LAS VEGAS (March 19) – Maddern Racing driver Chris Demke returns to the west coast this week following a so-so showing at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. The Californian team struggled through qualifying and suffered a second round loss to rival blown alcohol team Ynot Racing and driver Mike Strasburg.
Demke dealt with traction issues on all three qualifying runs, eventually salvaging a 5.351/270 MPH run in the final session to qualify seventh. Tuner Adam Rhoades had the Peen Rite/OSI/Boost Performance Products dragster tuned up for Chris' first round race with Jared Dreher. Chris ran 5.284 over Jared's 5.364. He was unable to repeat on Sunday, running 5.395 in a losing effort to Mike Strasburg's 5.277.
“We just couldn't see the forest through the trees. We had better air, making more power, we just overestimated the track. We overpowered the track three times in a row. We were too confident. The computer was telling us every time what needed to happen, and we just weren't seeing it,” Chris said, adding, “We weren't accepting the fact that the track wasn't good enough. The evidence was in the Pro qualifying results. John Force, who did very well at the first two races, struggled to qualify. That says volumes right there; those guys were having the same problem.”
A second round exit wasn't the desired outcome for Demke, who won the Gatornationals in 2011 and 2012.
“In racing you're going to lose more than you win and that's just a fact. I try not to let a loss get me down. With that being said, it certainly wasn't what we had hoped for, but we'll pick up the pieces and move on. The odds were stacked against us to win the race three tries in a row.”
Chris and his Peen Rite team won't need to wait long to hit the track again. The 2013 national championship runner-up is racing at the Las Vegas regional this weekend, the first of back-to-back races in Vegas.
“Based on last year's results we should probably do well,” Demke claimed. “Running the Vegas regional this weekend will help us get our tune-up in line for the national event the following weekend. We want to have a good showing at the regional for two big reasons. The regional races have implications towards the national points standings. We also need to do well here to keep our position in the Jegs Allstars points so we can go back to Chicago to try for another Allstars win.
“I look forward to going to Vegas. It's a world-class facility. The track is always prepped well. I'll be glad to be racing closer to home; I was so jet-lagged all weekend at Gainesville. Vegas is a very familiar place for our team. We have a lot of data to look back on, data that will hopefully help take us to the winner's circle.”
Maddern Racing is a family-owned and operated NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team based in Southern California. The team's Chris Demke-driven Peen Rite/Operational Solutions/Boost Performance Products blown alcohol dragster is owned by Jerry Maddern and crewed by Adam Rhoades, Kevin Watson, Mike Demke, Greg Rice, and Robert Hadaller. For more information on Chris Demke and Maddern Racing, please visit www.MaddernRacing.com.
Maddern Racing receives support from the following companies: Peen Rite Inc., Operational Solutions Inc., Boost Performance Products, B-G Detection, Afco, and LA X-Ray.
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