NHRA: Bazemore Looks to Add to his Many Memphis Memories
5 October 2000
Putnam, Conn., October 3, 2000 - As Kendall Motor Oil/Matco Tools Camaro Z28 driver Whit Bazemore arrives in Memphis for this weekend's Auto Zone Nationals, many memories come to mind. For example, eight years ago, Bazemore came to Memphis Motorsports Park as a relative newcomer to the world of NHRA Winston Drag Racing, struggling to make his mark. In what was a monumental accomplishment, Bazemore's under funded team not only qualified in the top half of the field, but also advanced all the way to his first final round, where they fell victim to crafty veteran Al Hofmann. "That was a great day," recalled Bazemore. "We ran Paul Smith in the first round and beat him, which was pretty neat. After that, we ran Cruz (Pedregon, who would go on to capture the 1992 championship), with whom we already had a rivalry going. We were just a little team, and he was driving for the big, heavily funded McDonald's team. He had burned me down earlier in the year, so I took a 5-gallon can to the staging lanes with me and topped off my tank right in front of him, letting him know that I could sit there all day. I left on him, and then he blew the blower off so we were able to win. "Our luck continued in the semis against Del (Worsham) because we decided to race even though the oil pressure gauge told us we only had forty pounds of pressure. After we won, we found that we had kinked the oil pressure line, so the engine was okay. In the final, even though we had run quicker than he had all day, Hofmann beat us by doing a better job of playing the game at the starting line. By getting us to start our engine first, and then making us wait, we built up too much heat in the motor, and we smoked the tires. We just didn't have the experience to out fox ol' Hoffie." Surprisingly, this remarkable yet unlikely runner-up finish is not what Bazemore considers his most memorable Memphis performance. That honor goes to the events of a year before. "The 1991 Mid-South Nationals is probably the most important race of my career," stated Bazemore. "I remember it like it was yesterday. We had suffered a huge fire in Gainesville, and after that, I was having all sorts of problems driving the car. Quite honestly, I could not bring myself to make a full run. After having two bad fires (At the 1990 U.S. Nationals and the 1991 Gatornationals) only eight runs apart, I had no confidence in myself or my car. "Darrell Gwynn had started helping us after the Gatornationals, so we knew the performance was there, but I simply couldn't go to the finish line. Finally, at the Memphis race, I was able to hold my foot down. The tires weren't as good as they are now, so the car vibrated to the point that I couldn't see straight, but I stayed in it. It went straight, and I ran 5.56 (note: the winning e.t. that year was 5.30), which put us in the show for the first time that season. That proved to be a real turning point for me." As Bazemore returns to Tennessee for this year's event, he hopes some of that early magic will return, as he and the Etchells team face some late season challenges. Although Bazemore is now established as one of the stars of the Funny Car division, and the Kendall/Matco Camaro is viewed as a threat to win each time out, their 2000 performance has not been up to their usual standards. Their goal, starting with this weekend, is to build on the results from a week ago, which saw the Etchells entry log five competitive and consistent runs in as many tries. "The important thing for our Kendall/Matco team is to maintain the positive momentum from our runs in Topeka," explained Bazemore. "Terry (crew chief Manzer) and the whole Etchells crew had their backs against the wall, and they are doing a great job. This year our Camaro has shown flashes of its potential performance, but until last week, it wasn't consistent. That is frustrating for everyone concerned. Topeka was different. W e made it down the track every time, never smoking the tires. "If the weather cooperates this weekend, we should be able to run in the 4.80's. However, just like last week, we're going to simply focus on getting down the racetrack. As long as we can do that, we are going to be a very competitive team, and we'll put ourselves in a position to win some races. That's something I'd like to add to my Memphis memories - a win." Quick Whits: This will be Whit Bazemore's 11th appearance at Memphis Motorsports Park, where he looks to improve on his runner-up finish from 1992 … Whit's previous best qualifying performance in Tennessee was 5th, which he accomplished in 1995 & 1998… One year ago, Whit qualified 10th, but was edged out in the first round… Bazemore is currently 8th in the Winston Drag Racing Series season's points standings. Fast Facts WHAT: 12th Annual Auto Zone Nationals, the twentieth event on the 23-race 2000 NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series Schedule. WHEN: October 5-8, 2000 WHERE: Memphis Motorsports Park, Millington, Tennessee SCHEDULE: Professional qualifying begins with two sessions on Friday, October 6 at 3:00 and 7:00 p.m., and concludes with two additional attempts at noon & 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 7. Final eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 8. TV: Speedvision will provide ninety minutes of qualifying highlights from 8 - 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 7. In addition, Speedvision will have two shows on Sunday, October 8, starting with ninety minutes of first-round coverage from 5 - 6:30 p.m. and concluding with another ninety minutes with results from the semi-final and final rounds of eliminations from 9 -10:30 p.m. (Times given are Eastern. As always, please check your local listings.)