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Pomona, Calif. - So far, so good. Through qualifying of the 2007 NHRA season-opener, longtime Matco Tools racer Whit Bazemore’s Top Fuel career is off to a good start. The 20-time NHRA winner qualified his Matco Tools Iron Eagle dragster in the No. 7 position at the 47th annual Winternationals after carding a 4.507-second elapsed time.
“I’m getting more comfortable and we’re making progress with the car and the driving,” Bazemore said. “I can’t say enough about how easy Lee (Beard) and the guys have made it on us. The car has been perfect. That makes it nice. We’ll be focused on Sunday. We’re determined to get our first Top Fuel race started on the right foot and have a good day.”
Entering the day in the No. 8 position, Bazemore used a tune-up from champion crew chief Lee Beard to drive the Matco Tools rail to a performance of 4.516 seconds at 329.75 Saturday’s first qualifying attempt. He then clocked his best performance of the weekend, 4.507 at 325.14, to earn the No. 7 qualifying position in the quickest Top Fuel field in NHRA history. The 4.507-second E.T. is Bazemore’s career-best.
“We made three good runs,” Beard said. “We dropped a hole on the one run. All the equipment on (Whit) Bazemore’s car is brand new. It’s not all synchronized yet like (Rod) Fuller’s car is. We’re getting better and better. Our cars ran a 4.50 and a 4.48, that’s not far off. That was the goal, to have both cars in the top half.”
Bazemore will battle veteran Top Fuel star Cory McClenathan in the first round of Top Fuel eliminations on Sunday morning at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. After 318 career Funny Car races, Baze makes his first career Top Fuel start on Sunday morning.
Bazemore Drives to No. 7 Position in First Career Top Fuel Race
Pomona, Calif. - So far, so good. Through qualifying of the 2007 NHRA season-opener, longtime Matco Tools racer Whit Bazemore’s Top Fuel career is off to a good start. The 20-time NHRA winner qualified his Matco Tools Iron Eagle dragster in the No. 7 position at the 47th annual Winternationals after carding a 4.507-second elapsed time.
“I’m getting more comfortable and we’re making progress with the car and the driving,” Bazemore said. “I can’t say enough about how easy Lee (Beard) and the guys have made it on us. The car has been perfect. That makes it nice. We’ll be focused on Sunday. We’re determined to get our first Top Fuel race started on the right foot and have a good day.”
Entering the day in the No. 8 position, Bazemore used a tune-up from champion crew chief Lee Beard to drive the Matco Tools rail to a performance of 4.516 seconds at 329.75 Saturday’s first qualifying attempt. He then clocked his best performance of the weekend, 4.507 at 325.14, to earn the No. 7 qualifying position in the quickest Top Fuel field in NHRA history. The 4.507-second E.T. is Bazemore’s career-best.
“We made three good runs,” Beard said. “We dropped a hole on the one run. All the equipment on (Whit) Bazemore’s car is brand new. It’s not all synchronized yet like (Rod) Fuller’s car is. We’re getting better and better. Our cars ran a 4.50 and a 4.48, that’s not far off. That was the goal, to have both cars in the top half.”
Bazemore will battle veteran Top Fuel star Cory McClenathan in the first round of Top Fuel eliminations on Sunday morning at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. After 318 career Funny Car races, Baze makes his first career Top Fuel start on Sunday morning.
