BAZEMORE NOSTALGIC ABOUT RETURN TO ATLANTA DRAGWAY
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
Contact: Judy Stropus
COMMERCE, Ga. (May 2, 2006) - Two-time U.S. Nationals champion Whit Bazemore gets nostalgic each time he competes at Atlanta Dragway, where he saw his first Funny Car run as a teenager, then vowed to race a Funny Car some day. The driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car returns to the area where he grew up for this weekend's Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals.
The 43-year-old Indianapolis resident remembers the emotional wins - and losses - he's had here after becoming that Funny Car driver: in 1999 as runner-up to his perennial nemesis John Force, then a huge win over the 13-time champion in 2002, and his last victory, against his teammate Gary Scelzi in 2004.
After two semifinal-round finishes in the last two NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series races of the 2006 season, Bazemore is also pumped by the car's and the Matco Tools team's performance following last Sunday's event at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway.
"It's always exciting for me to go back to Atlanta," says Bazemore. "I say it every year, but it is the place where my dream kind of started. I'm just one of those lucky individuals who has been fortunate enough in my life to live my dream and do what I love doing. And the fact that it started in Atlanta and Commerce, where I saw my very first Funny Car run - Tom McEwen
in 1977- means a lot to me to come back here. It's a special place.
"Seeing that McEwen run was powerful. I was hooked," he adds. "However, there was one problem the car was so fast and quick that I was intimidated and didn't know if I could ever drive it or not."
He has since proven he could.
"We've won here twice," says Bazemore, who has 19 national event wins to his credit. "Those are nice trophies. Some races are just races. Every race is equally as hard to win as any other race, but there's no denying the fact that some mean more than others. And, obviously the U.S. Nationals means the most, and then you have some of the lesser races, which Atlanta is, but they mean a lot to different people for different reasons. And Atlanta means a lot to me because I grew up here."
WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Ninth in 2006 Funny Car point standings after six events and two semifinal finishes
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Ninth in final 2005 Funny Car point standings
* Won two events in 2005 (Gainesville, Las Vegas), No. 1 qualifier once (Columbus)
* Qualified No. 12 at 2005 Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals, lost first round to John Force
* Has two wins here at Atlanta Dragway, 2002 and 2004, and one runner-up, in 1999
* 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
* Has 19 career Funny Car event wins in 43 final rounds in 324 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 13 times in the top 10 since 1992
* Age 43, 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 (same as Bazemore's birthday)
* 2006 is his sixth season with Don Schumacher Racing
Contact: Judy Stropus
COMMERCE, Ga. (May 2, 2006) - Two-time U.S. Nationals champion Whit Bazemore gets nostalgic each time he competes at Atlanta Dragway, where he saw his first Funny Car run as a teenager, then vowed to race a Funny Car some day. The driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car returns to the area where he grew up for this weekend's Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals.
The 43-year-old Indianapolis resident remembers the emotional wins - and losses - he's had here after becoming that Funny Car driver: in 1999 as runner-up to his perennial nemesis John Force, then a huge win over the 13-time champion in 2002, and his last victory, against his teammate Gary Scelzi in 2004.
After two semifinal-round finishes in the last two NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series races of the 2006 season, Bazemore is also pumped by the car's and the Matco Tools team's performance following last Sunday's event at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway.
"It's always exciting for me to go back to Atlanta," says Bazemore. "I say it every year, but it is the place where my dream kind of started. I'm just one of those lucky individuals who has been fortunate enough in my life to live my dream and do what I love doing. And the fact that it started in Atlanta and Commerce, where I saw my very first Funny Car run - Tom McEwen
in 1977- means a lot to me to come back here. It's a special place.
"Seeing that McEwen run was powerful. I was hooked," he adds. "However, there was one problem the car was so fast and quick that I was intimidated and didn't know if I could ever drive it or not."
He has since proven he could.
"We've won here twice," says Bazemore, who has 19 national event wins to his credit. "Those are nice trophies. Some races are just races. Every race is equally as hard to win as any other race, but there's no denying the fact that some mean more than others. And, obviously the U.S. Nationals means the most, and then you have some of the lesser races, which Atlanta is, but they mean a lot to different people for different reasons. And Atlanta means a lot to me because I grew up here."
WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS:
* Ninth in 2006 Funny Car point standings after six events and two semifinal finishes
* Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001
* Ninth in final 2005 Funny Car point standings
* Won two events in 2005 (Gainesville, Las Vegas), No. 1 qualifier once (Columbus)
* Qualified No. 12 at 2005 Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals, lost first round to John Force
* Has two wins here at Atlanta Dragway, 2002 and 2004, and one runner-up, in 1999
* 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
* Has 19 career Funny Car event wins in 43 final rounds in 324 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 13 times in the top 10 since 1992
* Age 43, 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 (same as Bazemore's birthday)
* 2006 is his sixth season with Don Schumacher Racing
posted by David @ 5:41 PM
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