Mopar Elimination Notes

Mopar Motorsports
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
Notes & Quotes ­ Sept. 15, 2002

TELEVISION TIMES: (ALL TIMES EASTERN)
ELIMINATIONS:    Sun., Sept. 15; 4:30-7:00 p.m.; ESPN2
REPEAT:    Wed., Sept. 18; 3:00-5:00 a.m.; ESPN2

MOHNTON, Pa. -- Mopar Motorsports NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series teams
completed eliminations for this weekend¹s Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Maple
Grove Raceway.

NOTABLE: Intermittent rain showers delayed racing activities at Maple Grove
Raceway today.

The following are notes and quotes from today¹s qualifying activity.

DEAN SKUZA, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T

Dean Skuza, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T, made a solid first
round pass at 4.910-second elapsed time at 305.08 mph; but it wasn¹t enough
to overcome Tony Pedregon¹s 4.879-second pass at 311.92 mph.

It was the first time that Skuza had fallen in the first round of
eliminations since Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.
Skuza¹s only other blemish during this stretch was a DNQ at Gateway
International Raceway in late June.

³I staged a little deep,² Skuza said. ³The brakes were a little spongy, and
that¹s why I went in deep. We made a good solid run with our new body. We
didn¹t want to use this one, but the other one has some weak points in the
body. It was the reason why we¹ve moving over to wall.²

Skuza held a starting line advantage (.457-.482).