BAZEMORE ADVANCES TO FINAL FOR SECOND TIME THIS SEASON; MOVES INTO SECOND IN POINTS

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Mac Tools Thunder Valley NHRA Nationals
Round 6 of 23
Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway
Sunday, April 27, 2003



BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 27, 2003) -- Whit Bazemore had a stellar day today,
advancing to the final round for the second time this season after defeating
Tim Wilkerson, Tommy Johnson Jr., and finally his nemesis from John Force
Racing, Tony Pedregon, in the semifinal.

He moved into second in the point standings after the second round, but a
repeat of his Funny Car win here in Bristol in 2002 was not in the cards.

In the final, it was Del Worsham in the opposing lane for their 33rd career
match-up, with the win-loss record tied before the final at 16-16. After
three consistent runs today (4.975/298.14, 4.958/303.16 and 4.944/309.06),
Bazemore's Matco Tools Dodge Stratus R/T uncharacteristically struck the
tires at barely the 60-foot mark, resulting in a pedaling 6.500-second lap
at just 194.35 mph to Worsham's winning 4.924/310.41.

When Gary Densham, also from the Force camp, was ousted in the second round
and Bazemore won in his quarterfinal, Bazemore passed Densham for second in
the point standings and now is just 67 points behind leader Tony Pedregon.

This was Whit's fifth straight semifinal round appearance in six races this
season, and it was the first final-round pairing for him and Worsham since
Pomona III in 2001, which was won by Worsham.

"We're just not quite there, but we're awfully close," said Bazemore, the
two-time U.S. Nationals champion and winner of 12 events in his career who
is still looking for his first victory of 2003. "Considering the fact that
we have yet to win this year and, believe me, we're not counting because
it's something you can't force upon yourself. We're second in the POWERade
championship and things are really looking good. The performance is there in
our Matco Tools Dodge; it's usually very consistent and that's what it takes
to win rounds and win races. We're winning rounds, but we're not winning
races. But, as long as we keep winning rounds then the race victories will
come and after you get a certain number of race victories, then the
championships come and that's how it is. We're doing everything we can do,
but at the same time we have to just relax a little bit and let the chips
fall the way they fall."

Wrapping up today's eliminations, Bazemore said, "For the team, we had a
great day, we had something happen in the final. There's no way our Matco
Tools Dodge should smoke the tires there, no way, not even remotely
possible, with the tune-up that Lee (Beard, crew chief) and the guys had in
it. There's probably a reason why that happened and we'll find it and
correct it and go to Atlanta and try to repeat there, like we tried to
repeat here."

Defeating his fiercest rival next to John Force, Tony Pedregon, was
rewarding. "That team over there, John Medlen (crew chief) and Dickie
Venables (co-crew chief) and all those guys, they're a tremendous team," he
added. "They've had the best car for quite a while and they lost a
championship on a holeshot last year and they're proving that they deserve
to win it. They're very, very good. Beating them was tremendous; it was a
very important round. We have to just move on to next week. It was good for
10 minutes and then we really had to focus on the final and Worsham, and now
we have to focus on next week."

Since the beginning of the season Bazemore has stated that winning rounds
was key, and he's demonstrated the value of that goal by moving into second
in the point standings without winning a final. "I've never been this high
this early," he remarked. "It's too early to count that. Obviously, the
POWERade championship is our ultimate goal and we have a good consistent
car, and a good consistent team and we're just going to fine-tune ourselves
a little bit more and hopefully get just a little tiny bit better and if we
keep getting a little bit better every week, things will really start to go
our way, I think. they're already going our way."

Bazemore has been with Don Schumacher Racing's Funny Car team since the
team's beginning in 2001, and has weathered a number of ups and downs.
"Today was really good. It was a key weekend in many respects," he said.
"It's my third year with the team and my boss Don Schumacher was there when
I needed him last night and helped me. We've started to really understand
each other. I know he understands me a lot better and what makes me tick and
what I need to perform at may best, so that makes me very gratified that we
have a relationship like that. Nothing ever lasts forever, I know that, but
while we're here we want to do the very best possible job and it takes a
certain environment to thrive in and he's providing that for me and I'm very
grateful for that."

Round 7 of the 23-race series is May 1-4 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.

POINT STANDINGS:
1. Tony Pedregon            542
2.  Whit Bazemore            475
3.  Del Worsham                441
4.  Gary Densham            437
5.  Ron Capps                    353
6.  Johnny Gray                323
7.  Tommy Johnson Jr.        317
8.  John Force                    264
9.  Dean Skuza                    257
10.  Frank Pedregon            253
11.  Gary Scelzi                233

14.  Scotty Cannon            209