It's a special race, says two-time U.S. Nats champ Bazemore
DON SCHUMACHER RACING 2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES Round 18 of 23 U.S. NATIONALS O'REILLY RACEWAY PARK Clermont, Ind. Race Date: Sept. 1-4, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Judy Stropus, 203-438-0501; cell 203-243-2438; jstropus@earthlink.net IT'S A SPECIAL RACE, SAYS TWO-TIME U.S. NATIONALS CHAMP BAZEMORE CLERMONT, Ind. (Aug. 29, 2006) - The U.S. Nationals is a special race, says Whit Bazemore, who has won this prestigious event twice in his career in the Funny Car class, in 1997 and 2001. He was also runner-up in 2000 and No. 1 qualifier in 2001. This weekend's 52nd annual running of the event at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis also comes at a time in the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season when Indianapolis resident Bazemore and the Matco Tools Funny Car team are seeing a strong resurgence in performance following early-season mixed results. The car has been one of the quickest in the field in the last four events, despite a rare DNQ in Brainerd, Minn. Bazemore has also won once, reached the semis and the quarterfinals once in those events and stands eighth in points. "We're very focused," says Bazemore, who will drive a special-bodied "Tales of the Rat Fink" Funny Car this weekend for Matco Tools. "We've had an up-and-down year, but the team has shown the ability to have really good performance and to win races. So we know that we're capable of having a tremendous weekend. It's just a matter of everybody focusing and being pointed in the same direction, and we are. "I'm in race mode already. We don't want to waste the opportunity. Testing (last week at ORP) went very, very well. We didn't make a full pass, because we didn't have to. A lot of other teams got the headlines, but the facts are that we pretty much had one of the very quickest cars in almost every session. "We're fired up and we're ready to go to Indy and throw it down. Our team is a step behind (points leader) John Force's team, obviously. They've had the performance for most of the year, and they seem to have momentum. I think the Matco Tools team is plenty capable of challenging anyone at the race track, and that's exciting. "The U.S. Nationals is really special. Anytime you go to a race track where you've had great success it gives you a special feeling," Bazemore added, "so I definitely get that feeling going to that track. We've also had great disappointment and some very difficult times, with the struggles in 1990, then not being able to race in 1995 (due to budgetary concerns, despite qualifying for the event), not qualifying in 1994 and '02, but we also won there in 1997 and '01. It's a place of great emotion and you have to be really level-headed going there and not get caught up in all the hoopla. "I'm in a great frame of mind. things are going very well, and we feel good about everything." Bazemore is the final qualifier for the $100,000 Skoal Showdown bonus event, in No. 8, and will face No. 1 qualifier Robert Hight in the first round of an event he's never won. "We squeaked into that," he said. "It's a race we haven't won. It's a special race and we appreciate what Skoal does for the sport, and it's one we definitely want to win. "For me, the real focus is on the U.S. Nationals, and if we happen to win the Skoal Showdown, it will be a nice bonus." WHIT BAZEMORE QUICK FACTS: * Eighth in 2006 Funny Car point standings after 17 events, with one win (Seattle), one runner-up and three semifinal finishes * Two-time U.S. Nationals champion, 1997 and 2001 * Ninth in final 2005 Funny Car point standings * Won two events in 2005 (Gainesville, Las Vegas 1), No. 1 qualifier once (Columbus) * No. 8 qualifier at 2005 U.S. Nationals, lost semis to Del Worsham * Has two U.S. Nationals wins, in 1997 and 2001, runner-up in 2000 * No. 1 qualifier in 2001 at U.S. Nationals * First Funny Car driver to break 325-mph barrier (U.S. Nationals 2001) * Career quickest ET is 4.674 seconds (Chicago 2006), career fastest speed is 333.25 mph (Chicago 1 2004) * Has 20 career Funny Car event wins in 45 final rounds in 335 races * Took the 2003 championship chase to penultimate race in Las Vegas in an exciting final round against eventual champion Tony Pedregon * Was second twice in the Funny Car championship in 2001 and 2003, third in 1997 and '99 and has finished in the top five six times and 13 times in the top 10 since 1992 * Age 43, born in New York City, an avid cyclist, lives in Indianapolis with wife Michelle, a competitive amateur cyclist, and son Dashiell Aidan, born March 12, 2005 (same as Bazemore's birthday) * 2006 is his sixth season with Don Schumacher Racing WEEKEND SCHEDULE: FRIDAY, Sept. 1 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSION at 6:15 p.m. SATURDAY, Sept. 2 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 1 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. SUNDAY, Sept. 3 - PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING SESSIONS at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. SKOAL SHOWDOWN ELIMINATIONS at 12:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., and 4 p.m. MONDAY, Sept. 4 -- Pre-race ceremonies, 9:30 a.m. FINAL ELIMINATIONS at 11 a.m. TELEVISION: Saturday, Sept. 2, ESPN2 HD will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 5 p.m. (ET). Sunday, Sept. 3, ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA 2Day, a 30-minute magazine show at 11:30 a.m. (ET). Sunday, Sept. 3, ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at noon (ET). Sunday, Sept. 3, ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 11 p.m. (ET). Monday, Sept. 4, ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of eliminations coverage at noon (ET). Monday, Sept. 4, ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 4 p.m. (ET). SATELLITE: Friday, Sept. 1, 11-11:30 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11 / Transponder 15 K (12003 MHz, horizontal) Saturday, Sept. 2, 9:30-10 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11 / Transponder 15 K (12003 MHz, horizontal) Sunday, Sept. 3, 10-10:30 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11 / Transponder 15 K (12003 MHz, horizontal) Monday, Sept. 4, 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) - Galaxy 11 / Transponder 15 K (12003 MHz, horizontal) ***