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Tom Bradford and the Hal's Speedshop/Balbayis Asset Consulting Buell went into the fourth and final round of qualifying for the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip in Las Vegas still on the outside looking in. "Talk about a bag of nerves," said Bradford, who none-the-less ran his best lap of the weekend to make the Pro Stock Motorcycle field.
qualifying round 1
10th Tom Bradford left lane 7.190 at 185.82 mph
qualifying round 2
12th Tom Bradford right lane 7.178 at 185.97 mph
qualifying round 3
17th Tom Bradford left lane 7.202 at 186.87 mph
qualifying round 4
15th Tom Bradford right lane 7.161 at 187.70 mph
"I hate doing it like that," Tom said at the end of the day. "I probably should be more excited about it because it was a really strong run for the conditions. The barometer got worse, the density altitude got worse.
Everybody else dropped off and I think we were the fourth quickest of the session and best of the Buells."
Tom and the team are learning how to work with a new clutch on the bike this weekend. "We've got an entirely different system, and that was only our fifth run. It takes a while to break those things in. Our 60 foot time is terrible-a 1.12 on out best run and that's awful. But our back half numbers are strong.
"We feel like we've still got the same motorcycle that qualified on the pole and ran 6 seconds, but we've just lost the tune-up a little bit. But we'll get out of this slump-if we can call it a slump. But when you taste the top half of the ladder, that's all you want."
ESPN2 Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 28, 10:30pm-12:00am, Qualifying
Sunday, Oct. 29, 8:00pm-11:00pm, Eliminations
NHRA/POWERade Point Standings
8th Tom Bradford 599
Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle
14th Tom Bradford 180
Current Full Throttle NHRA Pit Crew Championship Point Standings
6th Tom Bradford/Rob Schopf 349
Visit Tom's website at http://www.tombradfordracing.com
Tom thanked sponsors Balbayis Asset Consulting, Hal's Speedshop, Hal's H-D/Buell, Vanson Leathers, Stitch-it-Embroidery, CRD Inc., T-N-S Machining, S&S Cycle, Buell Motor Co., Mustang Shelly's Roadhouse, Red Line Oil, MicroBlue Racing, Autolite, Simpson, Wiseco, Rinehart Racing, EBC Brakes, and The Carburetor Shop for their support of the Hal's/Thunder Eagle team.
Bradford Scores in Qualifying Thriller
Tom Bradford and the Hal's Speedshop/Balbayis Asset Consulting Buell went into the fourth and final round of qualifying for the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip in Las Vegas still on the outside looking in. "Talk about a bag of nerves," said Bradford, who none-the-less ran his best lap of the weekend to make the Pro Stock Motorcycle field.
qualifying round 1
10th Tom Bradford left lane 7.190 at 185.82 mph
qualifying round 2
12th Tom Bradford right lane 7.178 at 185.97 mph
qualifying round 3
17th Tom Bradford left lane 7.202 at 186.87 mph
qualifying round 4
15th Tom Bradford right lane 7.161 at 187.70 mph
"I hate doing it like that," Tom said at the end of the day. "I probably should be more excited about it because it was a really strong run for the conditions. The barometer got worse, the density altitude got worse.
Everybody else dropped off and I think we were the fourth quickest of the session and best of the Buells."
Tom and the team are learning how to work with a new clutch on the bike this weekend. "We've got an entirely different system, and that was only our fifth run. It takes a while to break those things in. Our 60 foot time is terrible-a 1.12 on out best run and that's awful. But our back half numbers are strong.
"We feel like we've still got the same motorcycle that qualified on the pole and ran 6 seconds, but we've just lost the tune-up a little bit. But we'll get out of this slump-if we can call it a slump. But when you taste the top half of the ladder, that's all you want."
ESPN2 Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 28, 10:30pm-12:00am, Qualifying
Sunday, Oct. 29, 8:00pm-11:00pm, Eliminations
NHRA/POWERade Point Standings
8th Tom Bradford 599
Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle
14th Tom Bradford 180
Current Full Throttle NHRA Pit Crew Championship Point Standings
6th Tom Bradford/Rob Schopf 349
Visit Tom's website at http://www.tombradfordracing.com
Tom thanked sponsors Balbayis Asset Consulting, Hal's Speedshop, Hal's H-D/Buell, Vanson Leathers, Stitch-it-Embroidery, CRD Inc., T-N-S Machining, S&S Cycle, Buell Motor Co., Mustang Shelly's Roadhouse, Red Line Oil, MicroBlue Racing, Autolite, Simpson, Wiseco, Rinehart Racing, EBC Brakes, and The Carburetor Shop for their support of the Hal's/Thunder Eagle team.
