Memphis: Whit Bazemore preview

Whit Bazemore

"It's the playoff and we're in. We're down 0-1 and we have to bounce back. We have to make things happen and that's our M.O. and we're kind of excited about it. I remember the first career final round in 1992 like it was yesterday. It's been a good track for us, but it's here and now that's important. Everything in the past is in the past, just like the last race. It's a clean slate. Lee (Beard) is fully charged and so am I and the team. We've got a great team and we're going to bounce back and I'm confident that we can do it."

Bazemore Memphis Notebook

Two weeks ago at the U.S. Nationals, Bazemore and the Matco Tools team missed the ultra-quick 4.595-second bump spot and qualified 18th with a qualifying-best 4.601-second pass. The 20-time NHRA winner ranks eighth in the Countdown to Four standings with three races remaining to earn one of the four positions in the Countdown to One (Las Vegas and Pomona).

Bazemore earned his 30th career pole this March. He became just the 15th driver in NHRA history to earn poles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. He has an average starting position of 7.77 this year. He has an average starting position of 9.11 in 17 career races at Memphis Motorsports Park.

Last Aug., Bazemore qualified 11th at the Memphis race with a pass of 5.048 seconds at 264.49 mph. Qualifying was shortened due to rain. He advanced to the second round before falling to John Force. The race had been held in August and led into the U.S. Nationals.J

Bazemore advanced to his first career Funny Car final round at Memphis Motorsports Park in 1992. He is a three-time finalist at the Memphis race and reached the winner's circle in 2003 when he defeated Dean Skuza in the final round. It was his 15th career victory. He also earned consecutive poles at Memphis in 2003 (4.826) and 2004 (4.856). He recorded low E.T. of the meet at Memphis in 2004 (4.856 seconds), and in 2003 had the best reaction time of eliminations .035 of-a-second.

Baze Banters About Memphis...

Memphis: "Elvis"

Memphis Motorsports Park: "Going around the road course in a rental car"

Favorite Memphis Motorsports Park racing memory: "Runner-up to Al Hofmann in 1992 in our first final round"

Favorite Memphis-area cycling route: "West to the river"

Favorite Memphis-area restaurant: "Any rib restaurant"

-credit: dpm