Mike Ashley Racing Pro Mod entry Joe Baker blasted to the provisional number one spot in the Get
Screened America Pro Mod Challenge Friday in the lone qualifying session at the United Association
NHRA SuperNationals. Baker put his Matco Tools/Lend America '68 Camaro at the top of the leader
board with a stunning 5.946/242.63.
"Even though it was hot and humid after the rain this morning, the track was just there - it was
awesome," Baker explained. "I blasted past the 60-foot mark and she held on, and I knew we were on
a run.
"I just held on and smiled," he said.
Team owner Mike Ashley commented, "Joe did a fantastic job, and it was a great run, but the even
better thing is that now that we've finally found the tune-up for this car, there's a whole lot
more in there.
"Chuck [Ford, crew chief] likes to be conservative in the way he runs his cars, and he didn't go
out there to set the world on fire, he just showed them what he could do, and there's a whole lot
more in his pocket. I'm sure we could have put down an eighty-something [5.8x-second run] if he had
really gotten after it."
Baker added, "Chuck has had a lot of success here at this track, and he really knows what it will
take. I'm really confident heading into tomorrow knowing that we're at the top of the heap, and
that feels really good."
The final round of qualifying is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon, with eliminations slated
to begin at 5 p.m. Saturday evening and conclude Sunday afternoon.
Headquartered in Brownsburg, Ind., Mike Ashley Racing fields the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster
driven by Antron Brown as well as the Matco Tools/Lend America Pro Mod '68 Camaro driven by Joe
Baker. MAR proudly represents racing partners Matco Tools, Lend America, DirecTV, BeepBeep.com,
Toyota, DataDot USA, Ringer's Gloves, Go Fast Sports, Goodyear, FRAM, Autolite, Suzuki, Connexions
Sports and Entertainment, and Forward Sports Marketing.
Mike Ashley Racing supports Autism Awareness through their support of the Hyperbaric Therapy
Center. A 2007 Centers for Disease Control report found that 1 in 150 children in America today
have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and an estimated 1.5 million Americans and their families
are now affected. Autism is a national health crisis, and Mike Ashley Racing is working to help
educate the public about ways they can get involved. Visit the Heal Autism Now website for more
information about how you can get involved at http://www.healautismnow.org.
