Skuza & Wilson Strong After One
Mopar Motorsports NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series 48th Annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Notes & Quotes Aug. 30, 2002 TELEVISION TIMES: (ALL TIMES EASTERN) QUALIFYING: Sat., Aug. 31; 12-1 p.m.; ESPN2 QUALIFYING: Sun., Sept. 1; 14 p.m.; ESPN2 BUD SHOOTOUT: Sun., Sept. 1; 9:30 p.m.- Midnight; ESPN2 EARLY ELIMINATIONS: Mon., Sept. 2; 11:00 a.m.- 1 p.m.; ESPN2 ELIMINATIONS: Mon., Sept. 2; 4:30- 7:30 p.m.; ESPN2 REPEAT: Tues., Sept. 3; 2-5 p.m.; ESPN2 REPEAT: Sat., Sept. 7; 3-5:30 a.m.; ESPN2 CLERMONT, Ind. -- Mopar Motorsports NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series teams completed the first day of qualifying for this weekend¹s 48th annual U.S. Nationals NHRA Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park. The following are notes and quotes from today¹s qualifying activity. DEAN SKUZA, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T A solid pass by Dean Skuza and the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T collected the provisional fourth-qualifying slot. Skuza ran a 4.871-second lap at 313.07 mph. ³That was a real nice start,² Skuza said. ³We thought we could have run a 4.84 and a 4.88. You sometimes feel like the track can be too good and you don¹t have enough clutch. That was a fear. We really wanted to get safely into the show; so that we can go out and really treat the Budweiser Shootout as if it were a different race. If you¹re not qualified, you often just try to shallow stage and worry about making a good pass, instead of really trying to win the race. Now I can shallow stage and see what can happen.² Skuza will face off against John Force in the first round of the Budweiser Shootout on Sunday. GENE WILSON, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T Pro Stock rookie Gene Wilson is bidding for his best qualifying effort thus far this season. The Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T lapped the historic Indy quarter in 6.846-second elapsed time at 200.71 mph, taking home the provisional second-qualifying position. ³The track here at Indy is so smooth,² Wilson said. ³We made an excellent run. We have a lot more in it too. I made that entire run without a shift light, so I was just going on feel. I might have shifted a little too early second.² Wilson has qualified in the fourth slot twice this year. LARRY MORGAN, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T Larry Morgan and his blue Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T missed the top 16. The Newark, Ohio, resident logged a 6.923-second lap at 199.23 mph. Morgan talked about the first of an unusual five sessions. ³We just had way too little clutch,² Morgan said. ³We have m ore horsepower in our new engine than I thought I did. One good thing about Indy is that we have the time to make up for our mistakes. We should be okay this weekend.² DARRELL ALDERMAN, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T Three-time POWERade Pro Stock World Champion Darrell Alderman struggled in his first-qualifying session. Alderman, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T, missed top 16 with a 6.917-second elapsed time at 199.97 mph. ³I really made a bad run,² Alderman said. ³And it was all driver error. I shifted way too early, got out of the groove and made a terrible pass. I¹ll make up for it tomorrow night.² -30- David Harris, Cox Marketing Group Mopar Motorsports NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series davidh@coxmarketinggroup.com (704) 799-2114 office (704) 756-9301 - mobile