JOLIET, Ill. (June 5) – Defending Burndown at Sundown Top Alcohol Dragster event champion Brandon Booher is back at Route 66 Raceway this weekend with hopes of adding another NHRA Lucas Oil Series regional event Wally to his trophy case. Booher, who won his first-ever NHRA event win at this race last year, faced challenges to prepare for the weekend and expects even more when the race begins.
“We had some issues at Topeka, issues that we've been fighting all year. Whenever the temperature is over eighty degrees the car just doesn't run well. I think we have those issues fixed – we'll find out this weekend. I expect the car to perform as well as it has here in the past,” Booher said.
Booher and his AB Construction/Torque MGMT team swept the 2013 Burndown at Sundown, qualifying No. 1 with a 5.328 ET and winning the race over national championship runner-up Chris Demke. Brandon went on to claim his first NHRA North Central regional championship.
“This is where we sort of kick-started our regional championship chase last year, winning the first of three races in a row. Although we've had some bad luck so far this year, we're actually ahead of the ball with a runner-up at Charlotte and a win at the last Lucas Oil race at Norwalk. We need to get the points up early. Last year's championship chase went until the end of the year – I want to wrap it up as early as possible. Getting an early lead and maintaining it will be huge,” Booher added.
The Booher Racing team was close to missing the race due to engine issues until fellow Top Alcohol Dragster competitor JP Gutierrez and Detroit-based Champion Performance saved the day.
“It was looking like we weren't even going to make the race. [Crew member] Cam Brady and I drove all night after Topeka, pulled the motor and took it to a machine shop for new sleeves. Up until Monday, nothing was done on it. We were in a tough position until JP Gutierrez and Champion Performance fixed it, working until 2:30 AM on Wednesday. It's been a constant effort to prepare for this race,” said the Champaign, Ill.-based driver.
Challenges will continue throughout the weekend, as a conflicting appointment will likely prevent Brandon from making both of Saturday's scheduled qualifying runs.
“Evening qualifying sessions are great for the fans and performance, but Q2 and Q3 are at 4 and 8 PM on Saturday. My sister-in-law's wedding is at 5 PM on Saturday. My plan is to put the car in the top half of the field on Friday's run so I can show support for those who support me. So if all goes according to plan, you will not see me Saturday. We'll be back for eliminations on Sunday,” Booher confirmed.
Friday's Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying session is scheduled for 4 PM CST. Eliminations begin at noon on Sunday. For information and results from the Burndown at Sundown NHRA Lucas Oil Series regional event, please visit www.route66raceway.com.
ABOUT BOOHER RACING
Booher Racing is a father-son NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team led by owner/crew chief Aaron Booher and his son, driver/tuner Brandon Booher. The AB Construction team holds the title of quickest and fastest torque converter-equipped vehicle in the world. The 2013 NHRA North Central TAD Regional championship-winning Booher Racing team receives support from Motorsports Unlimited Performance Parts Distributors, Spitzer Enterprises, Bell Helmets Torque MGMT, and PK Construction.
Follow Booher Racing on Facebook (www.facebook.com/booherracing), Twitter (www.twitter.com/booherracing), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/booherracing).
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