<img src="http://www.nitromater.com/gallery/files/5/W_Bazemore07.jpg" alt="W_Bazemore07" align="right"borders="0"/>
READING, Pa. (Aug. 19, 2007) – Whit Bazemore and his Matco Tools Top Fuel team entered the 17th race on the 2007 NHRA schedule with one goal, to secure one of the coveted eight positions in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship. Mission accomplished. The 20-time NHRA winner earned a position in the Countdown by qualifying for this weekend’s Toyo Tires Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.
After qualifying 16th with a 4.668-second elapsed time, Bazemore was matched up against teammate Rod Fuller for the fourth time this season. Two of the elite drivers in NHRA drag racing put on a great side-by-side show for the fans on Sunday morning at Maple Grove Raceway. Bazemore got the slight jump at the start in his Matco Tools dragster to power his Lee Beard-tuned rail to a pass of 4.556 seconds at 328.78 mph, but Fuller used a slightly quicker lap of 4.526-seconds to earn the win light in the left lane. Last month, Bazemore and Fuller met in the final round at Denver in the first all-David Powers Motorsports final round.
“We went down the race track which is good,” Bazemore said. “We struggled all weekend. Fortunately there were only 16 cars here. Lee (Beard) and the team had a great effort rebounding and we ran a 4.55. I rolled in, so it was probably a 4.53 and we lost to a 4.52. Both teams did a good job and we just lost the race.
“The good news is that we’re in the hunt for the championship and the way the new scenario is, we actually have a chance. We're in a position to still win the championship, so we have to thank NHRA for this opportunity. Basically, our season starts over at Indy and we’re going to make the most of the opportunity. It maybe worked to our benefit to have gotten beat. This way, we can go to Indy and test and make the most of that opportunity and perhaps be better prepared for the end of the year.”
The next NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event is the 53rd annual U.S. Nationals, Aug. 29-Sept. 3, at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis . It is the 18th of 23 races on the 2007 NHRA schedule and the first event in the Countdown to the Championship. Bazemore is a two-time U.S. Nationals winner (1997, 2001).
R1 Fuller (.063) 4.526 ET, 324.20 MPH def. BAZEMORE (.050) 4.556 ET, 328.78 MPH
BAZEMORE LOOKING TOWARDS SECOND SEASON BEGINNING AT U.S. NATIONALS
READING, Pa. (Aug. 19, 2007) – Whit Bazemore and his Matco Tools Top Fuel team entered the 17th race on the 2007 NHRA schedule with one goal, to secure one of the coveted eight positions in NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship. Mission accomplished. The 20-time NHRA winner earned a position in the Countdown by qualifying for this weekend’s Toyo Tires Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.
After qualifying 16th with a 4.668-second elapsed time, Bazemore was matched up against teammate Rod Fuller for the fourth time this season. Two of the elite drivers in NHRA drag racing put on a great side-by-side show for the fans on Sunday morning at Maple Grove Raceway. Bazemore got the slight jump at the start in his Matco Tools dragster to power his Lee Beard-tuned rail to a pass of 4.556 seconds at 328.78 mph, but Fuller used a slightly quicker lap of 4.526-seconds to earn the win light in the left lane. Last month, Bazemore and Fuller met in the final round at Denver in the first all-David Powers Motorsports final round.
“We went down the race track which is good,” Bazemore said. “We struggled all weekend. Fortunately there were only 16 cars here. Lee (Beard) and the team had a great effort rebounding and we ran a 4.55. I rolled in, so it was probably a 4.53 and we lost to a 4.52. Both teams did a good job and we just lost the race.
“The good news is that we’re in the hunt for the championship and the way the new scenario is, we actually have a chance. We're in a position to still win the championship, so we have to thank NHRA for this opportunity. Basically, our season starts over at Indy and we’re going to make the most of the opportunity. It maybe worked to our benefit to have gotten beat. This way, we can go to Indy and test and make the most of that opportunity and perhaps be better prepared for the end of the year.”
The next NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event is the 53rd annual U.S. Nationals, Aug. 29-Sept. 3, at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis . It is the 18th of 23 races on the 2007 NHRA schedule and the first event in the Countdown to the Championship. Bazemore is a two-time U.S. Nationals winner (1997, 2001).
R1 Fuller (.063) 4.526 ET, 324.20 MPH def. BAZEMORE (.050) 4.556 ET, 328.78 MPH
