<img src="http://gallery.nitromater.com/files/6/5/p_burkart06.jpg" alt="p_burkart06" align="left"borders="0"/>
SONOMA, Calif. (July 25, 2006) -- Phil Burkart wants to make a statement. He wants to drive the point home with fierce intensity and leave his mark on all those who get in his way. The driver of the Chevron Techron/CSK Monte Carlo wants to break some hearts, ruin some weekends, and look his opponents right in the eye before asking the rhetorical question, "Remember me?"
No one has forgotten Burkart, of course, but a frustrating section of mid-season racing has left him out of the headlines, off the oddsmakers' charts, and in the shadows. His dedicated team continues to burn with desire, and those close to him know Burkart is also seething with an urgent need for speed. It hasn't been easy in 2006, but Burkart has not given an inch or relaxed for a moment. For him, the moment is now and the only thing that matters is winning.
"They say hardship makes you stronger, so if that's the case we must have a team full of power-lifters," Burkart said. "We've been beaten, edged, nosed out, and barely clipped for a couple of months now. We've all had to deal with how hard it's been, and we've had to stay together as a team to survive. I can tell you one thing, this team is tighter than ever. They are stronger, and they're as mad as I am that we're not getting the results we think we deserve.
"You do things the right way, you respect the sport and your opponents, and you put in a 100% effort. You stick together, believe in yourself and in your teammates, and you hope you'll be rewarded for that. The only problem is the fact NHRA POWERade drag racing isn't scripted. The other guys, the ones in the other lane on Sunday, don't really care how much you want it or how hard you've worked. It's really tough out here in 2006, but we're not done yet. We're absolutely sure we're going to make our mark, and we plan to do it soon."
To this point in the season, Burkart has made more than a few marks for himself and his team. He does, after all, have wins in the book over the likes of John Force, Gary Scelzi, Eric Medlen, and Robert Hight. What he doesn't have is a trip beyond the semi-finals, and he's currently stuck in a three-race streak of failing to advance beyond the first round. All of that adds up to an 11th place position on the POWERade points sheet, and Burkart is just short of livid over that detail.
"It drives me nuts, and it's making us all pretty mad," he said. "We are not an 11th place team. We're not a 'hope to get to the second round' kind of team. We're a team that can, and will, win races. We're a team everybody else should hope they don't have to line up against, but for some unknown reason we haven't been able to translate our abilities into wins. I've lost track of how many times we've run well, better than a lot of other teams, and still come up short.
"Losing close ones happens to everyone, but when you have it slap you around so often, and you see other teams moving on to the second round or the semi-finals when they're not even running as well as we did, it begins to make you pretty furious. It's happened all year, on both sides of our CSK pit, and I know everyone in this organization is just flat over it. If I sound mad, well maybe I am. We're all mad. I think you could call us irate, and you wouldn't be far off."
Backed against a wall. Madder than pit bull with an attitude. Ready to come out fighting and take his chances on survival. Those statements just about cover it for Burkart and his team. It's time to make a statement.
BURKART AIMS TO MAKE AN INFINEON STATEMENT
SONOMA, Calif. (July 25, 2006) -- Phil Burkart wants to make a statement. He wants to drive the point home with fierce intensity and leave his mark on all those who get in his way. The driver of the Chevron Techron/CSK Monte Carlo wants to break some hearts, ruin some weekends, and look his opponents right in the eye before asking the rhetorical question, "Remember me?"
No one has forgotten Burkart, of course, but a frustrating section of mid-season racing has left him out of the headlines, off the oddsmakers' charts, and in the shadows. His dedicated team continues to burn with desire, and those close to him know Burkart is also seething with an urgent need for speed. It hasn't been easy in 2006, but Burkart has not given an inch or relaxed for a moment. For him, the moment is now and the only thing that matters is winning.
"They say hardship makes you stronger, so if that's the case we must have a team full of power-lifters," Burkart said. "We've been beaten, edged, nosed out, and barely clipped for a couple of months now. We've all had to deal with how hard it's been, and we've had to stay together as a team to survive. I can tell you one thing, this team is tighter than ever. They are stronger, and they're as mad as I am that we're not getting the results we think we deserve.
"You do things the right way, you respect the sport and your opponents, and you put in a 100% effort. You stick together, believe in yourself and in your teammates, and you hope you'll be rewarded for that. The only problem is the fact NHRA POWERade drag racing isn't scripted. The other guys, the ones in the other lane on Sunday, don't really care how much you want it or how hard you've worked. It's really tough out here in 2006, but we're not done yet. We're absolutely sure we're going to make our mark, and we plan to do it soon."
To this point in the season, Burkart has made more than a few marks for himself and his team. He does, after all, have wins in the book over the likes of John Force, Gary Scelzi, Eric Medlen, and Robert Hight. What he doesn't have is a trip beyond the semi-finals, and he's currently stuck in a three-race streak of failing to advance beyond the first round. All of that adds up to an 11th place position on the POWERade points sheet, and Burkart is just short of livid over that detail.
"It drives me nuts, and it's making us all pretty mad," he said. "We are not an 11th place team. We're not a 'hope to get to the second round' kind of team. We're a team that can, and will, win races. We're a team everybody else should hope they don't have to line up against, but for some unknown reason we haven't been able to translate our abilities into wins. I've lost track of how many times we've run well, better than a lot of other teams, and still come up short.
"Losing close ones happens to everyone, but when you have it slap you around so often, and you see other teams moving on to the second round or the semi-finals when they're not even running as well as we did, it begins to make you pretty furious. It's happened all year, on both sides of our CSK pit, and I know everyone in this organization is just flat over it. If I sound mad, well maybe I am. We're all mad. I think you could call us irate, and you wouldn't be far off."
Backed against a wall. Madder than pit bull with an attitude. Ready to come out fighting and take his chances on survival. Those statements just about cover it for Burkart and his team. It's time to make a statement.
