Bazemore No. 5 in Brainerd qualifying

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2004 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 16 of 23
LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS
BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
Brainerd, Minn.
Race Dates: Aug. 13-15, 2004

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 14, 2004) - Whit Bazemore, driver of the Matco Tools
Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car, qualified No. 5 for Sunday's Lucas Oil
Nationals, posting the following four qualifying rounds:

1. 4.916/313.51
2. 4.875/306.19 - No. 5 qualifying run
3. 8.513/91.51
4. 4.933/312.93

Bazemore: "Today was a good day. So far, the Matco Tools team has done
fairly well. We're pretty happy with the way the car has responded to the
conditions that we've been faced with and the changes that have happened. I
think our testing at Route 66 Raceway last week definitely paid off (under
cool conditions similar to the ones here in Brainerd), and we we're able to
come into the race here in Brainerd with some ideas that we didn't have
before testing and ideas that we wouldn't have implemented during a  race.

"So, we're still going in a certain direction with the race car and we feel
very confident. We're on a good side of the ladder tomorrow, and it's
imperative at this point for our championship hopes that we go rounds and
have a good day. 

"It's more than just wanting to win a race. We find ourselves in a situation
where now is the time that we have to really step up at the plate and
perform. As a driver, it's the kind of pressure that I really like and it 's
the kind of pressure I think that our team will thrive under. For that
reason we have a lot of confidence and we're ready to go race tomorrow."

***