NHRA Saturday: Window of Opportunity Closes on KJ in Reading

Contact: Jon G. Knapp
									TMG Sports Marketing 
									Phone: (704) 662-3121
										                   jgknapp@tmgsports.net	

Final Qualifying Results		

Window of Opportunity Closes on KJ in Reading 


Event: 19th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
Location:  Maple Grove Raceway
       Reading, PA
Day/Date: Saturday October 4, 2003

Mother Nature continued to play an influential role in the POWERade Drag Racing Series, as persistent showers curtailed qualifying to a single attempt on Saturday at the resumption of the Lucas Oil Nationals in Reading, PA.   This situation placed extra pressure on ACDelco Cavalier pilot Kurt Johnson,  who had been forced to shut off early on his first attempt three weeks ago.

Although he posted the fourth fastest top speed of the round at 203.68 mph, a lack of wheel speed in the first sixty feet limited Johnson's improvement to an elapsed time of 6.806 seconds, which fell four thousandths of a second shy of making Sunday's final eliminations at Maple Grove Raceway 

This snaps a streak of 28 races in which Johnson was a participant on race day, dating back to last year's event in Seattle, WA.    

"This was a particularly tough situation.  Three weeks ago, our first run was in a lane that had absolutely no rubber on it, with only a few cars able to get down it.  That put us behind the eight ball for this weekend, when we came back to a single attempt to make the show under extreme conditions.  

"Our ACDelco Cavalier was really good down track, but you can't go anywhere burning the clutch out of it.  We actually went up there thinking the car was over clutched, which was our plan coming out of this week's test session.  Unfortunately, it was as soft as can be.  

"We made some adjustments in case we had another chance, but the weather never cleared.  It's unfortunate that it came down to a one shot deal, but we've been in that situation before, and made the good run when we needed it.  Today we were four thousandths off.

"We just need to regroup and move on.  Dad (six-time Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson) could help us tomorrow by putting Jeg on the trailer in the first round, but we're heading to Dallas with the full intention of winning the last three races."
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