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53rd annual U.S. Nationals
Aug. 29-Sept. 3, 2007
O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis
Clermont, Ind.
“We’ve had an up and down year. We’ve gone from 438, which is nearly impossible to catch, to 60 points out, so we really want to thank NHRA for giving us a second chance. As a team, we have to take advantage of the fact that now we’re in the hunt. The important thing is that Indy is a race that has huge meaning for me and it would be a dream come true to get my first win in Top Fuel at the U.S. Nationals. We’re freshly motivated and we’ve tested extensively and we’re in a great frame of mind to win the race.”
Bazemore Indianapolis Notebook
Two weeks ago in Reading , Pa. , Bazemore secured one of the coveted eight positions in the Countdown to Four in the Countdown to the Championship. Bazemore qualified 16th at the Reading race and was defeated by teammate Rod Fuller in round one.
Bazemore enters the Countdown to Four ranked seventh in the NHRA Top Fuel standings. He trails Fuller by 60 points with six races remaining on the 2007 NHRA POWERade Series schedule.
Bazemore earned his 30th career pole this March. He became just the 15th driver in NHRA history to earn poles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. He has an average starting position of 7.17 this year. He has an average starting position of 9.88 in 17 career races at O’Reilly Raceway Park.
Last Sept., Bazemore raced his Matco Tools Funny Car to a runner-up finish at the U.S. Nationals. He qualified fourth with a run of 4.718 seconds at 327.43 mph and advanced to the final round of the prestigious Indy race before losing a close match to Robert Hight.
Bazemore is a two-time U.S. Nationals winner, 1997 and 2001. He knocked off Tim Wilkerson in 1997 with a run of 4.996 at 306.85, and in ‘01 held off Tony Pedregon with a pass of 4.971 at 298.14. Rob Flynn, Rod Fuller’s crew chief, tuned Bazemore to the win in ‘97, while Bazemore’s current tuner, Lee Beard, called the shots on the Matco team’s 2001 U.S. Nationals victory.
Baze Banters About Indy…
Indianapolis :
“Property Taxes”
O’Reilly Raceway Park :
“I.R.P.”
Favorite O’Reilly Raceway Park racing memory:
“I have many from IRP, from coming here at 16 in 1979, to my first Skip Barber Formula Ford race in 1985, to winning with Rob Flynn on my own team in ‘97 to winning again in ‘01. I don’t have one that stands out, I have so many.
Looking back, the hard times we had here made us better and smarter.”
Favorite Indianapolis-area cycling route:
“My Western Loop in Northwest Indy.”
Favorite Indianapolis-area restaurant:
“H2O, Elements and India Garden ”
2007 NHRA Top Fuel Standings – Countdown To Four
1. ROD FULLER (2) 2,070 - - -
2. Tony Schumacher (4) 2,060 -10
3. Larry Dixon (2) 2,050 -20
4. Brandon Bernstein (5) 2,040 -30
5. J.R. Todd (2) 2,030 -40
6. Bob Vandergriff, Jr. 2,020 -50
7. WHIT BAZEMORE 2,010 -60
8. Doug Herbert (1) 2,000 -70
Whit Bazemore’s Career Results at O’Reilly Raceway Park
Year Qualified Finish & Winning Driver
1990 No. 23 DNQ
1991 No. 13 1st round—Mark Oswald
1992 No. 13 1st round—Al Hofmann
1993 No. 13 1st round—Al Hofmann
1994 No. 15 1st round— Did Not Show
1995 No. 17 DNQ
1996 No. 6 1st round—Del Worsham
1997 No. 2 WINNER—def. Tim Wilkerson
1998 No. 6 2nd round—Del Worsham
1999 No. 5 2nd round—Scotty Cannon
2000 No. 16 Runner-up—Jim Epler
2001 No. 1 WINNER—def. Tony Pedregon
2002 No. 17 DNQ
2003 No. 3 1st round—Cruz Pedregon
2004 No. 6 Semifinals—Gary Densham
2005 No. 8 Semifinals—Del Worsham
2006 No. 4 Runner-up—Robert Hight
Bazemore’s Indy Schedule
Date & Time Event and Location
Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m. TF Qualifying 1, O’Reilly Raceway Park
Sat., Sept. 1, 2:45/7:30 p.m. TF Qualifying 2/3, O’Reilly Raceway Park
Sun., Sept. 2, 12:45/3:40 p.m. TF Qualifying 4/5, O’Reilly Raceway Park
Mon., Sept. 3, 11 a.m. Final Eliminations, O’Reilly Raceway Park
Bazemore’s Career-Best Performances
E.T.—4.498 seconds (TF) Las Vegas April 2007
E.T.—4.674 seconds (FC) Joliet , Ill. June 2006
MPH—332.51 mph (TF) Englishtown , N.J. June 2007
MPH—333.25 mph (FC) Joliet , Ill. June 2004
U.S. Nationals TV Schedule (ESPN2)
Date & Time (ET) Coverage
Sun., Sept. 2, 12:30-1:30 a.m. Qualifying Highlights
Sun., Sept. 2, 2-5:30 p.m. Qualifying Highlights
Sun., Sept. 3, Midnight-1 a.m. Qualifying Highlights
Sun., Sept. 3, Noon-3 p.m. Final Eliminations Coverage
Sun., Sept. 3, 7-10 p.m. Final Eliminations Coverage
The Bazemore Bulletin
53rd annual U.S. Nationals
Aug. 29-Sept. 3, 2007
O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis
Clermont, Ind.
“We’ve had an up and down year. We’ve gone from 438, which is nearly impossible to catch, to 60 points out, so we really want to thank NHRA for giving us a second chance. As a team, we have to take advantage of the fact that now we’re in the hunt. The important thing is that Indy is a race that has huge meaning for me and it would be a dream come true to get my first win in Top Fuel at the U.S. Nationals. We’re freshly motivated and we’ve tested extensively and we’re in a great frame of mind to win the race.”
Bazemore Indianapolis Notebook
Two weeks ago in Reading , Pa. , Bazemore secured one of the coveted eight positions in the Countdown to Four in the Countdown to the Championship. Bazemore qualified 16th at the Reading race and was defeated by teammate Rod Fuller in round one.
Bazemore enters the Countdown to Four ranked seventh in the NHRA Top Fuel standings. He trails Fuller by 60 points with six races remaining on the 2007 NHRA POWERade Series schedule.
Bazemore earned his 30th career pole this March. He became just the 15th driver in NHRA history to earn poles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. He has an average starting position of 7.17 this year. He has an average starting position of 9.88 in 17 career races at O’Reilly Raceway Park.
Last Sept., Bazemore raced his Matco Tools Funny Car to a runner-up finish at the U.S. Nationals. He qualified fourth with a run of 4.718 seconds at 327.43 mph and advanced to the final round of the prestigious Indy race before losing a close match to Robert Hight.
Bazemore is a two-time U.S. Nationals winner, 1997 and 2001. He knocked off Tim Wilkerson in 1997 with a run of 4.996 at 306.85, and in ‘01 held off Tony Pedregon with a pass of 4.971 at 298.14. Rob Flynn, Rod Fuller’s crew chief, tuned Bazemore to the win in ‘97, while Bazemore’s current tuner, Lee Beard, called the shots on the Matco team’s 2001 U.S. Nationals victory.
Baze Banters About Indy…
Indianapolis :
“Property Taxes”
O’Reilly Raceway Park :
“I.R.P.”
Favorite O’Reilly Raceway Park racing memory:
“I have many from IRP, from coming here at 16 in 1979, to my first Skip Barber Formula Ford race in 1985, to winning with Rob Flynn on my own team in ‘97 to winning again in ‘01. I don’t have one that stands out, I have so many.
Looking back, the hard times we had here made us better and smarter.”
Favorite Indianapolis-area cycling route:
“My Western Loop in Northwest Indy.”
Favorite Indianapolis-area restaurant:
“H2O, Elements and India Garden ”
2007 NHRA Top Fuel Standings – Countdown To Four
1. ROD FULLER (2) 2,070 - - -
2. Tony Schumacher (4) 2,060 -10
3. Larry Dixon (2) 2,050 -20
4. Brandon Bernstein (5) 2,040 -30
5. J.R. Todd (2) 2,030 -40
6. Bob Vandergriff, Jr. 2,020 -50
7. WHIT BAZEMORE 2,010 -60
8. Doug Herbert (1) 2,000 -70
Whit Bazemore’s Career Results at O’Reilly Raceway Park
Year Qualified Finish & Winning Driver
1990 No. 23 DNQ
1991 No. 13 1st round—Mark Oswald
1992 No. 13 1st round—Al Hofmann
1993 No. 13 1st round—Al Hofmann
1994 No. 15 1st round— Did Not Show
1995 No. 17 DNQ
1996 No. 6 1st round—Del Worsham
1997 No. 2 WINNER—def. Tim Wilkerson
1998 No. 6 2nd round—Del Worsham
1999 No. 5 2nd round—Scotty Cannon
2000 No. 16 Runner-up—Jim Epler
2001 No. 1 WINNER—def. Tony Pedregon
2002 No. 17 DNQ
2003 No. 3 1st round—Cruz Pedregon
2004 No. 6 Semifinals—Gary Densham
2005 No. 8 Semifinals—Del Worsham
2006 No. 4 Runner-up—Robert Hight
Bazemore’s Indy Schedule
Date & Time Event and Location
Fri., Aug. 31, 7:30 p.m. TF Qualifying 1, O’Reilly Raceway Park
Sat., Sept. 1, 2:45/7:30 p.m. TF Qualifying 2/3, O’Reilly Raceway Park
Sun., Sept. 2, 12:45/3:40 p.m. TF Qualifying 4/5, O’Reilly Raceway Park
Mon., Sept. 3, 11 a.m. Final Eliminations, O’Reilly Raceway Park
Bazemore’s Career-Best Performances
E.T.—4.498 seconds (TF) Las Vegas April 2007
E.T.—4.674 seconds (FC) Joliet , Ill. June 2006
MPH—332.51 mph (TF) Englishtown , N.J. June 2007
MPH—333.25 mph (FC) Joliet , Ill. June 2004
U.S. Nationals TV Schedule (ESPN2)
Date & Time (ET) Coverage
Sun., Sept. 2, 12:30-1:30 a.m. Qualifying Highlights
Sun., Sept. 2, 2-5:30 p.m. Qualifying Highlights
Sun., Sept. 3, Midnight-1 a.m. Qualifying Highlights
Sun., Sept. 3, Noon-3 p.m. Final Eliminations Coverage
Sun., Sept. 3, 7-10 p.m. Final Eliminations Coverage
