NHRA: Sticky problem could be slowing Thomas

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Rob Geiger at 281-913-3316.

Sticky problem could be slowing Thomas

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 23) – With two national events behind the wheel of the
NHRA’s newest Pro Stock Pontiac Grand Am under his safety belts, veteran
driver Mike Thomas believes he is closing in on a championship tune-up
that will return him to his rightful place amongst the sport’s elite.
He’ll know just how far he and his award-winning Finish Line Racing
Engines crew has come this weekend during the 13th annual running of the
Advance Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka.

A 15-time winner in NHRA competition, Thomas finds himself trailing the
lead pack in the extremely competitive Pro Stock category after he was
forced to run the first six races of the season in a backup car. The
predicament was unavoidable after a freak testing accident shelved the
first 2001 model car he unveiled in early January.

Now the 48-year-old from Knoxville, Tenn., is playing catch-up as the
season continues at its torrid pace with virtually no data on his new
Don Ness Racecraft-built car.

“This season was going to be tough enough with the switch to the new
body styles,” Thomas said. “But trying to catch up in the middle of a
stretch where we have six races in seven weeks is a real challenge.
Still, this is what we have to deal with so we’ll continue working
towards closing the gap on the front-runners.”

As most of the teams with new cars have discovered, the longer wheelbase
and sleeker designs of the 2001 models call for drastically different
set-ups throughout the racecars. Additionally, a new traction compound
employed this year by NHRA track preparation specialists have made the
surfaces of even the trickiest racetracks completely different from what
they’ve been in the past, regardless of the weather conditions.

“The NHRA is definitely preparing the tracks differently,” Thomas said.
“We’ve always fought to find traction for these cars (which produce over
1,300 horsepower). Now, the data we’re gathering is telling us the
tracks are almost too tacky, especially down-track. The last run we made
in Englishtown (N.J.) we were absolutely glued to the track. We’re now
looking for ways to free the car up just a little bit so we can properly
apply all of the horsepower we’re making to the track’s surface.

“The weather looks good for this weekend. Even so, we’ll have to hit it
right Friday night to get in. The one-night-session format makes that
round a do-or-die proposition.”

Television networks ESPN and ESPN2 will carry several hours of the 13th
annual Advance Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. Qualifying highlights will air
from 5:30-7 p.m. ET, Saturday, on ESPN2. The elimination rounds will be
broadcast from 3:30-6 p.m. ET, Sunday, on ESPN, with a rebroadcast from
1-3 p.m., Friday, June 1, on ESPN2.

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