Sat, 19 Jan 2002, 01:46 PM CHANDLER - National Time Trials Saturday Preview

By Dave Gerard

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Good morning from the National Time Trials at Firebird International Raceway, just outside of Phoenix, AZ. The conditions here today are much like yesterday with temperatures today expected to only get into the low 60's by late afternoon. Currently, it's about 48 degrees, 37% humidity, and the barometer is at 30.17"with broken clouds. There currently is a lot of sunlight on the track, so hopefully traction conditions will be adequate.

As I drove through the Pro pits this morning, the only new team I saw was Craig Treble in the Matco Tools Racing Pro Stock Bike.

Things were considerably different on the Sportsman end of the pits with several additional Alcohol teams arriving this morning.

Randy Goodwin was out helping with Dennis Taylor's TAFC yesterday and the rest of the Goodwin and Swayne espiriTV Team has arrived this morning. Next to them is the Gallio Team.

David Baca was unloading his AFD and the Darien and Meadows Western Stabilization Team with Paul Jones were working to get their AFD started in the cold weather. Mark Niver's AFD, just down the row, has a new dark red paint job.

There are several local TAFC's out for licensing this weekend. Pete Rivera and "Company" (they made me say that ), and a two-car team of cousins: Jim and Ron Maroney.

The only other "pro" sportsman team to be seen today was the Jim DeFrank and Sons' big rig. There are a large number of "Super" category cars here today, with a "show within a show" for the Division 7 Super Eliminator (7.90 second E.T.) racers having a race today and tomorrow.

One correction from yesterday on Don Schumacher's team, Whit Bazemore is running the Matco Tools Funny Car and Scotty Cannon is running the Oakley Racing Funny Car.

Looks like the pace will be quicker today, as John Force has just come to the line in the Castrol Funny Car. He has a great initial launch with a .878 second, sixty-foot time. The big slicks start to shake before the 330-foot lights and he lifts and hits the throttle again. He clicks it off before mid-track. The incremental times were: 2.395 seconds at 330 feet and 3.581 seconds and 182.62 MPH at 660 feet.

Today will be a "run when you are ready" format. If things pick up over yesterday or there are any significant events, I may post again by mid-afternoon. Otherwise, please come back this evening for a full recap of today's activities.