Cannon geared up for Pomona

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2003 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 23 of 23
Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals
Pomona (Calif.) Raceway
Race Dates: Nov. 6-9, 2003

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 5, 2003) - Scotty Cannon is geared up to end the 2003
NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Funny Car season at Pomona Raceway this
weekend by qualifying well and winning the Automobile Club of Southern
California Finals in his Oakley Time Bomb Dodge Stratus. Having qualified in
the top half of the field in the No. 8 spot for the last two races, Cannon
is confident his team and car are ready for good results.

"We were the fourth fastest car in Vegas and had the fastest car in Dallas,"
said Cannon. "So, in talking things over with 'Fletch' (Dave Fletcher) and
Todd (Blakely), who have been helping me, our car is running real good from
half-track on, probably as good as anybody's out there.

"We picked up the short time in the last round of qualifying and first round
Sunday in Vegas. It was actually running as good as anybody's car early.
Where we had our problem was the transition part of the track, right around
300-400 feet when the clutch started to lock up and it spun the tires.

"Our goal for Pomona is to take the back half and put it with the front half
and fix the middle," he added. "I know it sounds funny, but if we can get
our car to run as good early as it did the last two runs and then run as
good the last half as it's been running then our car should run high 4.70s
pretty easy.

"It's going to depend on the track conditions," he commented. "Pomona can be
real, real good, and Pomona can be real bad. That means that when the sun's
out the track is a little slick and greasy, but the atmosphere conditions
are so good you can make plenty of power."

The recent wildfires in the area are also a concern. "Another factor we have
going into this race is all the fires. I'm not sure how big a burden that's
going to cause," said Cannon. "(Oakley boss) Jim Jannard's bus driver, who
is known as 'Dudley,' had to hurry home from Vegas. The only thing that kept
his home from burning is that the fire didn't jump one of the roads, luckily
for him. 

"We feel real bad for all the people in Southern California who have lost
their homes.

"I guess all that's going to play a role," said the popular Mohawk-wearing
racer from Lyman, S.C. "If Mother Nature lets us play ball and we can go out
there and do everything we're supposed to do, we should do well."

Cannon recently announced he would return to Pro Mod racing in 2004. He
currently stands 14th in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. He holds the
track top-speed record at the Texas Motorplex of 325.73 mph, set this year.
Cannon's the 1999 NHRA Rookie of the Year, has three final round appearances
since 1999 and has qualified No. 1 two times. Cannon has won six IHRA
championships, but has scored no NHRA Funny Car event wins so far.