TOPEKA, Kansas (June 16, 2011) - After the ADRL event in Houston at the end of March, Pro Extreme driver Josh Hernandez declared he was ready for some "spring cleaning." Now, more than ten weeks later, Hernandez and his B1 Racing team has retired the long-running, championship-winning 1957 Chevy Bel Air, and have finally worked the bugs out of their new Murf McKinney-built C5 Corvette and debut their new "toy" for the Kansas National Guard Independence Drags V at Heartland Park Topeka this weekend.
Hernandez said he hasn't been more excited to go racing in a very long time.
"It's no secret that we've struggled so far this season, and for myself and everyone on this team, we're ready to start a new chapter," Hernandez said. "And, for us, even more, we're not just racing for ourselves. We are representing the good people of Bahrain, and we want to bring them the kind of results that they deserve."
The new car, built by the noted nitro Dragster and Funny Car expert Murf McKinney, has already shown great promise in testing. Sporting a Funny Car-type rear wing, Hernandez said the car has performed exceptionally so far and that the team is expecting great things this weekend.
"We were able to make several passes in Rockingham last week on a hot track, and she stuck all the way down and responded beautifully. The '57 was a great car, but we just couldn't compete with the advancements the other teams have made. The C5 takes a huge jump forward in design and performance, which is exactly what we need right now to be competitive."
The event this weekend is the fourth of nine national events this calendar year for the American Drag Racing League (ADRL), but the fifth points-paying event toward the 2011 World Championship. Currently, Hernandez and the B1 team currently sits outside the top ten at No. 14, and are winless for the season.
Still the winningest Pro Mod driver in history, Hernandez is ready to add more rounds in the "W" column, and catch up in the points race. He said he knows the pressure is on.
"I've always responded well to pressure, so, I'm not completely worried about it, but we all know that we have to perform well to stay in the hunt for the Championship Belt. We can do it, and I am looking forward to this weekend to kick off the rest of the season," Hernandez said.
Qualifying rounds are scheduled for noon, 3:00 and 6:30 p.m. Friday, and one final qualifier at noon on Saturday. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. and run throughout the evening.
Hernandez said he hasn't been more excited to go racing in a very long time.
"It's no secret that we've struggled so far this season, and for myself and everyone on this team, we're ready to start a new chapter," Hernandez said. "And, for us, even more, we're not just racing for ourselves. We are representing the good people of Bahrain, and we want to bring them the kind of results that they deserve."
The new car, built by the noted nitro Dragster and Funny Car expert Murf McKinney, has already shown great promise in testing. Sporting a Funny Car-type rear wing, Hernandez said the car has performed exceptionally so far and that the team is expecting great things this weekend.
"We were able to make several passes in Rockingham last week on a hot track, and she stuck all the way down and responded beautifully. The '57 was a great car, but we just couldn't compete with the advancements the other teams have made. The C5 takes a huge jump forward in design and performance, which is exactly what we need right now to be competitive."
The event this weekend is the fourth of nine national events this calendar year for the American Drag Racing League (ADRL), but the fifth points-paying event toward the 2011 World Championship. Currently, Hernandez and the B1 team currently sits outside the top ten at No. 14, and are winless for the season.
Still the winningest Pro Mod driver in history, Hernandez is ready to add more rounds in the "W" column, and catch up in the points race. He said he knows the pressure is on.
"I've always responded well to pressure, so, I'm not completely worried about it, but we all know that we have to perform well to stay in the hunt for the Championship Belt. We can do it, and I am looking forward to this weekend to kick off the rest of the season," Hernandez said.
Qualifying rounds are scheduled for noon, 3:00 and 6:30 p.m. Friday, and one final qualifier at noon on Saturday. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. and run throughout the evening.
