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Jeff Arend's Team CSK career now spans a grand total of five full races, and two qualifying sessions at a sixth. In that short period of time, he has taken an axe to his career best numbers, both in E.T. and speed, on multiple occasions. Tonight, under premiere conditions at Atlanta Dragway, he thrilled the massive Georgia crowd and his teammates by streaking to a huge 4.712 at 327.66 mph, leaving both his previous bests in the dust, yet again. Arend's career marks had been 4.759 (set at Pomona) and 326.87 mph (set at Gainesville).
After placing 6th in the first session, with a 4.917, Arend pulled to the line for his night run having already been knocked from the top 16, and he had watched pair after pair light the scoreboard with terrific numbers. When he tore down the track to his 4.712, he not only lopped nearly 5 hundredths off his best-ever mark, he also catapulted all the way up to the No. 3 spot on the grid.
"My crew chiefs, Chris (Cunningham) and Marc (Denner,) told me they thought it would run well, but they never mentioned 4.712," Arend said. "That was just a fantastic run, right there with the best in the class. This is our first day with the new Impala body, but after seeing how Del ran with it in Las Vegas, we didn't have much doubt that it would be great. It has certainly lived up to its advance billing. It just shot right down there, stayed stuck, and was great.
"I knew it was a good run. I figured if we went all the way down there, it would have to be a good run because the conditions were just fantastic. But, you know, you watch all these great teams go out there and run 4.74, 4.75, or in that neighborhood, and you just hope your full lap is in the neighborhood with them. To outrun all but two of the teams here, well that's just a sign of how good we can be. Things are coming around for the Checker, Schuck's, Kragen team, and we're all pretty excited about it."
AREND DEMOLISHES CAREER BESTS, LANDS 3rd AFTER TWO SESSIONS
Jeff Arend's Team CSK career now spans a grand total of five full races, and two qualifying sessions at a sixth. In that short period of time, he has taken an axe to his career best numbers, both in E.T. and speed, on multiple occasions. Tonight, under premiere conditions at Atlanta Dragway, he thrilled the massive Georgia crowd and his teammates by streaking to a huge 4.712 at 327.66 mph, leaving both his previous bests in the dust, yet again. Arend's career marks had been 4.759 (set at Pomona) and 326.87 mph (set at Gainesville).
After placing 6th in the first session, with a 4.917, Arend pulled to the line for his night run having already been knocked from the top 16, and he had watched pair after pair light the scoreboard with terrific numbers. When he tore down the track to his 4.712, he not only lopped nearly 5 hundredths off his best-ever mark, he also catapulted all the way up to the No. 3 spot on the grid.
"My crew chiefs, Chris (Cunningham) and Marc (Denner,) told me they thought it would run well, but they never mentioned 4.712," Arend said. "That was just a fantastic run, right there with the best in the class. This is our first day with the new Impala body, but after seeing how Del ran with it in Las Vegas, we didn't have much doubt that it would be great. It has certainly lived up to its advance billing. It just shot right down there, stayed stuck, and was great.
"I knew it was a good run. I figured if we went all the way down there, it would have to be a good run because the conditions were just fantastic. But, you know, you watch all these great teams go out there and run 4.74, 4.75, or in that neighborhood, and you just hope your full lap is in the neighborhood with them. To outrun all but two of the teams here, well that's just a sign of how good we can be. Things are coming around for the Checker, Schuck's, Kragen team, and we're all pretty excited about it."
