[coverattach=1]St. Louis (April 30, 2009) -- Mike Ashley Racing Pro Mod driver Joe Baker has one thing on his mind this weekend as he enters the Get Screened America Pro Mod Challenge event this weekend at the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway International Raceway: win.
Currently fifth in the points chase, Baker is keenly aware that in order to compete for the championship he needs to add more rounds in the "W" column, and the Milton, Fla.-resident said there's no better place than St. Louis. Behind the wheel of his Matco Tools/Lend America '68 Camaro Pro Mod, Baker has made two second-round showings thus far this season and is anxious to get to the finals and ultimately the winner's circle.
"I know that Chuck [Ford, crew chief] has had a lot of success here, tuning [team owner and two-time world champion] Mike Ashley to a win in '07, and I'm sure that the confidence that comes from having that notch in his belt will extend to the way he approaches things this weekend," Baker said.
"As a driver, we're always told to focus on repeating our steps every time, and to work on consistency - which is definitely something I do, but when you have the swagger that comes from a good history, it just does something to the way you think, and it's all good."
Barring weather or track delays, qualifying is scheduled for 2 and 4:30 p.m. Friday and 1:30 p.m. Saturday, with eliminations beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday evening and concluding Sunday afternoon.
Headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., Mike Ashley Racing fields the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster driven by Antron Brown as well as the Matco Tools/Lend America Pro Mod '68 Camaro driven by Joe Baker. MAR proudly represents racing partners Matco Tools, Lend America, DirecTV, BeepBeep.com, Toyota, DataDot USA, Ringer's Gloves, Go Fast Sports, Goodyear, FRAM, Autolite, Suzuki, Connexions Sports and Entertainment, and Forward Sports Marketing.
Mike Ashley Racing supports Autism Awareness through their support of the Hyperbaric Therapy Center. A 2007 Centers for Disease Control report found that 1 in 150 children in America today have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and an estimated 1.5 million Americans and their families are now affected. Autism is a national health crisis, and Mike Ashley Racing is working to help educate the public about ways they can get involved. Visit the Heal Autism Now website for more information about how you can get involved at HEAL! Healing Every Autistic Life : Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Currently fifth in the points chase, Baker is keenly aware that in order to compete for the championship he needs to add more rounds in the "W" column, and the Milton, Fla.-resident said there's no better place than St. Louis. Behind the wheel of his Matco Tools/Lend America '68 Camaro Pro Mod, Baker has made two second-round showings thus far this season and is anxious to get to the finals and ultimately the winner's circle.
"I know that Chuck [Ford, crew chief] has had a lot of success here, tuning [team owner and two-time world champion] Mike Ashley to a win in '07, and I'm sure that the confidence that comes from having that notch in his belt will extend to the way he approaches things this weekend," Baker said.
"As a driver, we're always told to focus on repeating our steps every time, and to work on consistency - which is definitely something I do, but when you have the swagger that comes from a good history, it just does something to the way you think, and it's all good."
Barring weather or track delays, qualifying is scheduled for 2 and 4:30 p.m. Friday and 1:30 p.m. Saturday, with eliminations beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday evening and concluding Sunday afternoon.
Headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., Mike Ashley Racing fields the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster driven by Antron Brown as well as the Matco Tools/Lend America Pro Mod '68 Camaro driven by Joe Baker. MAR proudly represents racing partners Matco Tools, Lend America, DirecTV, BeepBeep.com, Toyota, DataDot USA, Ringer's Gloves, Go Fast Sports, Goodyear, FRAM, Autolite, Suzuki, Connexions Sports and Entertainment, and Forward Sports Marketing.
Mike Ashley Racing supports Autism Awareness through their support of the Hyperbaric Therapy Center. A 2007 Centers for Disease Control report found that 1 in 150 children in America today have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and an estimated 1.5 million Americans and their families are now affected. Autism is a national health crisis, and Mike Ashley Racing is working to help educate the public about ways they can get involved. Visit the Heal Autism Now website for more information about how you can get involved at HEAL! Healing Every Autistic Life : Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
