Stevens ousted by Anderson in Pomona first round

DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2005 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
Round 1 of 23
CARQUEST AUTO PARTS WINTERNATIONALS
POMONA (CALIF.) RACEWAY
FEB. 10-13, 2005

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 13, 2005) - Richie Stevens Jr. had a few roadblocks in
his way as he competed in his first NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Pro
Stock event for Don Schumacher Racing in the Team Mopar HEMI-powered Dodge
Stratus at the season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals.

He overcame not qualifying in the first round because of an engine problem
and a rainout of the second round by finally taking the No. 10 spot after
only three sessions. There was just one remaining stumbling block. He would
have to face the reigning two-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson in
Stevens' first Pro Stock appearance since 2003.

Lacking lane choice, Stevens was relegated to the less-favorable right lane
for the first round. He launched with a more-than-respectable .040 reaction
time, but Anderson bettered it with a .030 and led all the way to the finish
line to claim the victory with a 6.710-second ET at 204.73 mph to Stevens'
losing 6.782/205.51.

"It's one of the toughest classes out here," said Stevens. "And I got a
great welcome-back present by having Greg Anderson first round," he laughed.
"We tried and we tried and gave it our best, and went out there and shook
the tires from the initial hit. It just didn't make a good run. Greg made a
pretty good run and it was kind of hard to beat him today. But, we'll get
another shot in Phoenix.

"The right lane was a little worse than the left lane," he explained. "The
Top Fuel and Funny Cars preferred the right lane, but it was kind of
different in Pro Stock. I don't know why, but it was. The right lane wasn't
as good as the left so we didn't have lane choice, same for (my teammate)
Jeg (Coughlin, who also lost in the first round). We got stuck in that bad
lane. I think that's a lot of the problem; not all of it, but a lot of it."

Next up is the Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals at Firebird Raceway in
Chandler, Ariz., on Feb. 25-27.