IHRA Harold Martin Rockingham Wrap Up: Martin Surges to Second Round in Rockingham

Team ACDelco

IHRA Race Wrap Up

Harold Martin, Owner/Driver

ACDelco Pro Modified Pontiac Grand Am


 

Event:  35th Annual Spring Nationals.

Location:  Rockingham Dragway

       Rockingham, NC

Dates:  April 24, 2005

 

Martin Surges to Second Round in Rockingham

 

Entering Sunday's final eliminations of the IHRA Spring Nationals,
ACDelco Pontiac Pro Mod pilot Harold Martin looked to turn his fourth
starting position into his first win at Rockingham Dragway.  However,
the Martin's team first assignment was to come up with the proper
tune-up to conquer the dramatically cooler temperatures that greeted
competitors on race morning. 

 

Things went according to plan in the first round, when the "EFI Wizard"
opened with a solid 6.251-second, 223.65 mph pass in the first round to
trailer No. 13 qualifier Steve Vick.  This set the stage for a
second-round encounter with veteran Rickie Smith.  

 

Launching in close proximity, the two racers surged down the
quarter-mile in a virtual dead heat.  However, just as it seemed Martin
would pull away for the win, smoke billowed from his race car, with the
mechanical troubles slowing him to a 6.526-second elapsed time and
cutting his day short, as his opponent posted a 6.298-second run to
advance.

 

"I just recapped the weekend with my guys, and commended them for doing
a great job," said Martin.  "Many times in a journey, you have to look
within to see the things that are positive as well as possible areas of
improvement.  As a reflection back on last season, our program struggled
in cooler ambient conditions such as we encountered here.

 

"I believe our efforts this weekend showed that our efforts during the
winter were directionally correct, and we're finally starting to make
progress in the cooler air, and giving us the confidence that we can go
from A to B in these conditions.  

 

"It's unfortunate that we had a problem with our engine on that last
run.  We knew it in the round before, but just didn't feel like we had
the time to change it, so we crossed our fingers and hoped we could get
some help from Lady Luck in the second round, and then fix it in time
for the semifinals. I clearly had passed him (Smith) on the track and
was ready to make a move when I felt the engine surge and that was it.

 

"We'll go home and analyze what happened with the engine and get it
turned around. We will then couple it with the new information we have
and look to get this ACDelco Pontiac in the winner's circle very soon."