The first day of time trials for the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals was completed today at Maple Grove
Raceway, and Kurt Johnson has the ACDelco Chevrolet qualified in the No. 8 spot in Pro Stock with a
6.721 second e.t. at 205.54 mph. Before the second session for the Pro categories could be run
tonight, moisture began collecting on the racetrack due to the torrential rain that deluged the
area earlier in the day, and the remainder of Friday racing activities was cancelled.
"The ACDelco Chevrolet made a nice run - the kind of run we're looking for," Johnson said. "Now we
have to work on everything else and pick up. It was pretty soft, so with this racetrack we know we
can get after it - I figure there's at least another six-hundredths in it - we can run a "66."
Edwards, with that 6.64 (No. 1 qualifier) is on a planet of his own but we can get closer -
definitely."
Johnson is a three-time winner at Maple Grove Raceway scoring his second career victory here in
1993, and then again in '98 and 2000. Johnson was runner-up to Dave Connolly in '07 at a
rain-soaked contest that was postponed for three days, and at last year's race he qualified the
ACDelco Chevrolet in the No. 2 position, advanced to the semifinal round and set top speed of the
meet at 208.91 mph. Johnson is currently in eighth place in the Full Throttle standings and edging
closer to clinching a spot in the three-year-old playoff format. The ACDelco driver needs to leave
the Toyo NHRA Nationals with a 139-point margin over the 11th-place driver, and right now his
current lead over 11th-place Johnny Gray is exactly 139 points.
"It was good to get the car down the race track although we had some issues - I think we blew a
gasket out of the carburetor," Johnson said. "The driver was a little confused for a moment but we
held our cool and punched the ACDelco Chevrolet down on through there. The motor was a little hot
and I think that hurt our performance a little bit. We made it happen, though. Right now we're in
and with the way the weather looks for tomorrow, we'll take it."
The 25th annual Toyo Tire NHRA Nationals on Aug. 20 - 23 at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa., is
the 17th race on the 24-event NHRA Full Throttle Series tour. ESPN2 will broadcast a two-hour
qualifying show beginning at 12 a.m. on Sunday, August 23, and will repeat the show later in the
morning at 10 a.m. NHRA Race Day begins at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday on ESPN2, and a three-hour
broadcast of final eliminations will get underway at 10 p.m. Eastern.
