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Post by Franko10 ™ on Nov 13, 2004 12:28:33 GMT -5
8/15/2004 : Arend encounters first round woes again in Brainerd
BRAINERD, post-race: CMKXtreme Machine Funny Car driver Jeff Arend can’t buy a first round win this season. The 41-year-old former NHRA Funny Car national event champion continues to do well in qualifying but he lost in the first round on Sunday for the 11th time this season at the 23rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. Arend is starting to wonder what he and the CMKX team have to do during eliminations to turn the team’s luck around on race day.
The weather was absolutely beautiful at Brainerd International Raceway for Sunday’s eliminations. Arend entered the first round after qualifying for his ninth consecutive race in the No. 14 position with a 5.041 at 269.13 mph. The native Canadian was up against 12-time NHRA Funny Car champion and current POWERade point’s leader John Force. The CMKXtreme Machine team returned to the Corvette body for eliminations after switching to their Pontiac Firebird body for the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday.
Arend was in the right lane when the pair rolled into the staging beams for their first round battle. Arend left the starting line first with a .092 to .119 reaction time but the CMKXtreme Machine overpowered the track and smoked the tires near the 200-foot mark and Force marched to victory with a 4.894 at 320.36 mph to Arend’s 9.909 at 88.86 mph.
“I still consider it a good weekend because we kept our qualifying streak alive,” said Arend following the first round. “I figure if we keep qualifying, sooner or later we’re going to win a round. It’s tough to race against a guy like John Force. We knew a 5.0 wasn’t going to cut it so we stepped on it a bit and overpowered the track. But I had a good reaction time again and if we keep qualifying the round wins will come one day.”<br>
The next NHRA event for Arend and the CMKXtreme Machine Funny Car will be the 17th annual O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, Tenn., August 20-22.
BRAINERD, post-race: CMKXtreme Machine Funny Car driver Jeff Arend can’t buy a first round win this season. The 41-year-old former NHRA Funny Car national event champion continues to do well in qualifying but he lost in the first round on Sunday for the 11th time this season at the 23rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. Arend is starting to wonder what he and the CMKX team have to do during eliminations to turn the team’s luck around on race day.
The weather was absolutely beautiful at Brainerd International Raceway for Sunday’s eliminations. Arend entered the first round after qualifying for his ninth consecutive race in the No. 14 position with a 5.041 at 269.13 mph. The native Canadian was up against 12-time NHRA Funny Car champion and current POWERade point’s leader John Force. The CMKXtreme Machine team returned to the Corvette body for eliminations after switching to their Pontiac Firebird body for the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday.
Arend was in the right lane when the pair rolled into the staging beams for their first round battle. Arend left the starting line first with a .092 to .119 reaction time but the CMKXtreme Machine overpowered the track and smoked the tires near the 200-foot mark and Force marched to victory with a 4.894 at 320.36 mph to Arend’s 9.909 at 88.86 mph.
“I still consider it a good weekend because we kept our qualifying streak alive,” said Arend following the first round. “I figure if we keep qualifying, sooner or later we’re going to win a round. It’s tough to race against a guy like John Force. We knew a 5.0 wasn’t going to cut it so we stepped on it a bit and overpowered the track. But I had a good reaction time again and if we keep qualifying the round wins will come one day.”<br>
The next NHRA event for Arend and the CMKXtreme Machine Funny Car will be the 17th annual O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals in Memphis, Tenn., August 20-22.
