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Jeff Arend knew he had run well, but didn't know the number until top-end P.A. announcer Alan Reinhart filled him on the details. It was a 4.754, at 327.51 mph. He figured that was good for a spot in the top half of the field here, after the first day of qualifying, so he happily went back to his pit to pack his parachutes for tomorrow's first session. It was minutes later he got the news, that his blue Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Impala SS Funny Car was No. 1, sitting atop a list of legends at a legendary race.
"I thought we had a shot at the top four maybe, so I was just back at the pit packing the 'chutes when I was told I needed to go to the tower, to meet with the media," Arend said. "I was like 'You're kidding me right?', but they were serious. This is really pretty cool, I will gladly admit that. As soon as we got to the Media Room, I did grab a copy of the qualifying sheet, just to have as a keepsake, for whatever sort of scrapbook-type collection I end up with when I'm done racing. No matter what happens, or where we end up, I have a piece of paper that shows me in the top spot at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, and not too many people get to see something like that.
"I was paired up with Kenny Bernstein on that run, and you know he's been just slaying the tree for a month now. Sure enough, even in the first qualifying session he just bolts out ahead like it's the final round, and I was just concentrating on keeping the car straight and in the middle, so my reaction time was pretty soft. I see him out there, in front of me, and my car was running well but it didn't exactly feel like it was on any kind of massive run, so when Kenny crossed the line first I was thinking, 'Well, either he ran really great or we both did,' but I didn't know because my radio wasn't working. Reinhart finally told me it ran 4.75 and I thought that was pretty cool. Turns out, we ran exactly the same as Ashley Force, but got the top spot on speed. That's exactly what Del did at the last race in Reading, getting the top spot on the basis of speed, so that says a lot for this whole Checker, Schuck's, Kragen team. This is very cool."
AREND SITTING PRETTY, AS No. 1 QUALIFIER ON FRIDAY
Jeff Arend knew he had run well, but didn't know the number until top-end P.A. announcer Alan Reinhart filled him on the details. It was a 4.754, at 327.51 mph. He figured that was good for a spot in the top half of the field here, after the first day of qualifying, so he happily went back to his pit to pack his parachutes for tomorrow's first session. It was minutes later he got the news, that his blue Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Impala SS Funny Car was No. 1, sitting atop a list of legends at a legendary race.
"I thought we had a shot at the top four maybe, so I was just back at the pit packing the 'chutes when I was told I needed to go to the tower, to meet with the media," Arend said. "I was like 'You're kidding me right?', but they were serious. This is really pretty cool, I will gladly admit that. As soon as we got to the Media Room, I did grab a copy of the qualifying sheet, just to have as a keepsake, for whatever sort of scrapbook-type collection I end up with when I'm done racing. No matter what happens, or where we end up, I have a piece of paper that shows me in the top spot at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, and not too many people get to see something like that.
"I was paired up with Kenny Bernstein on that run, and you know he's been just slaying the tree for a month now. Sure enough, even in the first qualifying session he just bolts out ahead like it's the final round, and I was just concentrating on keeping the car straight and in the middle, so my reaction time was pretty soft. I see him out there, in front of me, and my car was running well but it didn't exactly feel like it was on any kind of massive run, so when Kenny crossed the line first I was thinking, 'Well, either he ran really great or we both did,' but I didn't know because my radio wasn't working. Reinhart finally told me it ran 4.75 and I thought that was pretty cool. Turns out, we ran exactly the same as Ashley Force, but got the top spot on speed. That's exactly what Del did at the last race in Reading, getting the top spot on the basis of speed, so that says a lot for this whole Checker, Schuck's, Kragen team. This is very cool."
