Bazemore DNQs in midst of championship chase in Reading

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
ROUND 18 of 23
LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS
Maple Grove Raceway
Reading, Pa.
Rainout Date: Oct. 4-5, 2003
ADRENALINE CRUSH; BAZEMORE DNQs IN THE MIDST OF CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE

READING, Pa. (Oct. 4, 2003) - For the first time since Memphis in September
of 2002, Whit Bazemore did not qualify for a POWERade Drag Racing Series
Funny Car event. This was particularly devastating as Bazemore, driver of
the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus, is in the middle of a heated
championship battle with Tony Pedregon for the Funny Car crown.

Bazemore, who had led the point standings by seven points before exiting in
the first round last week in Chicago and dropping to second with a 69-point
deficit to Pedregon, returned to the rain-delayed Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
at Maple Grove Raceway today with high hopes of regaining the points lead.
He had qualified No. 14 in the one round of qualifying completed in the
first visit here Sept. 12.

Rain nearly washed out today's two scheduled sessions and NHRA was able to
fit in only one qualifying round. In that round, Bazemore, whose team is
famous for running well in cool conditions, had an uncharacteristically poor
pass of 5.233/275.51, placing him 18th and out of the field. With only three
races remaining following this one, Bazemore's chances for his first Funny
Car championship have diminished, but Bazemore, crew chief Lee Beard and the
team have not given up.

"It was a very cold track; we shook the tires," said Bazemore, who's won
three times this season. "It's prone to happen in these conditions. I
pedaled it, it hooked up nicely and was going right down there. Then it just
spun the tires down track heavily, and that was probably what did us in more
than anything.

"We've made it harder for ourselves, but we are still certainly capable of
winning this thing. We're very, very motivated and we're going to do what we
can do to make it happen. We've certainly made it harder for ourselves, but
we've got a great team over here, great guys. Everyone is very motivated and
focused and we want this title. We're going to go out there with nothing
else on our minds but to get it. It's up to us to make it happen."

Lee Beard was just as determined. "There are three races left. We had a team
meeting and we're going to stick to our guns," he said. "It's not over 'til
it's over and we're a never-say-die team. There's one thing I can guarantee
you, they (John Force team) won't outwork us.

"It's one of those things. There's no margin for error when you're limited
to one or two qualifying runs. We made an error and didn't get down the
track. That's just the way it goes.

"We're not letting this get us down. We're going to do whatever we can do to
win it. It's still mathematically not over."