NHRA pre-race: Ex-Hoopster Hammonds Hopes to Rebound in Englishtown
EX-HOOPSTER HAMMONDS HOPES TO REBOUND IN ENGLISHTOWN Winnebago Cavalier driver draws on NBA experience to prepare for the Matco Tools NHRA Supernationals Crestview, Fla., May 13, 2002 - One year ago, Tom Hammonds was a veteran power forward in the NBA, playing for the playoff-bound Minnesota Timberwolves. His competitive focus was on doing whatever he could do help his team win the NBA championship. It was a job he had done well for over fifteen years, dating back to his days at Georgia Tech. However, even though the 2002 NBA postseason is currently in full swing, the results are of little interest to Hammonds. Having retired from basketball last September, the Crestview, Fla. native now has his sights set on winning a different title, that of an NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series champion. "God has truly blessed me by allowing me to do two things in my life that I truly love" said Hammonds. "First, I was able to make a good living by playing basketball, and now I'm a professional drag racer. It's been a great experience, and we're just getting started." Hammonds may still drive the lane, but now he does it at over 200 mph, with the basketball and short pants having been replaced by a firesuit and his Winnebago Pro Stock Cavalier. The challenge of out-rebounding 7'2" Shaquille O'Neal has given way to beating six-time NHRA champion (and 5'6") Warren Johnson to the finish line. Therefore, next week when Hammonds arrives in New Jersey, his destination will no longer be the Meadowlands, but rather Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, site of this weekend's Matco Tools NHRA SuperNationals. "We're coming into Englishtown in a better position than we ever have before, having already run the first seven races" stated Hammonds. "During my NBA days, this would traditionally be our first race, so not only would it take us some time to get up to speed, but we'd also be competing against guys who had fine-tuned their cars for months. "This year, we have a pretty good idea of what our Winnebago Cavalier is going to do, as well as a database from previous years' races. I'm not going to flat out tell you that we're going to win the race, but I do like our chances." Despite the differences in the two sports, Hammonds the race car driver is still able to draw on his experience as a basketball player to help handle the demands of racing in arguably the most competitive division in all of motorsports. For example, he started the 2002 season in impressive fashion, qualifying in the top half of the field at the first five races on tracks that for the most part, his team had never even seen. In the last two events, however, Hammonds has stumbled slightly. Fighting a combination of unusual weather conditions, abbreviated qualifying sessions and a balky race car, Hammonds has been a reluctant spectator on Sunday during final eliminations. But with over 700 NBA games under his belt, Hammonds recognizes a slump as simply part of the business, an unfortunate byproduct of competition that must be dealt with. With a plan already in place, he remains confident in his team's ability to overcome its current difficulties. "No matter who you are, or what sport you're competing in, sooner or later, you're going to struggle," explained Hammonds. "We knew the start of the season would be a challenge, and although you're never happy unless you win, we're fairly satisfied with our performance. We qualified well for five races and then missed two, and now we're headed to tracks on which we have data. We see that as a foundation that we can build upon. "We're going to test before Englishtown to make sure everything is working right and get our confidence back. We were fast before, and I promise you, we'll be fast again. Fortunately for us, no one is running away with the points. Just like I did in the NBA, we'll take it one race at a time, trying to get hot and put some round wins together. If we do that, we can get ourselves back in the hunt." Hammonds Highlights: This will be Tom Hammonds' 4th appearance at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park… Tom is looking to climb from his current 12th place in the NHRA POWERade Points standings, and is only thirty-two points (approximately 1 ½ rounds of competition) out of 8th. Fast Facts WHAT: 33rd annual Matco Tools NHRA SuperNationals presented by Racing Champions, the eighth race on the 23-race 2002 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Schedule. WHEN: May 17 - 19, 2002 WHERE: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, New Jersey SCHEDULE: Professional qualifying begins with two sessions on Friday, May 17 at 4:15 and 7:15 p.m., and concludes with two more sessions on Saturday, May 18 at 12:45 and 4:00 p.m. Final eliminations will start at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 19. TV: ESPN will televise two hours of qualifying highlights from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. ESPN2 will then follow with three hours of final eliminations coverage on Sunday, May 19 from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.. The NHRA's weekly magazine show, NHRA2Day will on Sunday, May 19 from 11:00-11:30 a.m. (Times given are Eastern. As always, please check your local listings.)