NHRA Pre-Race: Hammonds Aims to End His Freshman Year by
Acing the Finals
HAMMONDS AIMS TO END HIS FRESHMAN YEAR BY ACING
THE FINALS IN POMONA
Winnebago/GM Vehicle Care Cavalier driver looks back at his first full season
in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Crestview, Fla., November 2, 2002 - After nine months, twenty-two national
events and one hundred and seventy-six rounds of qualifying and eliminations,
the 2002 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season will draw to a close with next
weekend's Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona.
Participating in this race for the first time is Winnebago/GM Vehicle Care
Cavalier driver Tom Hammonds, who is looking to complete his first year as a
full-time Pro Stock competitor following his retirement from the NBA thirteen
months ago. As he and the team prepared to head to California, Hammonds took
time to reflect on the year's events.
"It's certainly been a roller coaster year for this Winnebago/GM Vehicle Care
team," stated Hammonds. "We started off the season strong, qualifying well
and going rounds. But after the first five races, we hit a little lull where
we struggled, not only with the performance of the car, but also with some
personnel issues we had to work through.
"However, once things were settled, we quickly developed a solid working
relationship. From my tuning of the engine, to Eric Luzinski handling the
clutch and transmission, as well as Brian Morris and Charles Hughes taking
care of the back half of our Cavalier, this crew has really come together, as
shown by our performance over the last few races. We have one event
remaining, and we'd like to close out this season on a positive note, and
build some momentum for next year."
Although Hammonds was no stranger to the ultra competitive Pro Stock
division, having competed on a limited basis for the previous six years,
participating in every race for the first time was anything but routine.
Much like his freshman year in college, or rookie season in the NBA, the
Crestview, Fla. native found himself back in school, seemingly gaining
knowledge at every stop on the circuit.
"This year has been a tremendous learning experience, and I believe the
biggest lesson I will take from it is to not second-guess myself," explained
Hammonds. "For example, at the start of the West Coast Swing, we struggled
in the altitude in Denver. Even though we were coming off a strong
performance in St. Louis, I questioned my ability to tune the car instead of
thinking there was something mechanically wrong with it. As a result, we
made some radical changes and ended up chasing the set-up over the next few
races before finding out we had problem with our race motor. The bottom line
is that this isn't rocket science. If you have a strong motor and a good
race car, you're going to run well, and there is no need to change everything
to fix one problem.
"We've experienced both the highs and lows this sport has to offer. For
example, it was tremendous to qualify number two in Gainesville, and to reach
another final round, as we did in Chicago, which was especially gratifying as
it came on the same weekend as the departure of (former crew chief) Donnie
Gardner. On the other hand, we had some tough times, such as not qualifying
for several races. Overall, I think we've done pretty well, and we look
forward to coming back in 2003 and applying what we've learned, with the
initial goal of finishing in the Top Ten."
But this year's story has one chapter that remains unwritten, and Hammonds
believes he can pen the perfect ending. As he sees it, there is one last
race, providing a final opportunity to achieve an elusive, yet attainable
goal offering multiple benefits.
"We're definitely optimistic about our chances in Pomona," opined Hammonds.
"Our Cavalier has been running strong, and we're coming off a solid
performance in Las Vegas, where we were about two feet short of at least
advancing to the semi-finals. We're confident in our ability to qualify well
and run with the best of them, so it's up to us to put it all together. If
we do that, our chances are as good as anybody else's.
"A win in the Finals would be a tremendous way to head into the off-season.
However, I believe the greatest benefit would be to reward a lot of people
for their support. I can think of no better way to thank the guys on my crew
or all my sponsors, Winnebago, Chevrolet, GM Vehicle Care, Mac Tools, Kendall
Motor Oil and American Racing Wheels for hanging in there with me than by
putting our Cavalier in the winner's circle. It would be the perfect end to
a pretty positive year, and I hope we're able to deliver."
Hammonds Highlights: Tom is looking to qualify for the second time at Pomona
Raceway… Tom looks to improve upon his only previous performance in Pomona
from earlier this year, where he qualified 4th and advanced to the semi-finals
…Tom is currently 14th in the NHRA POWERade Points standings with 720 points.
Fast Facts
WHAT: 38th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals,
the final race on the 23-race 2002 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Schedule.
WHEN: November 7-10, 2002
WHERE: Pomona Fairplex, Pomona, California
SCHEDULE: Professional qualifying begins with single sessions on Thursday,
November 7 and Friday, November 8 at 1:45 p.m., and concludes with two final
sessions on Saturday, November 9 at 11:00 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Final
eliminations will start at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 10.
TV: ESPN & ESPN2 will provide extensive coverage from California, starting
with two hours of qualifying highlights from 10 p.m. - midnight on Saturday,
November 9 on ESPN2. Final eliminations coverage will open with two hours on
ESPN from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 10, concluding with an
additional hour from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. on ESPN2. The NHRA's weekly magazine
show, NHRA2Day will on Sunday, November from 12:00 noon -12:30 p.m. (Times
given are Eastern. As always, please check your local listings as well as
the NHRA and ESPN websites, as broadcast times are subject to change.)
www.tomhammondsracing.com
