NHRA: Chevrolet notes, O'Reilly NHRA Nationals, Texas
15 April 2000
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
CHEVROLET NOTES AND QUOTES
O'REILLY NHRA NATIONALS
NHRA WINSTON DRAG RACING SERIES
HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK
HOUSTON, TEXAS
FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2000
TWO CAMAROS IN TOP FIVE IN FUNNY CAR AFTER TWO QUALIFYING SESSIONS
JERRY TOLIVER, WWF RACING CAMARO Z28, held the No. 1 qualifying position in the second qualifying session (4.863/316.75) until John Force displaced him with his 4.839/319.98 pass. Force is No. 1, Toliver No. 2. WHIT BAZEMORE, KENDALL OIL/MATCO TOOLS CAMARO Z28, is No. 3, with a 4.884/311.13 lap. RON CAPPS, U.S. TOBACCO CO. CAMARO Z28, is No. 11, with a 5.069/225.45 pass, posted in today's first session.
BAZEMORE: "We're pleased. But we're not celebrating anything. The Camaro has run well. We have to run well a lot. Then we will be happy. It's a a good starting point. We were on a good run the first lap but we broke the blower belt and I actually thought that run was better than it was (5.948/158.78). It felt strong. If we have a little cloud cover tomorrow this track will be awesome and the fight for low e.t. may not be over. Toliver, on the back of his car, has a catch phrase, 'Know Your Role.' We know our role, it's certainly not to be behind him. We're 10th (in points), but it's still a long year."
CAPPS: "Today's first run really showed us what the Camaro wanted to run. It threw the belt off it. We went out there with the same tune-up in the second session. Ace (crew chief Ed McCulloch) and I agreed that the car probably had low driveshaft speed and shook the tires loose, which happens a lot in these night sessions. You leave the pit area and by the time you get to the starting line the conditions change. The sun goes down, and the way you set the car up in the pit area won't be quite right for the conditions by the time you get ready to run."
RANDY DANIELS NO. 1 IN PRO STOCK TRUCK, RE-SETS NATIONAL SPEED RECORD
RANDY DANIELS, BAILEY TRUCKING CHEVY S-10, is No. 1 qualifier after two sessions, 7.505/179.97. He posted a 7.505-second lap (a track record) in both sessions, and backed up his 179.97 mph for a national record with his 179.66-mph run in the second round. Randy broke his own previous national record, set in Gainesville this year, of 179.78 mph. Randy has already reached the 180-mph mark in testing, but has yet to break this barrier during official event qualifying.
DANIELS: "We have been so close; we sure would have loved to have done it, but there's always tomorrow. I'm enjoying it, being up here. All this hard work is finally paying off. We have been flogging it for two years now." HOW'S THE TRACK?: "It's really good for us, our S-10 has been like on a roll. I heard other guys complaining, but we have had no problems." WILL YOU GO QUICKER TOMORROW? "That 11 o'clock pass could be good. I would have to sneak up on the combination a little bit, but we don't want to go the wrong way." ON REACHING 180 MPH: "That's going to be the last big milestone for the trucks for a while. Running a 7.30 is a fair ways down the road, 190 (mph) is out of the question. Panella has already gone in the 7.40s."
BOB PANELLA JR., PANELLA MOTORSPORTS CHEVY S-10, is No. 2, 7.525/178.83. Panella and Daniels are the only two winners in three Pro Stock Truck races this season (Panella won in Pomona and Las Vegas; Daniels in Gainesville).
KURT JOHNSON NO. 7 IN PRO STOCK; RICKIE SMITH NO. 3 IN INDEPENDENT CAMARO ENTRY
KURT JOHNSON, ACDELCO CAMARO Z28, is No. 7 in Pro Stock, 6.901/200.32. RICKIE SMITH, in a Camaro Z28, is No. 3 qualifier, 6.892/198.70.
Text provided by Judy Stopus
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