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READING, Pa. (August 7, 2007) -- Jeff Arend, driver of the blue Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Impala SS Funny Car, has won one race in his NHRA career. The year was 1996, the place was Maple Grove Raceway, and the chances of Arend taking home the Wally that weekend bordered on "slim" but were more likely set on "none." He had, after all, only made the trip to the race as a spectator. Like any smart driver, he brought his firesuit and helmet with him, making the drive down from his native Toronto with a friend, but had no plans to drive until Paul Smith saw him in the pit area and offered him his ride. Arend jumped at the chance to take the wheel of Smith's car and by Sunday night he was jumping at the chance to hold the trophy. Needless to say, the historic Reading track means a lot to the CSK driver.
Maple Grove Raceway also means a lot to Arend's team, most of whom were on the squad one year ago when Phil Burkart was driving the car at Reading. Though the CSK Chevy was adorned with Havoline colors, and the event itself was run two weeks after its scheduled date (due to rain), the Checker, Schuck's, Kragen team advanced straight through eliminations to win the race, with co-crew chiefs Chris Cunningham and Marc Denner calling the shots. Whether the memories are short-term or lengthy, this particular event means a lot to both Arend and his team.
"That's pretty interesting, that Reading has such significance for me and the guys," Arend said. "The 1996 race is one I'll absolutely never forget, because the whole thing was so unexpected and so surreal. I drove down from Toronto to see the race and say hello to some people in the pit area, and all of a sudden Paul was offering me his car. He was still driving at the time, but he wasn't feeling up to par and since he was the guy who taught me and got me licensed, he felt like he could put me in the seat and maybe we'd do okay. I think we did okay.
"Then, last year I was sitting at home without a ride, watching the race on TV, and Phil went out there and took out some very tough competition to win the race. At the time, the last thing on my mind was driving this car, but there you have it. It's just like going to the Reading race to watch, but you end up driving and then win the race. I was just watching last year's Reading race on television, and a couple of months later I was offered the seat. Maybe the Reading magic is ready to play out again. If so, I'm in."
Arend and his teammates could surely use a little magic, whether it be Reading-based or not. Although the talented driver has done a masterful job all year, in terms of reaction times, keeping the car in the groove, and keeping the motor in one piece, the team has been beset by close losses. With 16 races in the books, Arend will come to Reading with a record of 8-15, but with any bit of luck along the way his record might easily be at or near the .500 mark.
"It's a tough sport, you know, and even though it does seem like some guys get lucky more than others, winning with less-than-stellar runs because people have problems in the other lane, I'm not sure if it's really like that or not. What I'm sure of is that nobody is going to hand you anything out here. If you're really below par with your performance, nobody is going to ease up against you and let you have one. If you're right there with the pack, nobody is going be scared by you, so you have to scratch and claw to find a way to get to the finish line first.
"Once you start winning those close ones, and start going rounds, you do increase the chances that the people you race might just mess up trying to take you out, because they know you're consistent. It used to be really obvious, when half the cars on the tour were really fast and the other half were just there to try to qualify or win a round. A few years back, the difference between the fastest cars and the average cars was so great the average guys had to take wild shots at it just to have a chance, so most of the time the big boys would cruise down the track while the little guys were smoking the tires, trying to do more than they were capable of. Now, everyone is so good and we're all so tightly packed, you don't see it as much, because we can all run hard. What does all that mean to us? It means we're very close and we're capable of winning, but we're not yet in a spot where people just naturally mess up trying to beat us. Winning four rounds in Reading would be a big step toward that sort of thing, though."
And it would mean a lot, to the driver, his team, his owner, and his sponsors. A magical Reading replay, with multiple angles, would be a highlight Jeff Arend could watch over and over.
AN AREND "READING REPLAY" WOULD HAVE MULTIPLE ANGLES
READING, Pa. (August 7, 2007) -- Jeff Arend, driver of the blue Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Impala SS Funny Car, has won one race in his NHRA career. The year was 1996, the place was Maple Grove Raceway, and the chances of Arend taking home the Wally that weekend bordered on "slim" but were more likely set on "none." He had, after all, only made the trip to the race as a spectator. Like any smart driver, he brought his firesuit and helmet with him, making the drive down from his native Toronto with a friend, but had no plans to drive until Paul Smith saw him in the pit area and offered him his ride. Arend jumped at the chance to take the wheel of Smith's car and by Sunday night he was jumping at the chance to hold the trophy. Needless to say, the historic Reading track means a lot to the CSK driver.
Maple Grove Raceway also means a lot to Arend's team, most of whom were on the squad one year ago when Phil Burkart was driving the car at Reading. Though the CSK Chevy was adorned with Havoline colors, and the event itself was run two weeks after its scheduled date (due to rain), the Checker, Schuck's, Kragen team advanced straight through eliminations to win the race, with co-crew chiefs Chris Cunningham and Marc Denner calling the shots. Whether the memories are short-term or lengthy, this particular event means a lot to both Arend and his team.
"That's pretty interesting, that Reading has such significance for me and the guys," Arend said. "The 1996 race is one I'll absolutely never forget, because the whole thing was so unexpected and so surreal. I drove down from Toronto to see the race and say hello to some people in the pit area, and all of a sudden Paul was offering me his car. He was still driving at the time, but he wasn't feeling up to par and since he was the guy who taught me and got me licensed, he felt like he could put me in the seat and maybe we'd do okay. I think we did okay.
"Then, last year I was sitting at home without a ride, watching the race on TV, and Phil went out there and took out some very tough competition to win the race. At the time, the last thing on my mind was driving this car, but there you have it. It's just like going to the Reading race to watch, but you end up driving and then win the race. I was just watching last year's Reading race on television, and a couple of months later I was offered the seat. Maybe the Reading magic is ready to play out again. If so, I'm in."
Arend and his teammates could surely use a little magic, whether it be Reading-based or not. Although the talented driver has done a masterful job all year, in terms of reaction times, keeping the car in the groove, and keeping the motor in one piece, the team has been beset by close losses. With 16 races in the books, Arend will come to Reading with a record of 8-15, but with any bit of luck along the way his record might easily be at or near the .500 mark.
"It's a tough sport, you know, and even though it does seem like some guys get lucky more than others, winning with less-than-stellar runs because people have problems in the other lane, I'm not sure if it's really like that or not. What I'm sure of is that nobody is going to hand you anything out here. If you're really below par with your performance, nobody is going to ease up against you and let you have one. If you're right there with the pack, nobody is going be scared by you, so you have to scratch and claw to find a way to get to the finish line first.
"Once you start winning those close ones, and start going rounds, you do increase the chances that the people you race might just mess up trying to take you out, because they know you're consistent. It used to be really obvious, when half the cars on the tour were really fast and the other half were just there to try to qualify or win a round. A few years back, the difference between the fastest cars and the average cars was so great the average guys had to take wild shots at it just to have a chance, so most of the time the big boys would cruise down the track while the little guys were smoking the tires, trying to do more than they were capable of. Now, everyone is so good and we're all so tightly packed, you don't see it as much, because we can all run hard. What does all that mean to us? It means we're very close and we're capable of winning, but we're not yet in a spot where people just naturally mess up trying to beat us. Winning four rounds in Reading would be a big step toward that sort of thing, though."
And it would mean a lot, to the driver, his team, his owner, and his sponsors. A magical Reading replay, with multiple angles, would be a highlight Jeff Arend could watch over and over.
