Kenny Buzdas is known for being a very quick and consistent reacting driver. However, as the old
saying goes, "if you live by the sword, you can die by it as well." Truer words were never spoken
in description of the self-induced schooling Buzdas and the J. Ray concrete sponsored team received
this past weekend during the 33rd Annual Nitro Night of Fire, at Sacramento Raceway in Sacramento,
CA
On the first run down the temperamental Sacramento quarter mile, the twenty-year-old driver of
James Ray's Top Eliminator West Blown Alcohol Dragster encountered sever tire spin. Buzdas recorded
a solid 0.005 second reaction time and 'pedaled' the car to an off pace 6.80-second elapsed time.
"The track temperature for the first qualifying pass was 147 degrees," stated Buzdas, the 2007 Top
Eliminator West Champion. "The car left the starting line and spun the tires hard. At about
sixty-feet from the starting line I lifted off the throttle, tapped the brakes and made sure to get
the car down the track."
After adjusting the cars launch rpm to handle the greasy surface, the team returned for their
second qualifying attempt. The car launched harder than the previous run, but the fuel system was
a bit too rich for the atmospheric conditions. The end result was an improved, however still off
pace 6.51-second ET at a speed of 220 miles per hour.
Team owner and crew chief James Ray decided to make a fuel adjustment for the team's first round
match-up with Butch Stroup, who had qualified with a 6.42 second run. On the hit of the throttle
Buzdas felt the car launch harder than it had all weekend, however as he was approaching the
starting line Christmas tree, Buzdas noticed the red-light was showing in his lane. Buzdas was on
the wrong end of a -0.001 second reaction time, handing the win light to Stroup.
"The track had cooled to 125 degrees for our first round race," Buzdas recalled. "Racing without a
delay box on a pro tree is all about being consistent. I tried to slow myself down a bit because I
knew the car was going to launch harder than in previous rounds. Maybe I should have had a sandwich
before or during round one?"
Buzdas and the J. Ray concrete sponsored team will head north to Medford, Ore. this upcoming
weekend, and they believe lessons learned at 'Satco' will provide dividends in Oregon. "We figured
out how to get down a marginal track," concluded Buzdas. "Medford is a very similar track to Satco
and the weather should be just as warm. We learned some good lessons this weekend. And we are
confident our team will improve."
