Whit Bazemore and his Matco Tools Top Fuel team continue to work towards earning a coveted spot in the Countdown to the Championship. The 20-time NHRA winner qualified 12th Friday at Maple Grove Raceway with a run of 4.668 seconds.
On its opening qualifying attempt, the Matco Tools rail suffered a mechanical malfunction and coasted to a 12-second elapsed time. That placed Bazemore 15th in the order. Crew chief Lee Beard and crew made the proper adjustments as Bazemore powered the Matco-backed rail to a performance of 4.668 seconds at 320.28 mph to card the 12th quickest pass of the day.
“We pedaled it and got down there and ran 4.66, ” Bazemore said. “We were trying to run a
mid-4.50. All things considered, it was a good run. Hopefully, it’s cooler on Saturday and we can move up a few places. It was a frustrating day for the team, but these hard times are what make you good. ”
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