, but this year we're coming basically with a new team," he said. "So, it's a challenge, as always, and we're grateful that they re-paved this track last year, which seemed to help it quite a bit.
"Our priority is to be able to get the Matco Tools Dodge to go down the track without smoking the tires right now, because we're making a lot of power, and that seems to be what cost us the most in the last couple of races, is smoking the tires.
"The goal is to go down the track in qualifying, get a good handle on it, go into race day and take it as it comes."
Bazemore started out strong in the 2005 season, winning two races and leading the Funny Car points through three events. He has been in a slump since the sixth race of the year and is gradually getting back into the hunt with his new crew chiefs Olson and Okuhara on board. He's seventh in points, 204 behind first place, and definitely in the mix. "As far as the championship goes, we've come back before from a 300 or 400-points deficit in the past (to vie for the crown). But, we have to get down the track consistently and if we do that we'll have a car that's going to win a lot of rounds.
"You have to assess where you are five, six or seven races to go (in the season) and just make progress each race."
SCHEDULE:
On Friday, July 22, pro qualifying sessions are at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. On Saturday, July 23, pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. (Pro Stock), noon (TF, FC); and 3 p.m. (all classes). On Sunday, July 24, pre-race ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. Final eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION:
On Saturday, July 23, ESPN HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 8 p.m. (ET). On Sunday, July 24, ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations at 9 p.m. (ET). On Sunday, July 24, ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute magazine show at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Seventh in 2005 Funny Car point standings after 13 events, 204 points out of lead
* Won two events this year (Gainesville, Las Vegas), No. 1 qualifier once (Columbus)
* Qualified No. 7 at 2004 CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals, lost semis to Cruz Pedregon
* Won here in 1997 and 2001; was runner-up in 1999 and 2003
* No. 1 qualifier here in 2000
* Qualified in the top two in nine events in 2004, four times in No. 1
* No. 6 in 2004 Funny Car points, with two wins, five final rounds
* First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001)
* Career quickest ET is 4.713 seconds, career fastest speed is 333.25 mph, both set at Route 66 Raceway in 2004 in what was at the time the quickest and fastest speed in Funny Car history
* Won three times in 2003, runner-up five times
* Has 19 career Funny Car event wins in in 43 final rounds in 308 races
* Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an exciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon
* Was second twice in the Funny Car championship in 2001 and 2003, third in 1997 and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 12 times in the top 10 since 1992
* Age 42, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with wife Michelle, a competitive amateur cyclist, and son Dashiell Aidan, born March 12, 2005
* 2005 is his fifth season with Don Schumacher Racing
posted by David @ 12:44 AM
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