Dennis Taylor has brought his K&N Filters / Plumbing Concepts Funny Car to Medford, Oregon, for
another assault on Champion Raceway at the final 2009 event in NHRA's Division 6. Although he's
seen limited action this season, Taylor's previous Northwest tour netted enough Lucas Oil Drag
Racing Series points to put him in the Top 10 with a decent showing this weekend.
Virtually the entire West Coast has been affected by a giant high pressure system, so temperatures
are expected to be in the low- to mid-90s, which gives tuners additional challenges. Dennis noted,
"We suffered parts breakage issues in our last two outings, so it was important for us to take a
good look at things. Actually, we've used the down time to our advantage." The team experienced
valve lifter failures - even though the parts were brand new. And valvetrain problems spell
disaster for these powerful supercharged engines.
Dennis added, "Aside from the point situation, our mission is two-fold this weekend. It's important
for us to put some clean laps on this car to be sure we've solved our lifter issues. We certainly
wouldn't feel comfortable about going to Las Vegas or Pomona without knowing we had things sorted
out."
Currently, the point leaders are Division 6 regulars, Ken Webster, Brian Hough, and Clint Thompson,
so the competition is plenty stout. But like many other races, the weather and track conditions
will be the common denominators. Crew chief, Terry Morrow commented, "We've had some problems
tuning in the heat, but we seem to have worked through them. Medford might be the kind of race
where too much power is your enemy. I expect we'll have to back it down in order to find the right
balance, but we'll have to read the track to determine how much it'll take. Our successes in
Division 6 have come under varying conditions."
For more information on Dennis Taylor's marketing partners, please use the following links, or call
the phone numbers below.
KNFilters.com - See why K&N is the world leader in performance filtration and air intake products
for everything from your grocery-getter, to your award-winning musclecar, to your race car.
