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TOPEKA, Kan., May 30, 2008 - Sitting out the first five races of the NHRA POWERade season has only made Team Chevy's Dave Connolly more determined to put his Charter Communications Cobalt into the top 10 of the Pro Stock points standings. Since returning to the tour four races ago at Atlanta, the 25-year-old Mooresville, N.C. resident has captured a runner-up (St. Louis), a win (Bristol) and now sits on the provisional pole for Sunday's 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka. Connolly posted a 6.730 e.t. at 204.29 mph to take the top spot tonight in the Pro Stock category with two qualifying sessions remaining to be completed on Saturday.
"We're getting closer and closer," said Connolly. "I was happy when we made the finals at St. Louis, and then to pick up the win at the last race in Bristol and share victory lane with Chevrolet and get their 150th Pro Stock victory was a tremendous feeling. After the Bristol win we stayed at the track and tested a few days, and then went to our local track at Farmington Dragway (N.C.) for few days. This team is not afraid to work. They busted their butts trying to get this car better and better, and each week when we come out, we get this Charter Communications Chevrolet a little bit better. We're still working on it. It was a brand new car three races ago so we have a lot of catching up to do. We definitely need to be on our 'A' game."
Connolly has experienced a lot of success at Heartland Park Topeka in recent years, driving his Cagnazzi Racing Chevrolet to a runner-up in 2005, a win in 2006, and a runner-up at last years Summer Nationals. With 10 races remain on the docket before the Countdown to One's final 10 spots are set at Indianapolis, the Charter Communications Chevrolet driver currently sits in 14th place in the standings with 244 points, just 83 points outside the top 10.
"Getting in the top 10 is certainly something that is on our minds," Connolly said. "We're trying to do the job at hand and let the points come to us. Even though we did miss five races, the new Countdown to the Championship format is working in our favor and it would be great to be able to slide into the top 10 and make a run at the Championship. I'm just happy to be back racing again, but obviously, you want the big trophy at the end of the day. If we can keep going rounds and put this Charter Communications car in the top 10, we know that at the last six races that we have a shot at it."
In Funny Car, Tony Bartone drove the Canidae All Natural Pet Foods Chevrolet to the top spot tonight with a 4.881 second run at 301.81 mph. It would be Bartone's first raceday pole since Englishtown (N.J.) in 2006.
"Jim (Dunn) told me his game plan was to run 4.87," Bartone said. "It ran 4.88 and his game plan was right on the money. We knocked the burst panels out of it at the end of the track at the finish line; so be it, it was No. 1 qualifier - a good lap. We have a strong racecar, but what we're lacking at this point is consistency, and if we could build some of that with the car we could go rounds and maybe one day win one of these events.
"Without a doubt, Funny Car, everyone knows, officials, drivers, spectators, is very competitive, with a lot of great teams. A lot of cars show up for an event and on any given weekend some top team doesn't qualify. It's been said before, but really, to qualify for one of these events is a feat in itself to be proud of. It's tough out there. There's no easy field - it's as competitive as I've ever seen it."
The 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals on May 30 - June 1 at Heartland Park Topeka is the ninth race on the 24-event NHRA POWERade tour. There will be 150 minutes of qualifying coverage on ESPN2 on Saturday, May 31, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Eastern. NHRA Race Day will kick off eliminator coverage on Sunday, June 1, starting at 11 a.m. and three hours of final eliminations will be telecast beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern.
Chevrolets Take Provisional Top Qualifying Spots at NHRA Summer Nationals
Dave Connolly Leads Pro Stock; Tony Bartone Funny Car
TOPEKA, Kan., May 30, 2008 - Sitting out the first five races of the NHRA POWERade season has only made Team Chevy's Dave Connolly more determined to put his Charter Communications Cobalt into the top 10 of the Pro Stock points standings. Since returning to the tour four races ago at Atlanta, the 25-year-old Mooresville, N.C. resident has captured a runner-up (St. Louis), a win (Bristol) and now sits on the provisional pole for Sunday's 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka. Connolly posted a 6.730 e.t. at 204.29 mph to take the top spot tonight in the Pro Stock category with two qualifying sessions remaining to be completed on Saturday.
"We're getting closer and closer," said Connolly. "I was happy when we made the finals at St. Louis, and then to pick up the win at the last race in Bristol and share victory lane with Chevrolet and get their 150th Pro Stock victory was a tremendous feeling. After the Bristol win we stayed at the track and tested a few days, and then went to our local track at Farmington Dragway (N.C.) for few days. This team is not afraid to work. They busted their butts trying to get this car better and better, and each week when we come out, we get this Charter Communications Chevrolet a little bit better. We're still working on it. It was a brand new car three races ago so we have a lot of catching up to do. We definitely need to be on our 'A' game."
Connolly has experienced a lot of success at Heartland Park Topeka in recent years, driving his Cagnazzi Racing Chevrolet to a runner-up in 2005, a win in 2006, and a runner-up at last years Summer Nationals. With 10 races remain on the docket before the Countdown to One's final 10 spots are set at Indianapolis, the Charter Communications Chevrolet driver currently sits in 14th place in the standings with 244 points, just 83 points outside the top 10.
"Getting in the top 10 is certainly something that is on our minds," Connolly said. "We're trying to do the job at hand and let the points come to us. Even though we did miss five races, the new Countdown to the Championship format is working in our favor and it would be great to be able to slide into the top 10 and make a run at the Championship. I'm just happy to be back racing again, but obviously, you want the big trophy at the end of the day. If we can keep going rounds and put this Charter Communications car in the top 10, we know that at the last six races that we have a shot at it."
In Funny Car, Tony Bartone drove the Canidae All Natural Pet Foods Chevrolet to the top spot tonight with a 4.881 second run at 301.81 mph. It would be Bartone's first raceday pole since Englishtown (N.J.) in 2006.
"Jim (Dunn) told me his game plan was to run 4.87," Bartone said. "It ran 4.88 and his game plan was right on the money. We knocked the burst panels out of it at the end of the track at the finish line; so be it, it was No. 1 qualifier - a good lap. We have a strong racecar, but what we're lacking at this point is consistency, and if we could build some of that with the car we could go rounds and maybe one day win one of these events.
"Without a doubt, Funny Car, everyone knows, officials, drivers, spectators, is very competitive, with a lot of great teams. A lot of cars show up for an event and on any given weekend some top team doesn't qualify. It's been said before, but really, to qualify for one of these events is a feat in itself to be proud of. It's tough out there. There's no easy field - it's as competitive as I've ever seen it."
The 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals on May 30 - June 1 at Heartland Park Topeka is the ninth race on the 24-event NHRA POWERade tour. There will be 150 minutes of qualifying coverage on ESPN2 on Saturday, May 31, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Eastern. NHRA Race Day will kick off eliminator coverage on Sunday, June 1, starting at 11 a.m. and three hours of final eliminations will be telecast beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern.
