Prolong Northwest Nationals: Team Pennzoil Notes (Saturday)

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Team Pennzoil Notes Saturday, August 1, 1998

With the ladders for Sunday's elimination racing for the Prolong Super Lubricants Nationals changing drastically in every round, the Pennzoil stable of professional drivers proved they're worthy of a chance to chase the title by carding super-competitive times throughout the weekend. With four rounds of qualifying in the books, all of the Team Pennzoil drivers in attendance have successfully earned their way into Sunday's elimination-round action.

The following recap encapsulates the best of each driver's qualifying rounds.

Mike Thomas, the driver of the Pennzoil Pro Stock Pontiac Firebird, looked strong in Saturday's early session when he posted a 6.929-second pass at 198.36 mph. Then he backed up that run with a jaw-dropping 6.916-second lap at 198.41 mph to shoot up the qualifying ladder to the No. 2 position. Thomas will open Sunday's racing against Mike Edwards, whose best run of the event was a 6.951-second pass at 198.58 mph. Thomas has not faced Edwards this year.

"I said it yesterday and I'll say it again today, this motor is bad to the bone," Thomas said. "We actually found a little problem with the clutch between rounds today and were able to make the adjustments we needed to go faster. No. 2 is great, but I can think of about 3,500 reasons (the dollar amount of No. 1 qualifier money) why I'd rather be the top guy. But we're in great shape for tomorrow and if we run our race and don't worry about the external stuff, we'll take home the title."

Bruce Allen, the driver of the Outlaw Fuel Additives Pro Stock Pontiac, ran two impressive sub-seven-second laps on Saturday. His best pass occurred in the early session when he posted a 6.950-second pass at 197.32 mph. Allen enters Sunday's action in the 11th place and will face Jeg Coughlin (6.934 seconds at 198.50 mph) in the opening round of eliminations. The two men have faced each other once this year with Coughlin taking the win.

""We're trying to figure out a way to go faster," Allen said. "We have been having trouble at the long end of the track and none of the other Pro Stock guys are, so we're scratching our heads trying to figure out why. We're glad to be racing on Sunday after a pitiful showing in Sonoma. The field is very tight from top to bottom, which usually means that it's anyone's race. If we cut good lights and make steady runs, we can win this thing."

Eddie Hill, the pilot of the Pennzoil Top Fuel dragster, recovered from a demolished blower he suffered in Saturday's early round to post a weekend-best 4.863-second pass at 286.53 mph in Round 4. The final run started out as one of Hill's best over the last few years (.843-second 60-foot time), but he struck the tires at mid-track and never fully regained traction.

"We're disappointed," Hill said. "This was an inopportune time to have so many mechanical problems. We've had quite a run of qualifying near the top of the field this year. When you qualify up front, it really means you have some great data on the track and that your car is running well. We've collected no data here to speak of until that last run. I know the groove is very narrow and that there's absolutely no traction outside of the groove. At least we got far enough down the track during that last lap to give us something to work with. We'll have to be quick tomorrow to win some rounds and have a shot at the taking home the little man (trophy). But that's still our goal."

Hill finished the qualifying sessions in the No. 14 spot and will race Cory McClenathan (4.663 seconds at 311.63 mph) in the opening round of eliminations. The two men will be facing each other for the first time in 1998.

Mike Ferderer, the sportsman-class driver of the Pennzoil Super Gas Pontiac and the Gumout Super Comp dragster, has advanced both of his cars into the second round of eliminations, which will take place late Saturday evening. Ferderer will now face Mike Blodgett in the second round of Super Gas and Jeffrey Cheney in the Super Comp bracket.

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