Columbus Mike Thomas Making Progress With Matco Tools Machine

COLUMBUS, Ohio (June 18) – After successfully qualifying for his third race of the season, veteran Pro Stock driver Mike Thomas came back to Earth Sunday afternoon when he lost in the opening round of the 36th annual Pontiac Excitement Nationals.

The Matco Tools driver ran a steady lap but fell to Ron Krisher, who ran the weekend’s quickest pass, setting a track record in the process. Thomas’ respectable 7.020-second run at 195.68 mph was not enough for Krisher’s 6.905-second blast at 197.83 mph.

“It looked like he was shot out of a cannon,” said Thomas, a 47-year-old from Knoxville, Tenn. “It’s tough enough to win on race day but when you start against a guy that’s setting records, there’s not a whole lot you can do. He had us by eight hundredths of a second by half-track. My hat’s off to him and his crew chief Mike Edwards.”

Thomas actually had one of the quickest laps of Round 1 and out-paced the majority of the drivers in attendance. But, on this day he could only dream of what could have been.

“We had a good weekend and we ran well today,” Thomas said. “We’re just not quite there yet. We’re definitely closing in on a better tune-up and I think things will only get better and better for this Matco Tools team. We’re taking our lumps now but pretty soon we’ll be doling out the lumps instead of taking them.”

Thomas will be back in action this Thursday in St. Louis as the fourth annual Sears Craftsman Nationals at Gateway International Raceway roars to life.