Bazemore out in second round in Memphis

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
ROUND 17 of 23
O'REILLY MID-SOUTH NHRA NATIONALS
MEMPHIS (Tenn.) MOTORSPORTS PARK
RACE DATES: Aug. 20-22, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438

LOW QUALIFIER BAZEMORE OUT IN SECOND ROUND IN MEMPHIS

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Aug. 22, 2004) - What was billed as a "night" race here at
Memphis Motorsports Park, turned out to be held under the hottest and
sunniest conditions of the weekend, at least for the first three rounds. The
slippery, sticky track presented a challenge for No. 1 qualifier Whit
Bazemore, driver of the Matco Tools Iron Eagle Dodge Stratus Funny Car and
crew chief Lee Beard.

Bazemore kept up his record of first-round season wins against Ron Capps by
defeating him for the fifth time, with a respectable 5.081/290.19 to Capps'
5.270/257.53. This was an important win for Bazemore and crew chief Lee
Beard under the existing conditions. Unfortunately, the second round
resulted in a tire-hazing 6.404/169.21 pass for Bazemore, who lost to Del
Worsham's 5.132/289.20.

"The first two rounds today we knew were going to be the hardest, especially
for us," said the Indianapolis resident, "because we haven't been very
dominating on a hot race track. The first round was really critical. Lee did
a tremendous job setting up the Matco Tools Dodge, and reading the track,
and we went right down there. We spun (the tires) down at the other end a
little bit, but a lot of people did. So, all in all, that was a good lap. We
got the win light over Capps. When the sun comes out it kind of evens the
playing field a little bit, so they were a tough draw.

"I just don't think we took enough out of it," he said of his second-round
loss, "but it's a very hard call to make. You're running Worsham and you
certainly don't want to go out and get outrun. It's a very fine balance
between getting outrun and overpowering the race track, especially with the
situation that we have now, with this mandated tire that is different and
the 85-percent nitro rule. We're still trying to find our way on a hot track
with that combination and we don't really have a total handle on it yet.

"It was not a good moment to lose, but the fans have been great this year.
They stand behind us all the time and that really means a lot. We don't
mince words. At the beginning of the season our goal was very obvious, to
win the championship, and we're not going to beat around the bush. It would
be very easy for us to come out and say that we're hopeful for a top-five
finish. And that's the safe route. But a top-five finish doesn't motivate us
and when you state your goals publicly, you open yourself up to a little bit
of ridicule because your successes or failures are very public.

"If we had said that our goal was a top-five finish, then it's very possible
that we could finish fifth or fourth or third or second and at the end of
the year everyone would say, Wow, they had a great year, they achieved their
goal. We don't take the safe route here on the Matco Tools team. Our goal is
to win the championship and until it's mathematically impossible we won't
give up. And we've been that way ever since we started to contend, which was
in 1997.

"It's been up and down. We've consistently been the second strongest team
behind the team that wins it and we just have more work to do to get up to
another level where we can really go out and try to dominate the way we want
to. But it's a very hard job to get to the point. I believe wholeheartedly
that we have the team here that is fully capable of achieving all of our
goals. 
The guys prove themselves every day here and honestly I wouldn't trade them
for anybody."

Bazemore holds on to third place in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series
Funny Car championship, with 1078 points. He is now 23 points behind his
teammate Gary Scelzi in second, who also lost in the second round, and 243
points behind leader John Force, who won today's event.

Next up is the prestigious 50th Annual U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis
Raceway Park, Sept. 1-6.

FUNNY CAR POINT STANDINGS:

1. John Force, 1321
2. Gary Scelzi, 1101
3. Whit Bazemore, 1078
4. Del Worsham, 1076
5. Eric Medlen, 1023
6. Tim Wilkerson, 987
7. Gary Densham, 973

***