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Jeff Arend came into Saturday's twin sessions in the 14th spot, with a 10-second run on the board, so posting a solid 4.862 during Saturday's first session was just what the doctor ordered for him and his Havoline Deposit Shield/CSK team. The run put Arend into the No. 8 spot, at the time. Another solid pass, this time a 4.902, during the final session gave the team confidence they could negotiate the track at will, but it allowed Arend to slip into the 12th spot for the race. He will face Jack Beckman in round one.
"The first one was the crucial run, because we were not wanting to go into the final session outside the field," Arend said. "After messing up last night, we needed to put a good solid lap on the board and that's what we did. So, today we basically found two different ways to get down the track, and we know we can push it a little. I think the trick is going to be the weather, because today started cloudy and then all of that cloud cover moved out after the first session and we ended up with a hot and sunny day. The forecast says this is what we'll have tomorrow, so it will be a challenge to put big numbers on the board.
"We're facing a tough Countdown team that's hanging onto a top-four spot, so you know they're looking at round one as a critical deal. We may not be in the Countdown, but it will feel like we are during the first round because we'll be playing a big part in how it all works out. It will be fun just to be a part of that kind of drama, and maybe we can put some good laps together tomorrow and really shake things up."
AREND'S 4.862 LANDS HIM 12th FOR RACE DAY
Jeff Arend came into Saturday's twin sessions in the 14th spot, with a 10-second run on the board, so posting a solid 4.862 during Saturday's first session was just what the doctor ordered for him and his Havoline Deposit Shield/CSK team. The run put Arend into the No. 8 spot, at the time. Another solid pass, this time a 4.902, during the final session gave the team confidence they could negotiate the track at will, but it allowed Arend to slip into the 12th spot for the race. He will face Jack Beckman in round one.
"The first one was the crucial run, because we were not wanting to go into the final session outside the field," Arend said. "After messing up last night, we needed to put a good solid lap on the board and that's what we did. So, today we basically found two different ways to get down the track, and we know we can push it a little. I think the trick is going to be the weather, because today started cloudy and then all of that cloud cover moved out after the first session and we ended up with a hot and sunny day. The forecast says this is what we'll have tomorrow, so it will be a challenge to put big numbers on the board.
"We're facing a tough Countdown team that's hanging onto a top-four spot, so you know they're looking at round one as a critical deal. We may not be in the Countdown, but it will feel like we are during the first round because we'll be playing a big part in how it all works out. It will be fun just to be a part of that kind of drama, and maybe we can put some good laps together tomorrow and really shake things up."
