Mopar Qualifying in Denver
Mopar Motorsports NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals Notes & Quotes Aug. 2, 2002 TELEVISION TIMES: (ALL TIMES EASTERN) QUALIFYING: Sat., Aug. 3; 9-10 p.m.; ESPN2 FINAL ROUND: Sun., Aug. 4; 710 p.m.; ESPN2 FINAL ROUND: Tues., Aug. 6; 2:30-5:30 a.m.; ESPN2 SONOMA, Calif. -- Mopar Motorsports NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series teams completed the first day of qualifying for this weekend¹s Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway. DEAN SKUZA, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T Dean Skuza and the Mopar Partds Dodge Stratus R/T posted a solid first day of qualifying. The 35-year-old Skuza nabbed the provisional 13th slot with a 5.126-second elapsed time at 282.78 mph. ³We dropped a hole up near the top on that first run,² said team owner Don Skuza. ³And we just underpowered it on the second run. It¹s cold out and the track was cold. We didn¹t want to just go up there and blow the tires off, but we just went out there and shook the tires. It was a hard one to figure because you don¹t want to overpower it too much.² GENE WILSON, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T A new surface at Infineon meant quick times were in order for the Pro Stock category. It was no different for Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T rookie Gene Wilson as he posted a 6.840-second elapsed time at 201.16 mph and captured the provisional 9th starting slot. ³This is the first time I¹ve ever been to this track and it just feels good to make a nice run on the first day,² Wilson said. ³The field is going to be really fast. We had really good air tonight and made a good run. ³The left lane was a little bit off out there,² Wilson added. ³Unfortunately, I had that lane for the night run. I believe I could have been a hundredth or two faster if I would have been in the right lane. Nonetheless, still a good hit.² LARRY MORGAN, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T Larry Morgan continued his mid-season turn around with a 6.844-second pass at 200.50 mph; placing the blue Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T into the 12th position. The eight-time NHRA Pro Stock national event winner talked about his day. ³The run was fairly good,² Morgan commented. ³We think we could have run a hundredth or so better, but we just didn¹t have enough fuel for the car. Looking at the graph, there¹s not much left. But just from the feel of the car, I know that there¹s more left in it. It just nosed over. I think we¹re good. The air shouldn¹t be this good tomorrow. I¹m almost sure it won¹t be.² DARRELL ALDERMAN, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T Darrell Alderman went from a Jerry Bickel-built race car, back to his old Rick Jones-built Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T for this weekend. And Alderman went from outside the top 16 after round one to collecting the 14th slot. The three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion managed a 6.847-second elapsed time at 200.83 mph. ³We had a awesome 60-foot time,² said of Alderman¹s .996, 60-foot launch. ³We hurt it at about the 330-foot mark, so we feel like it has hundredth and a half to two hundredths left in it for tomorrow. That is if we have the same conditions. In the morning it should be pretty good so that we can improve. ³This is a totally different car and I¹m trying to get used to it,² Alderman continued. ³We need to make a couple more runs and we¹ll have it dialed in.² GREG STANFIELD, driver of the DBP Motorsports Dodge Neon R/T Greg Stanfield is still learning the Pro Stock game. The category rookie and former Pro Stock Truck shoe logged a 6.877-second lap at 200.86 mph and sits just outside the qualified field. ³We didn¹t have any clutch,² Stanfield said. ³We just didn¹t have enough clutch for the track and I still think the suspension off a little. ³The track is real nice,² Stanfield added. ³The track is not the problem. We still have to get a grip on the car because, right now, it has a grip on us. We feel that we could go 6.80 seconds if I had it right. It was that ugly of a run.² -Mopar.com- David Harris, Cox Marketing Group Mopar Motorsports NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series davidh@coxmarketinggroup.com (704) 799-2114 office (704) 756-9301 - mobile