Post by Franko10 ™ on Feb 28, 2005 21:25:48 GMT -5
2/28/2005 : Bartone puts the Jim Dunn Racing/Got CMKX?/Lucas Oil Funny Car in the show in Phoenix
Courtesy of Bill Walters
CMKXtreme Racing
PHOENIX, Saturday: Tony Bartone qualified the Jim Dunn Racing/Got CMKX?/Lucas Oil Funny Car for the 21st annual Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals on Saturday. Bartone made a pair solid runs to qualify for his first event of the season and rebound from a disappointing non-qualifying effort in Pomona two weeks ago.
Bartone started his weekend by joining CMKX Racing teammate Jeff Arend on a visit to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Friday morning. The pair visited with children and many of their parents, posing for photos, signing autographs and handing out CMKX Racing merchandise.
The Jim Dunn Racing/Got CMKX?/Lucas Oil Funny Car made a wild run on its first trip down the track Friday afternoon. Bartone blasted down the quarter-mile to record a 4.885 at 314.83 mph, sending a shower of sparks from under the car when a set of headers became hot and dropped near the finish line. The New York native finished the first session in the No. 5 qualifying spot. Bartone was forced to lift early on his second qualifying run Friday night and coasted to a 12.256 at 69.16 mph, ending the first day of racing in the No. 11 position.
Assistant crew chief, Jon Dunn, explained how the team turned things around for the Checker Schuck’s Kragen Nationals. “After the Pomona outing we were obviously disappointed,” said Dunn. “We went back to the shop and studied the computer and found the problem we were looking for. After that we were confident coming into Phoenix and we used the same tune up that we used in Pomona. The car ran 4.88/314 right out of the box even though it didn’t get off the starting line in Pomona with the same set up. That was the first full run down the track after 11 attempts. We went back for the night run and tuned it up just a little bit to try and run a low 4.80 but we’re still working on the fuel curve and the track wouldn’t take it. Now that we can get the car off the starting line and make a good run we just have to get the fuel curve right and we’ll have a competitive race car.”
Bartone drove the Jim Dunn Racing/Got CMKX?/Lucas Oil Funny Car to a solid 4.912 at 314.97 mph on his third qualifying attempt, almost equaling his first run. With some of the stout Funny Car field improving their performance during the session, Bartone dropped to the 13th position with one round remaining. The 48-year-old veteran driver smoked the tires near the 400-foot mark on his final run and made the show on the strength of his opening 4.88. He will face rookie Robert Hight during the first round of eliminations Sunday morning.
“I think that we are at a point where we are turning our season around after a disappointing start in Pomona,” said Bartone following qualifying. “We have the car going down the tack with a little bit of consistency and we’re going to keep working hard on making the tune up even better. On the last run the GotCMKX?/Lucas Oil car was on a pretty good run but it had the front end up and it dropped a cylinder. Even with the dropped cylinder the numbers were better than anything we’ve run this weekend. So I’m looking to run some stronger numbers tomorrow and going some rounds.”<br>
Courtesy of Bill Walters
CMKXtreme Racing
PHOENIX, Saturday: Tony Bartone qualified the Jim Dunn Racing/Got CMKX?/Lucas Oil Funny Car for the 21st annual Checker Schuck’s Kragen NHRA Nationals on Saturday. Bartone made a pair solid runs to qualify for his first event of the season and rebound from a disappointing non-qualifying effort in Pomona two weeks ago.
Bartone started his weekend by joining CMKX Racing teammate Jeff Arend on a visit to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Friday morning. The pair visited with children and many of their parents, posing for photos, signing autographs and handing out CMKX Racing merchandise.
The Jim Dunn Racing/Got CMKX?/Lucas Oil Funny Car made a wild run on its first trip down the track Friday afternoon. Bartone blasted down the quarter-mile to record a 4.885 at 314.83 mph, sending a shower of sparks from under the car when a set of headers became hot and dropped near the finish line. The New York native finished the first session in the No. 5 qualifying spot. Bartone was forced to lift early on his second qualifying run Friday night and coasted to a 12.256 at 69.16 mph, ending the first day of racing in the No. 11 position.
Assistant crew chief, Jon Dunn, explained how the team turned things around for the Checker Schuck’s Kragen Nationals. “After the Pomona outing we were obviously disappointed,” said Dunn. “We went back to the shop and studied the computer and found the problem we were looking for. After that we were confident coming into Phoenix and we used the same tune up that we used in Pomona. The car ran 4.88/314 right out of the box even though it didn’t get off the starting line in Pomona with the same set up. That was the first full run down the track after 11 attempts. We went back for the night run and tuned it up just a little bit to try and run a low 4.80 but we’re still working on the fuel curve and the track wouldn’t take it. Now that we can get the car off the starting line and make a good run we just have to get the fuel curve right and we’ll have a competitive race car.”
Bartone drove the Jim Dunn Racing/Got CMKX?/Lucas Oil Funny Car to a solid 4.912 at 314.97 mph on his third qualifying attempt, almost equaling his first run. With some of the stout Funny Car field improving their performance during the session, Bartone dropped to the 13th position with one round remaining. The 48-year-old veteran driver smoked the tires near the 400-foot mark on his final run and made the show on the strength of his opening 4.88. He will face rookie Robert Hight during the first round of eliminations Sunday morning.
“I think that we are at a point where we are turning our season around after a disappointing start in Pomona,” said Bartone following qualifying. “We have the car going down the tack with a little bit of consistency and we’re going to keep working hard on making the tune up even better. On the last run the GotCMKX?/Lucas Oil car was on a pretty good run but it had the front end up and it dropped a cylinder. Even with the dropped cylinder the numbers were better than anything we’ve run this weekend. So I’m looking to run some stronger numbers tomorrow and going some rounds.”<br>