BAZEMORE FINISHES FOURTH IN TOP FUEL ORDER AT GAINESVILLE

News From David Powers Motorsports
CONTACT: Ted Yerzyk

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 17, 2007) – Whit Bazemore drove his Matco Tools dragster to the No. 4 qualifying position Saturday at Gainesville Raceway with a run of 4.542-seconds. It's his best qualifying position since making the transition to Top Fuel. He earned 29 poles during his days as a Funny Car driver.

The 2005 Gatornationals Funny Car winner made his best run of qualifying on Friday afternoon when he used a tune-up from champion crew chief Lee Beard to power to a run of 4.542 seconds at 326.24 mph. The Matco Tools dragster overpowered the track on its other three qualifying attempts. Bazemore qualified his David Powers-owned rail seventh and sixth at the first two races of the season.

"It's really tricky out there," Bazemore said. "We're all over as are other teams. Lee (Beard) and the team are concerned with the consistency. We haven't been as consistent as at the first two races. But, the track has been difficult for a lot of teams. It's wide open. We're ready to win. We want to win the Gatornationals like we did two years ago."

Bazemore will match-up against No. 13 qualifier Michael Gunderson, who recorded a career-best elapsed time in qualifying. The first round of Top Fuel eliminations begins at 11 a.m. (ET). ESPN2 will air two hours of final eliminations coverage at 5 p.m. (ET).

Q1 10.636 ET, 76.92 MPH No. 17

Q2 4.542 ET, 326.24 MPH No. 2

Q3 11.096 ET, 72.72 MPH No. 2

Q4 12.571 ET, 77.72 MPH No. 4

www.matcotools.com

Career Best Elapsed Time and Speed Slot WJ Fourth in Gainesville

Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

With temperatures having dropped dramatically for the second day of qualifying for the ACDelco Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL, GM Performance Parts GTO pilot Warren Johnson knew he would need to pick up the pace in order to guarantee his spot in Sunday's starting field. As he has done innumerable times in his career, "“The Professor" responded to the challenge in the opening session, taking advantage of the favorable conditions to record a stellar 6.587-second elapsed time with an equally strong 209.69 mph top speed. This performance not only represented new career marks for the six-time champion, but also earned him the fourth starting position.

"Our GM Performance Parts GTO continues to come around nicely. We made two fairly decent runs today, not giving up too much on either one. After opening with that 6.58 this morning, I made a drastic change for our last run, feeling fairly confident we wouldn't get bumped out. It made a solid pass, giving us valuable information we could use tomorrow.

"Our approach to racing this car remains the same as it has been all season, namely using what we know works from the past, taking what the car will give us, while simultaneously injecting what we are doing to improve its performance. It's a constant juggling act, where we find ourselves thinking outside the box, trying to expand our horizons, while trying to run consistently. Based on the runs we made, and given the forecast for tomorrow is similar to today, I think we're in decent shape, but we have to keep working to get even better."

Records Tumble in Florida: Dixon, Hight, Anderson & Sampey Lead Pro Qualifiers at the NHRA POWERade ACDelco Gatornationals - Critchley 5.94 @ 245!

Pro Mod Update: In the first round, Josh Hernandez resets the quickest ever AMS (or any other?) Pro Mod ET to 5.912 (242.63) in his win over Rick Stivers and Troy Critchley ups his fastest ever speed (North American) to 245.81 (5.924) in his win over Bryan Seward!

The quickest and fastest Top Alcohol Funny Car runs were set today with Bob Tasca III getting the ET honors (5.451 @ 263.00 ) and Frank Manzo setting the speed mark at 5.464 @ 265.74! This happened side by side in their second qualifying session.

NHRA Recap
Gatornationals Photos by Marvin T. Smith

BAZEMORE FLIES TO NO. 2 SPOT FRIDAY AT GAINESVILLE

News From David Powers Motorsports
CONTACT: Ted Yerzyk

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 16, 2007) – Whit Bazemore likes Gainesville. Bazemore has been coming to the historic Florida quarter mile since he was a teenager making a name for himself as a photographer. Two years ago, he claimed the Funny Car crown in Gator Country. Now a 20-time NHRA Funny Car winner, Bazemore is working hard at carving his name among the top drivers in drag racing’s elite category, Top Fuel.

Competing in Top Fuel for the first time at Gainesville Raceway, the longtime Matco Tools driver powered his Matco Tools Iron Eagle dragster to the provisional No. 2 qualifying position. Bazemore used a tune-up from crew chief Lee Beard to record a pass of 4.542 seconds at 326.24 mph on Friday's second qualifying attempt. Bazemore's rail spun the tires on its opening attempt of the weekend.

"It's always important to have a good run on Friday," Bazemore said. "Sometimes the goal isn't to be No. 1 or 2, it's is to be solidly in the show and we did that. We ended up a few thousandths (of-a-second) behind our teammate and we’re pretty happy with the results."

Top Fuel qualifying continues at 1 and 3:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday afternoon at Gainesville Raceway. ESPN2 will feature two hours of qualifying highlights from the Gatornationals at 1 a.m. (ET) on Sunday, March 18.

Q1 10.636 ET, 76.92 MPH No. 17

Q2 4.542 ET, 326.24 MPH No. 2

www.matcotools.com

Fuller, C. Pedregon, Coughlin and Ellis Lead Pro Qualifying at the NHRA POWERade ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals

NHRA Friday Recap

KJ Opens Gainesville Qualifying in Fifth

Contact: Jon Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing, Inc.

Coming off his exciting win in Phoenix three weeks ago, Kurt Johnson continued to run well during the first day of qualifying for the ACDelco Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL. After morning rains delayed the start of the day’s activities by a few hours, Johnson made two solid passes in the afternoon, with his 6.660-second, 207.02 mph run in the second session slotting the ACDelco Cobalt in the fifth position midway through qualifying.

Although pleased with his team's opening effort, with two attempts remaining and cooler temperatures in the forecast, Johnson set his sights on moving even further up in the starting order, and immediately started on bettering his performance.

"We ran decently, but we believe our ACDelco Cobalt can be even better than we showed today. We'll take a look at our notes, see where we are and where we need to be, and adjust accordingly. The forecast is calling for it to be pretty cool tomorrow, which means we'll have to step it up.

"Being fifth isn't bad, but we're only really happy when our name is at the top of the page, so we're going to work on it and see what we can do to pick up the pace. After all, we have a lot of people from ACDelco on hand, and we want to show them what we can do."

WJ Targets His Own Sweet 16 in Gainesville

Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

GM Performance Parts crew aims for 10th win at ACDelco Gatornationals

Sugar Hill, Ga., March 14, 2007 -All across the country, college basketball enthusiasts are frantically trying to fill out their NCAA brackets, doing their best to forecast who among the top 64 teams in the country will emerge from the single-elimination tournament as this year's champion. At the same time, NHRA Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson, who takes little interest as to what happens on the hardwood, will be looking to do some bracket busting of his own as he and his GM Performance Parts GTO Racing team try to take home the title at this weekend's ACDelco Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL.

"Things are coming together nicely heading into the Gatornationals," said Johnson. "After the last race in Phoenix, we finally had a chance to bring our GM Performance Parts GTO back to the East Coast and work on it in our shop. After all, it's been on the other side of the country since January, making it hard to perform anything but minor changes and adjustments, so we took advantage of the last two weeks to really get after it.

"Basically, we addressed issues that had developed since the start of the year, taking it apart and going over it from nose to tail, checking everything carefully. For example, we made a few changes to the linkages to improve the clutch operation, trying to make it more ergonomically correct, which should help us get off the line. We're going to test before heading down to Gainesville to make sure everything works the way we want it to, but I believe we should be in pretty good shape this weekend."

As the site of the first major drag race of the year on the East Coast, Gainesville Raceway has not only seen the sport evolve over the past four decades, it has also delivered many of the most dramatic moments in quarter-mile history. Consequently, this race traditionally draws one of the biggest fields of the year, with racers and fans coming from all over the world to take part in the "Gators". With nine wins in ten final round appearances, this venerable speedplant has become one of "The Professor's" classrooms.

"In terms of race wins, I have done better percentage-wise at Gainesville Raceway than any other track," stated Johnson. "Historically, we have been more aggressive than everyone else, and I believe it is a case of the track coming to our set-up as opposed to our adapting to the conditions. It offers the combination of favorable atmospheric conditions and a decent racing surface, resulting in some very fast fields, which over the years has been our strong suit.

"Based on what we had coming out of Phoenix, combined with the changes we've made over the last two weeks to pick up its performance even further, I’m confident we're bringing a fast and consistent race car to the ACDelco Gatornationals. It certainly won't be a walk in the park, but if we do our jobs the way we’re capable of, taking care of every little detail, I like our GM Performance Parts GTO’s chances of having a very good day on Sunday."


Warren Johnson & the GM Performance Parts GTO Racing team By the Numbers – ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals edition:

4.154 – WJ's average starting position in Gainesville in 26 starts.

8 – No. 1 qualifying performances by WJ at Gainesville Raceway, most recently in 2000.

6.638 – WJ's career best elapsed time (in seconds) recorded in October 2006 in Richmond, VA

9 – WJ Gatornationals wins, more than any other NHRA professional competitor, most recently in 2000

10 – WJ Gainesville Raceway final round appearances

27 – Career WJ Gainesville Raceway appearances entering the 2007 season

55 – WJ Gainesville elimination round wins, versus 17 losses for a stout .764 win percentage.

208.14 - WJ's career best top speed, set in Phoenix, AZ two weeks ago.

2000 – Year of WJ's most recent Gatornationals title, when he qualified No. 1 and defeated George Marnell, Jim Yates, Ron Krisher and Troy Coughlin.

Fueled by his Win in Phoenix, KJ is Ready to Tackle the Gators

Contact: Jon G. Knapp
TMG Sports Marketing

ACDelco Cobalt crew determined to build on their success at sponsor's race

Sugar Hill, Ga., March 14, 2007 - Winning is an experience that impacts teams in a variety of ways. Although the universal reaction immediately following a victory is naturally one of great elation, the difference occurs in the days and weeks that follow. The teams' mindset can cover a wide spectrum, from those who elect to remain in the moment, almost as if expecting to never duplicate their success, to others who proceed as if it were the conclusion to a normal business transaction. If approached sensibly, it is in this time period where long-term benefits can take root, propelling those involved to even greater accomplishments.

Kurt Johnson and the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team are among those not content to rest on their laurels. In fact, their competitive fires have been stoked even higher by their dramatic win in Phoenix two weeks ago. Therefore, they enter this weekend's ACDelco Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL determined to maintain their forward movement in the POWERade championship standings.

"Two years ago, our win in Phoenix turned out to be our only one for the year, and this entire ACDelco Cobalt crew is committed to not repeating that performance," stated Johnson. "The way we see it, if you win once, you should be able to do it again, even in a category as tough as Pro Stock. It's certainly great to have won, and we definitely enjoyed taking home the trophy, but that's not where we want to stop. That win is driving me even harder, and we're going to do everything we can to keep it going in Gainesville."

As the traditional East Coast drag racing season-opener, the ACDelco Gatornationals draws fans from all over the country, filling the stands to capacity and creating an atmosphere unlike any other on the circuit. In addition, Gainesville Raceway, site of this weekend's event, has been the site of some of the sport's most dramatic moments, with a racing surface fully capable of delivering record performances. It is truly a dynamic combination, making it a win every driver wants on his or her racing resume. For the Johnson-led crew, the stakes are raised even higher by the fact that the name on the side of their race car matches that of the event’s title sponsor.

"The Gators have always been one of the premiere races on the NHRA POWERade tour, and having ACDelco as the title sponsor only adds to that," said Johnson. "As they do at every race they sponsor, ACDelco has numerous activities going on throughout the weekend, including the start of their Drive to Win sweepstakes where fans can enter at acdelco.com to win prizes whenever we win a race, so we'd like nothing better than to be in the winner's circle on Sunday night.

"Gainesville Raceway is a fun place to race. When you roll through the gates, you can feel the electricity. We have one win there in 2003, and were the runners-up in 1999, but the biggest thrill comes from the thousands of fans who pack the place.

"As long as the temperatures stay down and the sun doesn't attack the track, the racing surface isn't too bad. If Mother Nature cooperates, it should be a fast track this weekend, so we'll have to be on our game. Fortunately, we have a good mix of people on both my dad's GM Performance Parts and my ACDelco teams at the moment, with absolutely no bad apples. Everyone is working together really well, and having fun doing it. Hopefully, we can keep things going our way."

For more information on Kurt Johnson, ACDelco and the Drive to Win Sweepstakes, please visit www.acdelco.com.


Kurt Johnson & the ACDelco Cobalt Racing team By the Numbers – ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals edition:

1 – KJ Gainesville Raceway wins, which came in 2003

2 – Gatornationals Final Round Appearances, coming in 1999 & 2003

5 – Different types of car that KJ has raced at Firebird Raceway (Oldsmobile Cutlass, Pontiac Firebird, Chevrolet Camaro, Cavalier & Cobalt)

6.613 – KJ's career best elapsed time (in seconds) recorded in October 2006 in Richmond, VA

11 – Top half qualifying starts for Kurt in Gainesville, where his average starting position is 7.0

13 – a) Previous KJ Gainesville Raceway starts, dating back to his rookie debut in 1993.
b) Consecutive years in which KJ has won at least one national event, the longest active streak in Pro Stock.

18 – KJ Gainesville round wins, versus 12 losses for a .600 win percentage

209.26 - KJ's career best top speed (in mph) recorded in October 2006 in Richmond, VA

2003 – Year of KJ's only Gainesville Raceway win, when he qualified third and defeated Mike Edwards, Mark Whisnant, Greg Anderson and Jeg Coughlin.



Event Schedule:

Friday, March 16: Two qualifying sessions at 12:00 noon & 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 17: Two qualifying sessions at 12 noon & 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 18: Pre-race ceremonies starting at 10:00 a.m.

First Round of Eliminations at 11:00 a.m.

Television Coverage:

Qualifying: Sunday, March 18: 1:00 – 3:00 a.m.

Eliminations: Sunday, March 18: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

NHRA Race Day: Sunday, March 18: 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.

John Russo Runs 5.99 @ 240 mph in his Pro Mod at SGMP ESTN

John Russo made the great pass Tuesday. Marvin T. Smith shot the photos of the historic run and also sent this photo of Kenny Bernstein in his Monster funny car. The Eastern Spring Test Nationals has certainly provided the fans with many thrills!

More SGMP ESTN photos

Latest B. A. Diecast Drag Boats

Text and photos by Marvin T. Smith

Bad Ass diecast continues to expand their exciting line of top fuel hydro drag boats. Latest arrivals include Jay Haroutunian's Whiskey River II and Doug Verstuyft's Nitro Chicken, numbers five and six in the series. These boats have all the fine features of the Speed Sport I have previously reviewed, but what really impresses me is the way that Stan Gill and the Bad Ass team continue to improve what was already an outstanding model. Stan saw the need to rework the working steering for a better operation and carried it out. He has added more fuel lines (return lines) with nicely painted fittings. He has also placed MSD logos on the magnetos. The bottom of the escape capsule is now painted yellow - a high visibility safety trick used on the real boats. You can only see this feature if you remove the capsule, but of course it is removable! A new magnetic latch for the capsule was another design change from the first boats. Stan also reworked the propellers to be more authentic. I never would have known the difference! There are nice little touches – the Nitro Chicken has a chromed fuel injector hat just like the real boat, while the Whiskey River II has a black hat. The valve covers are colored to match the real boats: black on Whiskey River and red on Nitro Chicken.

There are a few short cuts taken on the Whiskey River II. The cowling in front of the engine is not the correct shape, and the boat lacks the small winglets used on the real boat. Otherwise: perfect!! The Nitro Chicken model looks very much like the real boat.

Some of you may have noticed that all three of the boats I have reviewed are red. Not to worry. Other boats in the series are white with blue flames (Problem Child) or black with yellow flames (Hot Licks) or black with red and white lettering (Loose Cannon). The paint on these boats is outstanding. I love the red Nitro Chicken with its yellow flames with blue pinstriping. The full scale version holds the SDBA mph record at 257.88. See all of the boats at www.diecast-badass.com.

Everyone should have at least one of these bad boats in their collection. These are amazing acceleration vehicles, and the quality of the diecast model is exceptional. Bad Ass now makes display cases for the boats, and for those who don't like the display stand that comes with the boat, they make an authentic trailer.

1:43 scale boats and blown alcohol hydros with single prop and authentic driveline are in the works. The first Alky boats will be the Widowmaker and the What A Tomato. Bad Ass is considering making a resin driver figure to fit in the boats and separate engines for display. The plan is to release the figures so that the buyer can paint them. I hope they change their plans and offer them pre-painted. Maybe they could work out a deal with Jimmy Flintstone. They are planning to release the Spirit of Texas top fuel hydro which has a single prop. For more details, see my review of the Speed Sport boat on GeorgiaDragRacing.com or visit www.diecast-badass.com .

Bogacki takes three wins at DRR Demon Carburetion Atlanta Classic

by Tim Glover

The temperature was great, the track sticky and the Atlanta Dragway experience great for the many Division Two racers getting to experience their first race of the season at the Demon Carburetion Atlanta Classic on March 10-11, 2007. Luke Bogacki cemented his points lead in Wheeler Sportsman, and maintained his advantage in CSR Super Pro by winning Saturday
and Sunday's Wheeler Sportsman action, and Sunday's CSR Super Pro race.

SATURDAY
Todd Moulton of Lawrenceville, Ga. won the CSR Super Pro part of the Barker Trailer Sales / Pace American Run for the Trailer event with a .001 over his 5.16 dial. Randy Roberts from Rutlege, Tenn. won the Wheeler Sportsman portion of Run for the Trailer with a 7.856 on his 7.85 dial. Megan Marsh, from Anderson, SC won the Race Tech Run for the Money 50/50 split for the Junior Dragsters.

"This is a great way to start off the year. I haven't won since 2005," stated CSR Super Pro winner Dennis Coover from Cartersville, Ga. after the win light came on in his lane. Coover. He faced Orange Park, Fla. racer Brendan George, who had borrowed John Rollin's '72 Nova for the event after George's '03 Mullis dragster had ignition problems. George had the starting line advantage, but took .003 seconds too much big end stripe, breaking out with a 6.657, 102.74mph pass (6.66 dial). Coover crossed the line a moment later with a 4.86 at 139.93mph (4.84 dial). Marty Wiles ('05 Mullis - Tyrone, Ga.) was the lone semi-finalist.

Points leader Luke Bogacki stayed on top of his game in Wheeler Sportsman action. Although he had noticed Madison, Ga. Racer Adam Stratton "mowing down the tree" (great reaction times) with his '73 Maverick in the previous few rounds, Bogacki didn't change his game plan one bit, reacting with a ..019 in his Woodville, Ala. based '74 Vega and crossing the final round win
stripe .02 seconds in front of Stratton with a 6.23 at 99.33mph (6.16 dial). Ernie Renfroe ('70 Camaro - Middleburg, Fla.) finished in the semi-final round. Bogacki thanked Mickey Thompson, CSR and BTE for their help, and then noted he had just put on a new set of AFCO shocks.

Third year Race Tech Jr Dragster racer Brooke Buchanan from Six Mile, SC enjoyed her first Atlanta Dragway victory at the expense of Alamo, Ga. racer Ladson Selph. Selph made it easy for her by turning on the big red bulb, and then broke out more than she did at the finish line. Atlanta Dragway racers Bailey Denton (12 - McDonough, Ga.) and Jacquelyn Lastinger (13 - Lilburn, Ga.) finished in the semis.

Michael Nuttall from Rutledge, Tenn. enjoyed a great day in Trophy action. Nuttall put his car owner Randy and Bobbie Roberts' '98 Camaro into the winner's circle by taking the big end stripe a mere .009 seconds ahead of David Scott's Jacksonville, Fla. based '70 Camaro. Nuttall turned in a 7.97 on his 7.93 target, while Scott went 6.91 on a 6.89. Atlanta Dragway racer
J.D. Burford sold his old Corvette at the end of 2006, and enjoyed a semi-final finish with his new 2007 Corvette in its first Atlanta Dragway event. Nuttall thanked his car owners and his family for their assistance with his victory.


SUNDAY
The first winners of the day were in the Barker Trailer Sales / Pace American Run for the Trailer event. J.D. Reid of Conyers, Ga. took over the Trailer points lead in the Trailer event with a 4.500 on a 4.50 dial, and backed it up with a .008 react. Kim Ellington went .006 over her number to win the Sportsman portion, and Jordan Thurmond earned the cash in Jr
Dragster by hitting a 7.908 on a 7.90.

J.D. Reid's day got even better a little later when his car won the MGM Best Appearing award. Gary Durham's '02 S-10 truck earned the MGM Best Engineered award.

Woodville, Ala. racer Luke Bogacki dominated the racing action in CSR Super Pro with his brand new '07 American dragster, taking the final round win against another previous Atlanta winner, Mark Padgett ('06 Mullis dragster - Dublin, Ga.). Bogacki took the narrowest margin available at the win stripe, ..001 seconds, but he actually had a little more room to work with, as
Padgett broke out by .009 seconds with a 4.861 at 141.13mph. Bogacki's machine posted a 5.120 at 129.05 (5.11 target). Former track champ Henry Snelgrove ('95 Bos dragster - Dahlonega, GA) and Gary Thompson ('99 dragster - Douglasville) finished in the semi-final round. "This is a brand new car. I just wanted to get an early lead in the points," commented Bogacki.

Bogacki also had a banner day in Wheeler Sportsman action with his '74 Vega. He met former track champ Toby Barnes in the final, and took advantage of a holeshot to win with a 6.28 at 96.67mph (6.20 dial). Barnes, who hails from Newnan, Ga., crossed the finish line a moment later with a 7.54 at 92.24mph (7.50 dial). Barnes was happy that he overcame carburetion problems from the previous day and thanked his son / crewman Allen for his help. Allen's
birthday is Wednesday, so Barnes figured part of the winnings would go to a birthday present. John Rollins ('72 Nova - Tallahassee, FL) and Jason McClure ('77 Camaro - Madison, AL) were the semi-final pair.

Sixteen year old Megan "Doodle" Marsh from Anderson, SC won the Race Tech Jr Dragster class with a package that would have won any final round at Atlanta Dragway this weekend. Marsh left the starting line with a .012 react, and then left no room at all on the big end, posting a dead-on 7.920 on her 7.92 dial. Brett Bowman (15 - Homer, GA) broke out with a 9.19 at 68.59mph (9.23 dial) trying to stay ahead of Marsh. Taylor Ramsey (14 - Commerce, Ga.) was
the lone semi-finalist.

Danny Towe from Lawrenceville, Ga. has owned his '70 Mustang for over 15 years. He began using it as a daily driver, then got into showing it for a while. However, he soon tired of car shows, and began racing. Towe earned the four foot tall monster trophy for his efforts today, coasting to a 7.87 at 78.23mph pass (7.75 dial) after his opponent, Chad Kennedy from Cornelia,
Ga. had shifting problems with his '04 Cobra and could only muster an 8.36 at 75.63mph (7.90 dial). J.D. Burford earned his way to the semi-final round for the second day in a row with his 2007 Corvette. The other semi-finalist was David Scott ('70 Z/28 - Jacksonville, Fla.).

SATURDAY SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Dennis Coover '04 Fab Concepts Cartersville, GA 4.86 139.93 (4.84)
R/U: Brandon George '72 Nova Orange Park, FL 6.65 102.74 (6.66)
Semi: Marty Wiles '05 Mullis dragster Tyrone, GA
Semi:
-----------------------------------------------
SATURDAY SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Luke Bogacki '74 Vega Woodville, AL 6.23 99.33 (6.16)
R/U: Adam Stratton '73 Maverick Madison, GA 7.34 94.65 (7.30)
Semi: Ernie Renfroe '70 Camaro Middleburg, FL
-----------------------------------------------
SATURDAY TROPHY CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Michael Nuttall '98 Camaro Rutledge, TN 7.97 84.53 (7.93)
R/U: David Scott '70 Camaro Jacksonville, FL 6.91 96.95 (6.89)
Semi: J.D. Burford '07 Corvette Greenville, SC
Semi:
-----------------------------------------------
SATURDAY JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Brooke Buchanan 13 Six Mile, SC 7.89 82.69 (7.93)
R/U: Ladson Selph 13 Alamo, GA 7.75 83.70 (7.90)
Semi: Bailey Denton 12 McDonough, GA
Semi: Jacquelyn Lastinger 13 Lilburn, GA

------------------------------------------------

SUNDAY SUPER PRO CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Luke Bogacki '07 American Woodville, GA 5.120 129.05 (5.11)
R/U: Mark Padgett '06 Mullis Dublin, GA 4.861 141.13 (4.87)
Semi: Henry Snelgrove, Sr. '95 Bos dragster Dahlonega, GA
Semi: Gary Thompson '99 dragster Douglasville, GA
-----------------------------------------------
SUNDAY SPORTSMAN CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Luke Bogacki '74 Vega Woodville, GA 6.28 96.67 (6.20)
R/U: Toby Barnes '70 GTO Newnan, GA 7.54 92.20 (7.50)
Semi: John Rollins '72 Nova Tallahassee, FL
Semi: Jason McClure '77 Camaro Madison, AL
-----------------------------------------------
SUNDAY TROPHY CAR HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Danny Towe '70 Mustang Lawrenceville, GA 7.87 78.23 (7.75)
R/U: Chad Kennedy '04 Cobra Cornelia, GA 8.36 75.63 (7.90)
Semi: J.D. Burford '07 Corvette Greenville, SC
Semi: David Scott '70 Camaro Jacksonville, FL
-----------------------------------------------
SUNDAY JR DRAGSTER AGE HOMETOWN ET MPH DIAL-IN
Win: Megan Marsh 16 Anderson, SC 7.920 82.09 (7.92)
R/U: Brett Bowman 15 Homer, GA 9.198 68.59 (9.23)
Semi: Taylor Ramsey 14 Commerce, GA
Semi:

The Bazemore Bulletin

The prerace release of 20-time NHRA winner Whit Bazemore and the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Top Fuel team

Contact: Ted Yerzyk

"It's a big race. It's an important race. It's important for our team in the circumstances that we're in. We've got some momentum, we're new to the class, I'm new to the team, and we're fourth in the points. We want to expand on that. It's important to get our first win in Top Fuel sooner rather than later to prove that we belong here. To do that at Gainesville would be the perfect scenario being it's one of my favorite races."

Bazemore Gatornationals Notebook

Last March, Bazemore qualified 2nd at the Gatornationals with a run of 4.769 seconds. He was defeated in the opening round of eliminations by Cruz Pedregon. It was the fourth time that he qualified in the No. 2 position at the Gainesville race.

Bazemore has one career victory at Gainesville Raceway. In 2005, he defeated Bob Gilbertson in the Funny Car final. Bazemore used a run of 4.897 at 315.67 to earn the win. Gilbertson fouled at the start forcing an automatic disqualification. It is one of 12 tracks where Bazemore has scored a win.

Bazemore qualified first at the Gainesville race in 1999 (4.856, 307.58). He has 29 career poles.

Bazemore raced his Matco Tools Funny Car to top speed of the meet at the Gatornationals in 2003 after blasting to a run of 324.32 mph. He has earned the top speed of the meet 27 times in his career.

Bazemore enters the Gatornationals fourth in the POWERade Top Fuel standings following a quarterfinal effort at Pomona, Calif. and a semifinal finish at Phoenix three weeks ago. He was defeated by teammate Rod Fuller at both races. Fuller leads the points standings.

Baze Banters About Gainesville...

Gainesville: "Fun town"

Gainesville Raceway: "Traffic"

Favorite Gainesville-area cycling route: "Out of the track and go right"

Favorite local restaurants: "The nice restaurant next to Starbucks downtown"

Favorite Gainesville Raceway memory: "Winning there in ‘05 and getting my TA/FC license in 1986"

2007 NHRA Top Fuel Standings

1. ROD FULLER (1) 194 - - - -

2. Brandon Bernstein 151 -43

3. J.R. Todd (1) 147 -47

4. WHIT BAZEMORE 127 -67

5. Melanie Troxel 126 -68

6. Tony Schumacher 116 -78

7. Dave Grubnic 104 -90

8. Bob Vandergriff, Jr. 89 -105

9. Doug Kalitta 86 -108

10. Cory McClenathan 84 -110

Whit Bazemore's Career Results at Gainesville Raceway

Year Qualified Finish & Winning Driver

1989 DNQ* 2nd round—Chuck Etchells

1991 DNQ

1992 No. 8 2nd round—John Force

1993 No. 12 2nd round—Gary Bolger

1994 No. 13 1st round—Cruz Pedregon

1995 No. 13 Semifinals—John Force

1996 No. 9 1st round—Cruz Pedregon

1997 DNQ

1998 No. 6 1st round—Dean Skuza

1999 No. 1 2nd round—Jerry Toliver

2000 No. 2 1st round—Kenny Sayers

2001 No. 13 1st round—Del Worsham

2002 No. 2 2nd round—Tony Pedregon

2003 No. 4 Semifinals—Del Worsham

2004 No. 2 1st round—Cory Lee

2005 No. 8 WINNER—def. Bob Gilbertson

2006 No. 2 1st round—Cruz Pedregon

*Alternate for Doc Halliday

Whit Bazemore’s Gainesville Schedule

Date & Time Event and Location

Thurs., March 15 Tampa/St. Petersburg Press Tour

Fri., March 16, 1/3:30 p.m. TF Qualifying 1/2, Gainesville Raceway

Sat., March 17, 1/3:30 p.m. TF Qualifying 3/4, Gainesville Raceway

Sun., March 18, 11 a.m. Final Eliminations, Gainesville Raceway

Whit Bazemore's Career-Best Performances

E.T.—4.507 seconds Pomona, Calif. Feb. 2007

MPH—329.75 MPH Pomona, Calif. Feb. 2007 (TF)

MPH- 333.25 MPH Joliet, Ill. June, 2004 (FC)

ACDelco Gatornationals TV Schedule (ESPN2)

Date & Time (ET) Coverage

Sun., March 18, 1:30-3:30 a.m. Qualifying Highlights

Sun., March 18, 11-11:30 a.m. NHRA Race Day

Sun., March 18, 5-7 p.m. Final Eliminations Coverage

www.matcotools.com

www.davidpowersmotorsports.com

Records shattered at the ESTN at South Georgia Motorsports Park

by Marvin T. Smith

South Georgia Motorsports Park hosted the CompetitionPlus.com Eastern Spring Test Nationals March 6-14. Racers from all around the country were on hand to tune up for the upcoming Gatornationals and other events. The weather and performances were outstanding. A large crowd witnessed AMS Pro Mod history when Troy Critchley blasted to a 6.014 at 241.20 to become the first Pro Mod to top 240 mph in North America. Later, Scott Cannon and Joshua Hernandez joined the exclusive 240 mph club. Scotty Cannon was on hand for licensing passes in his Top Fuel dragster. After the mandatory half track pass on Friday, Scotty set the SGMP track record with a fine 4.752 at 309.13 on his first ever full pass in a fuel dragster on Saturday! Other outstanding performances included a new Pro Stock Motorcycle track record by Chip Ellis (6.935) a new Alky Dragster track record by Dave Heitzman at 5.334 267.96, and the first 8.30s run by a Pro Stock Snowmobile (Jason Dunigan 8.397).
Photos

Marty Johnson Passes

Sol Stewart has informed me that photographer Marty Johnson passed away last Friday after a long illness. Marty was a great photographer and reporter that covered drag racing in the Southeast for many years. He will be missed.

R.I.P. Marty Johnson