Mopar NHRA Elimination Notebook from Indy
Mopar Motorsports NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series 48th Annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Notes & Quotes Sept. 2, 2002 TELEVISION TIMES: (ALL TIMES EASTERN) 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 eliminations for this weekend¹s 48th annual U.S. Nationals NHRA Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park. DEAN SKUZA, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T Dean Skuza and the Mopar Parts Dodge Stratus R/T are on a roll. Following a final-round appearance during yesterday¹s $100,000 Budweiser Shootout, the Brecksville, Ohio, resident drove to his fourth semifinal in the last five NHRA events during today¹s U.S. Nationals. Skuza was finally bitten by a gremlin in his semifinal match with Tommy Johnson, Jr.; as he smoked the tires out of the box and never recovered. ³We haven¹t made an A to B run out of the box most of the weekend,² Skuza said. ³There is something wrong with this car, and we don¹t quite know what to do with it. Wer¹e going to Atlanta next weekend for the Mopar Nationals and it will be a perfect place for us to test and figure out what¹s wrong with this car.² Skuza gained a little revenge on Bud Shootout winner Ron Capps in the first round. Capps smoked the tires and Skzua drove through to a 5.162-second elapsed time at 257.09 mph. Despite popping a blower and sending the burst panel spiraling; Skuza beat Tony Pedregon in round two with a 5.162-second lap at 257.09 mph. Pedregon smoked the tires and logged a 5.239/258.76 combination. GENE WILSON, driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T Gene Wilson lost a close with Greg Anderson in the second round of eliminations today. The 29-year-old Mopar-backed rookie collected a 6.947-elapsed time at 200.05 mph, but it wasn¹t enough to overcome Anderson¹s slightly quicker 6.943-second pass at 200.02 mph. ³We¹re happy with what we did this weekend,² Wilson said. ³Greg just had a .419 light and I had a .454. We have a good race car and have good horsepower. The whole crew is doing an excellent job setting these cars up. We¹ll go to the next race and see what happens.² Wilson made it to the second round by defeating George Marnell in round one. Wilson ran a 6.942-second elapsed time 199.02 mph; while Marnell posted a 6.961/6.942 combination. GREG STANFIELD, driver of the DBP Motorsports Dodge Neon R/T Greg Stanfield, driver of the Hemi-powered DBP Motorsports Dodge Neon R/T, fell in the first round of eliminations to Jeg Coughlin, Jr. The Bossier City, La., resident, who was making his inaugural Pro Stock run at the U.S. Nationals, managed a 6.957-second lap at 198.99 mph. It wasn¹t quick enough to stave off 6.931/199.05 effort. ³I think the track was actually bad,² Stanfield said. ³We saw a lot of cars that had great 60-foot times. I think what¹s hurting us is track experience. We seem to run well when the track conditions are good, but really struggle when the conditions are poor. And there¹s no excuse for me being lat on the tree.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