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Jeff Arend powered his K&N Filters/CSK Chevy to a big run during Friday's first session, posting a 4.836 when the grand majority of the Funny Car teams in attendance were unable to get to the other end under power. For the effort, he was the No. 1 qualifier after session #1, and with that stat in hand, he and his team took a calculated chance at big time glory on Friday night. With a very stout tune-up in the car for the second run, the Arend-driven machine did overpower the track and smoke the tires near half-track. Arend will spend the night in the 8th spot, on the strength of his earlier 4.83 run.
"When you go out there the first time and put a good solid number on the board, it's hard not to load it up for bear on the second lap, just to take a shot at it," Arend said. "We weren't being nuts, but we definitely had it hopped up just a little too much. We knew it would be edgy, but the theory was 'If it makes it, it will stay No. 1' and it just didn't quite make it.
"As much as the top of the sheet is fun, being in the top half is the mission and we're No. 8 right now. The weather forecast for Saturday isn't very good, but we'll just come out here and do whatever we can do. If the rain misses us, we'll be aiming for a higher slot, and I'm pretty confident we can do that, unless it's really hot out here. It's Houston though, so there's no telling what the weather is going to do, even hour to hour."
AREND LANDS 8th AFTER TWO FRIDAY LAPS
Jeff Arend powered his K&N Filters/CSK Chevy to a big run during Friday's first session, posting a 4.836 when the grand majority of the Funny Car teams in attendance were unable to get to the other end under power. For the effort, he was the No. 1 qualifier after session #1, and with that stat in hand, he and his team took a calculated chance at big time glory on Friday night. With a very stout tune-up in the car for the second run, the Arend-driven machine did overpower the track and smoke the tires near half-track. Arend will spend the night in the 8th spot, on the strength of his earlier 4.83 run.
"When you go out there the first time and put a good solid number on the board, it's hard not to load it up for bear on the second lap, just to take a shot at it," Arend said. "We weren't being nuts, but we definitely had it hopped up just a little too much. We knew it would be edgy, but the theory was 'If it makes it, it will stay No. 1' and it just didn't quite make it.
"As much as the top of the sheet is fun, being in the top half is the mission and we're No. 8 right now. The weather forecast for Saturday isn't very good, but we'll just come out here and do whatever we can do. If the rain misses us, we'll be aiming for a higher slot, and I'm pretty confident we can do that, unless it's really hot out here. It's Houston though, so there's no telling what the weather is going to do, even hour to hour."
