Stevens K.O.'s K.J., advances to second round in Topeka

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 9 of 23
O'REILLY NHRA SUMMER NATIONALS
HEARTLAND PARK TOPEKA, Kan.
Race Dates: May 27-29, 2005

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 29, 2005) - Richie Stevens Jr. and the Team Mopar/Valspar
Dodge Stratus Pro Stock car were off to a spectacular start at the O'Reilly
NHRA Summer Nationals today, when the No. 14 qualifier K.O.'d K.J. (Kurt
Johnson) in the first round of final eliminations on a holeshot advantage
that sent the No. 3 qualifier packing.

Richie scorched the starting lights with a .047 reaction time to Johnson's
.084 and held the advantage down the entire quarter-mile, taking the win
light with a slower 6.815/202.67 to Johnson's quicker but losing
6.781/203.86. The margin of victory was just a blink of an eye or 11 inches.

The second round presented a bigger challenge for the 26-year-old New
Orleans native in his first season with Don Schumacher Racing and tuner Bob
Glidden.

Stevens had lane choice over Greg Stanfield, but Stevens' day was over
instantly when the car veered to the left at the launch, nearly brushing the
wall, as Stevens shut it off to post a losing 14.011/60.77 to Stanfield's
winning 6.841/202.30.

"It just blew the tires off," said Stevens. "It completely annihilated the
tires, not even 20 feet off the line. It was just a bad run. It was kind of
going left to begin with, and when it started shaking the tires it just went
hard left and it wasn't going anywhere.

"I guess the lane of choice earlier today in the first round was the left
lane, as all the cars that had lane choice chose the left lane. So we came
up there in the second round and we took that lane.

"It was unfortunate. We were the first pair down, and when you're first pair
you don't get to watch anyone else, so we didn't have anybody to judge from.
I guess it kind of bit us there. We should have probably gone with the right
lane, but hindsight is 20-20, like they say."

Stanfield was definitely there for the taking. "He ran a 6.84," said
Stevens. "I knew we could have run at least a .81 or .80. We probably could
have beat him. He got me a little bit on the starting line, but I think we
could have driven around him, but it wasn't our day."

Beating Kurt Johnson in the first round was clearly the highlight of
Stevens' day. "Kurt's had my number for a long time, I think, and to leave
on him and get the win by three thousandths of a second was pretty exciting.
We were all pumped up after that."

He fell to eighth in the Pro Stock point standings, with 433 points. His
teammate Jeg Coughlin, who lost in the first round, is in 10th with 393.

Next up is the CARQUEST NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill., on June 10-12, 2005.