Post-race Lee Beard comments re Bazemore's semifinal loss

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Round 7 of 23
SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONALS
Atlanta Dragway
Commerce, Ga.
Sunday, May 4, 2003


POST-RACE COMMENTS FROM WHIT BAZEMORE'S MATCO TOOLS IRON EAGLE DODGE STRATUS
R/T CREW CHIEF LEE BEARD:

Lane choice is always critical. Crew chief Lee Beard explained how important
that option was here in the semifinal when Bazemore, who did not have lane
choice, lost to Tony Pedregon:

"I knew that lane choice was going to be critical here. I didn't think that
the left lane, as far as Funny Cars went, would hold any kind of a decent
run. When we lost lane choice basically going into the semifinals, we knew
that Tony had a pretty serious advantage right there. It's hard to back your
race car up a bunch to race the points leader and the guy who's out there
setting low e.t. every round. We felt we backed it up to where it would go
down it, but obviously the lane was worse than what we thought. I can tell
you this: the Matco Tools Dodge Funny Car team is extremely committed. We'll
keep our nose to the grinding wheel until we either beat the (John) Force
team or we completely wear our noses off."

Bazemore, in second, trails points leader Tony Pedregon in the POWERade Drag
Racing Series standings by 108 points following today's event.