SEATTLE (July 31) – Maddern Racing driver Chris Demke returns to the west coast this weekend for the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, August 1-3. He brings with him the Top Alcohol Dragster national points lead, as well as Wallys from recent wins at Billings, Chicago and Columbus. Momentum and a history of success at Seattle will fuel the California team as they race for national event win number three of the season.
“This is a continuation of that road trip. The car hasn't been back to the shop since it left for Topeka in May. Certainly these last few races have squared our shoulders and given our team a bit of a swagger, but I can't discount the competition that's going to be at Seattle. It's the same bunch of guys that we avoided by going to Columbus instead of Woodburn. Now we're going to face the facts that we have to race these guys. We're going to give it our best. It won't be easy but I think we have a good tune-up for Seattle,” Demke claimed.
Realizing the potential of the competition, Chris Demke knows that his team can't miss a step as the 2014 season reaches the tail end of the summer stretch.
“Everybody is patting me on the back for having the points lead. It's a great position to be in but the season is far from over. Our team can't let our guard down. We have to stay aggressive and keep doing what we do best, and that's winning rounds and winning races.”
The Northwest Nationals bring back bittersweet memories for Demke and the Peen Rite team. They've reached the finals in three of their last five Seattle appearances, including a bizarre 2012 final against Jim Whiteley where both cars coasted to the finish line. The race that stands out most, though, is the 2010 final. Demke won the race when he took the green light. The other finalist and team friend, Mark Niver, passed away following a tragic semifinal accident.
“While we've had some crazy luck at this race in the past, it's also where we lost Mark Niver. I never go to Seattle without Mark on my mind. Whenever I pull to the starting line I'm thinking of Mark Niver,” Demke said emotionally. “That was my second national event win. While my first win was a joyous occasion, that second win taught me that winning isn't always a happy situation. I always like to think that Mark Niver was the real winner of the Seattle 2010 race because he was the last guy to turn on the win light.”
Chris Demke and the Peen Rite/OSI/Boost Performance Products Top Alcohol Dragster will take to the track at 2:15 and 5 PM on Friday and 11:30 AM on Saturday for qualifying. Eliminations begin at 2:15 PM on Saturday and continue on Sunday morning.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment