Bazemore drives to No. 6 in Texas qualifying

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 21 of 23
O'REILLY NHRA FALL NATIONALS
Texas Motorplex
Dallas, Texas
Race Dates: Oct. 7-9, 2005



DALLAS (Oct. 8, 2005) - Whit Bazemore drove the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge
Stratus R/T Funny Car to No. 6 in qualifying for the O'Reilly Fall
Nationals, by virtue of the 4.731-second pass at 326.08 mph he posted in the
second round on Friday.

The final two sessions today resulted in a 5.432/190.46 and a 14.386/77.53.

"Today was tough," said Bazemore, who has won twice in the 2005 POWERade
Drag Racing Series, but has also struggled for most of the second part of
the year, "but we qualified well, in the top half, and it's showing the
continuing progress of our Matco Tools team with Dan (Olson) and Todd
(Okuhara) at the helm. We're making good progress. Each race is exciting
because it's an opportunity to further improve ourselves, and we are.

"We're in a position where we can sneak up on some people and win a race or
more than one, actually, so we're right there and it feels good. Our
confidence is high and the team is working well and we're ready to go out
there and show what we can do."

Bazemore faces Bob Gilbertson in first round of eliminations and is on the
same side of the ladder as title contenders Robert Hight, John Force and
Eric Medlen.

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