NHRA: Bazemore, Team Kendall look to overcome a typical start in Las Vegas
2 April 2000
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Putnam, Connecticut- Over the last decade, one of the hallmarks of the Chuck Etchells Racing Team has been its consistency. Since joining the NHRA's Winston Drag Racing Series on a full-time basis in 1992, the Etchells Funny Car has been a perennial contender, never finishing out of the Top Five in the season's point standings - an accomplishment matched only by John Force. A key element in this success has been their remarkable record in the first round of eliminations, where they have posted a 78% winning ratio.
Therefore, their performance to this point in the 2000 season would have to seen as abnormal.. Although Whit Bazemore and the Kendall Motor Oil/Matco Tools Camaro Z28 have shown flashes of brilliance, such as a career-best 4.837-second elapsed time in Gainesville two weeks ago, they have struggled to put all the pieces together on raceday, with only one elimination round victory in the first three races. Although naturally concerned by their showing to this point, team owner Chuck Etchells is confident a return to winning form is imminent.
"To come out of the box as we have is very uncharacteristic for this Kendall/Matco Camaro team," explained Etchells. "Without a doubt, the new rules have created a completely different set of tuning combinations. Besides having to adjust to running under the 90% rule (which limits the maximum percentage of nitromethane), we are now forced to change complete engine assemblies between rounds in order to meet the 75-minute time limit. In either case, it makes it more difficult to maintain a high level of performance.
"I know we're really close. Our first pass in Gainesville was the second quickest in Funny Car this year, so there's no question the horsepower is there. It's just a matter of doing it every time down the track. There's obviously a gremlin in the tune-up that Tim (crew chief Richards) and the crew have to figure out, which I know they'll do. Even though this slump has us all concerned, the key now is not to overreact. This team puts enough pressure on themselves without my adding to it. Right now, they need my support."
Sitting in the driver's seat of the Etchells fuel coupe, Whit Bazemore is the first to admit the team is in the middle of a difficult period. However, he is just as quick to point out that slumps are a part of every competitive sport, with no one being immune. As Bazemore sees it, the key is to maintain focus, ignoring all distractions and thus avoiding the downfalls such a trend can produce.
"There's no doubt these first few races have been frustrating," stated Bazemore. "We started the season with very high hopes, and after doing well in our off-season test sessions, we realistically expected to be in contention from the start. But so far we've struggled. The car just hasn't done what we wanted it to. Whether it's been a mechanical malfunction, or we were slightly off in the tune-up, or the driver didn't do his job, the results have not been there. However, we win as a team and lose as one. We remain completely confident in ourselves, and refuse to let this get us down. We know we can still reach our goals. It's just a part of racing."
The Etchells crew's next opportunity comes at a new venue, as the NHRA makes its first visit to the city of Las Vegas for next weekend's inaugural NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals. With a totally "green" racing surface, the burden will be on the crew chiefs to analyze the conditions and tune their cars for the proper balance of power and traction without the benefit of any data. Therefore, each pass will be critical, not only for the performance it delivers, but the information it produces, allowing teams to fine-tune and improve. With a two-day test scheduled the weekend before the event, Bazemore knows this team will be primed for a headlining performance.
"The way we prefer to see it is that we'll take our bad luck now and work through it," said Bazemore. "and then enjoy the rest of the year. We know this is a temporary situation. Every member of this team is experienced enough to know how to solve our problems. We just have to get the car where it's happy all the time, which right now, it isn't.
"The Kendall/Matco Camaro is due to step up, and it is my job to make sure that my performance takes full advantage of the hot rod this team puts under me. This weekend, we're just like any other visitor to Las Vegas. We're looking to hit it big, and quite frankly, I like our odds."
BAZEMORE BANTER: This will be the NHRA's first appearance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Whit Bazemore will attempt to duplicate his winning performance from the last inaugural national event at Chicago in 1998 ....Whit will be making an appearance at the Action Race Rock Fan Fest, which will be held at the Race Rock Supercharged Restaurant, located at 495 East Fremont Street in Las Vegas from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 6. For directions, please call (702) 643-6644.
Text provided by Jon Knapp
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