RAM MAN
03-14-2004, 09:51 AM
from a DC Press release:
"Scott Mohler is excited to lead Team Mopar into the 2004 NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series season, which kicks off Saturday, March 13 at California Dragway in Fontana.
Last season, Mohler clinched the All Motor division championship in the last event of the year in his Mopar Dodge Neon, and he and his team are ready to defend the championship in 2004.
"The main focus this year is defending that title," Mohler said. "Win a championship - that's the plan. We'll settle for nothing less. It's not gonna be easy, though. We've got some stiff competitors, which will make for some great racing.
"We don't wanna fall behind and fight our way back like we had to do last year," Mohler added. "We want to come out on top and stay on top all year. That's everyone's goal when you're starting a new season in racing … we're real confident as far as where we stand in relation to our competition.
"Sport Compact racing is still kinda wide open [as far as consistency goes]," Mohler said. "Anyone can run a big number at any time. We'll probably be hitting 9.70s later in the year. And we are confident we can run a nine at Fontana, which would be a great way to kick off the year."
Last year at the fall Englishtown event, Mohler set the All Motor ET record with a 10.056-second pass at 135.10 mph. The very next pass, he upped the speed record to 135.89 mph, a mark that still stands. Mohler remains the only All Motor competitor to eclipse the 135 mph barrier, albeit "granny shifting" a five-speed manual transmission.
"We're not planning on letting that [mph record] go!" Mohler said. "That's what racing is all about: setting records. Records were meant to be broken."
Mohler is joined by Darrell Cox Racing teammate Mike Crawford, who drives a Mopar-sponsored Dodge SRT-4 in the Hot Rod division of the Sport Compact series. Crawford picked up one victory last season at Woodburn, Ore., and finished second in the class point standings.
"Last year we didn't really push the motor that hard," Crawford said. "This year we're going to change the gear ratios so we carry more rpm's and speed through the lights. We're real excited about the start of the new season and actually trying the new changes that we've done to the car over the winter."
The owner of Crawford's car, Darrell Cox, is engine builder and crew chief for both Crawford and Mohler's cars. Cox gained experience tuning in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Bike division.
Mohler says the reliability of Cox's engines is "second to none."
Cox is confident that this reliability is just what his team needs to turn the NHRA Sport Compact drag racing series upside down.
"I don't think we'll have a problem winning both [Hot Rod and All Motor] championships for Mopar this year," Cox said. "We've got the resources, we've just got to make it happen."
Shaun Carlson, driver/owner of the Mopar/NuFormz Dodge SRT-4 entry in the Pro FWD class, will not compete this weekend. Carlson drove a Mopar Pro Stock vehicle in the NHRA POWERade series at the Winternationals in late February while subbing in for injured Mopar driver and three-time Pro Stock champion Darrell Alderman.
At the Winternationals, Carlson became the only NHRA Sport Compact driver to successfully qualify for a POWERade event. He qualified his Dodge Stratus in the 14th position with a 6.801-second pass at 202.67 mph.
Carlson set an NHRA front-wheel-drive record last season, when he turned in an 8.22-second pass at 181.70 mph in Gainesville, Fla., behind the power of a Cox-built A855 engine.
This weekend will mark the first time that California Speedway hosts an NHRA sanctioned drag race.
Mopar is set to sponsor the June 12-13 NHRA Sport Compact event scheduled for Bandimere Speedway near Denver, Colo. Mopar has sponsored the NHRA POWERade event at Bandimere since 1989."
anyone here follow the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series ???
"Scott Mohler is excited to lead Team Mopar into the 2004 NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series season, which kicks off Saturday, March 13 at California Dragway in Fontana.
Last season, Mohler clinched the All Motor division championship in the last event of the year in his Mopar Dodge Neon, and he and his team are ready to defend the championship in 2004.
"The main focus this year is defending that title," Mohler said. "Win a championship - that's the plan. We'll settle for nothing less. It's not gonna be easy, though. We've got some stiff competitors, which will make for some great racing.
"We don't wanna fall behind and fight our way back like we had to do last year," Mohler added. "We want to come out on top and stay on top all year. That's everyone's goal when you're starting a new season in racing … we're real confident as far as where we stand in relation to our competition.
"Sport Compact racing is still kinda wide open [as far as consistency goes]," Mohler said. "Anyone can run a big number at any time. We'll probably be hitting 9.70s later in the year. And we are confident we can run a nine at Fontana, which would be a great way to kick off the year."
Last year at the fall Englishtown event, Mohler set the All Motor ET record with a 10.056-second pass at 135.10 mph. The very next pass, he upped the speed record to 135.89 mph, a mark that still stands. Mohler remains the only All Motor competitor to eclipse the 135 mph barrier, albeit "granny shifting" a five-speed manual transmission.
"We're not planning on letting that [mph record] go!" Mohler said. "That's what racing is all about: setting records. Records were meant to be broken."
Mohler is joined by Darrell Cox Racing teammate Mike Crawford, who drives a Mopar-sponsored Dodge SRT-4 in the Hot Rod division of the Sport Compact series. Crawford picked up one victory last season at Woodburn, Ore., and finished second in the class point standings.
"Last year we didn't really push the motor that hard," Crawford said. "This year we're going to change the gear ratios so we carry more rpm's and speed through the lights. We're real excited about the start of the new season and actually trying the new changes that we've done to the car over the winter."
The owner of Crawford's car, Darrell Cox, is engine builder and crew chief for both Crawford and Mohler's cars. Cox gained experience tuning in the NHRA POWERade Pro Stock Bike division.
Mohler says the reliability of Cox's engines is "second to none."
Cox is confident that this reliability is just what his team needs to turn the NHRA Sport Compact drag racing series upside down.
"I don't think we'll have a problem winning both [Hot Rod and All Motor] championships for Mopar this year," Cox said. "We've got the resources, we've just got to make it happen."
Shaun Carlson, driver/owner of the Mopar/NuFormz Dodge SRT-4 entry in the Pro FWD class, will not compete this weekend. Carlson drove a Mopar Pro Stock vehicle in the NHRA POWERade series at the Winternationals in late February while subbing in for injured Mopar driver and three-time Pro Stock champion Darrell Alderman.
At the Winternationals, Carlson became the only NHRA Sport Compact driver to successfully qualify for a POWERade event. He qualified his Dodge Stratus in the 14th position with a 6.801-second pass at 202.67 mph.
Carlson set an NHRA front-wheel-drive record last season, when he turned in an 8.22-second pass at 181.70 mph in Gainesville, Fla., behind the power of a Cox-built A855 engine.
This weekend will mark the first time that California Speedway hosts an NHRA sanctioned drag race.
Mopar is set to sponsor the June 12-13 NHRA Sport Compact event scheduled for Bandimere Speedway near Denver, Colo. Mopar has sponsored the NHRA POWERade event at Bandimere since 1989."
anyone here follow the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series ???