Bazemore ends 2004 season sixth in Funny Car points

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2004 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 23 of 23
AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS
POMONA (Calif.) RACEWAY
Race Dates: Nov. 11-14, 2004


BAZEMORE ENDS 2004 SEASON SIXTH IN FUNNY CAR POINTS

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 14, 2004) - Whit Bazemore ended the 2004 NHRA POWERade
Drag Racing Series season taking sixth in Funny Car championship points. The
driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus collected two wins, three
runner-ups and three No. 1 qualifiers after leading the point standings
through three events early in the season.

The Indianapolis resident and two-time U.S. Nationals champion was looking
to complete the year with a third victory today at the season-ending
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway.
Unfortunately, his hopes where dashed in the first round of eliminations
when he lost to Tommy Johnson Jr. out of the less-favorable right lane.

Bazemore and Johnson launched with identical .074 (.000 is perfect) reaction
times, but Bazemore lost traction immediately and slowed to a 6.196-second
finish at 208.55 mph to Johnson's winning 4.831/323.81.

"It's extremely frustrating, but that's racing. You have highs and lows,
peaks and valleys, and everybody knows that and it's just part of the game,"
said Bazemore, who has finished twice as runner-up in the series and is
still seeking his first Funny Car championship.

"I have to say that we're extremely disappointed because it's definitely not
how we wanted to end the year. We had a race car and a team that could win
today and it just didn't happen.

"It's frustrating for everyone involved at the Matco Tools team. Everyone
gives 110 percent, but sometimes the stars don't line up and you don't get
the results that you want. When that happens, naturally, you're frustrated.

"We got beat because we smoked the tires at the hit in the right lane. It
was a one-lane race track today, so if you didn't have lane choice you were
going to be out of luck. When we look at why did we get beat, why did we
lose, we have to go back to qualifying and look at why we qualified 10th
instead of the top half. It boiled down to lane choice today."

FINAL FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS (wins in parentheses):

1. John Force, 1883 (5) - winner today
2. Del Worsham, 1586 (5)
3. Gary Scelzi, 1565 (3)
4. Gary Densham, 1405 (2)
5. Eric Medlen, 1375 (1)
6. Whit Bazemore, 1338 (2)
7. Tim Wilkerson, 1218 (2)
8. Tony Pedregon, 1192
9. Cruz Pedregon, 1188
10. Phil Burkart Jr., 1159