Maddern Racing Early Exit Will Make Them Stronger

Courtesy of Maddern Racing

Baytown, TX – Chris Demke and the Maddern Racing Team left the NHRA O’Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals with a homework assignment. After being schooled in the second round of eliminations by Mark Taliaferro, the team is going into research and destroy mode.

“We just got beat,” said Demke. “It happens, and we are not happy about it. Now we are going to have to find a few more hundredths. Our quest for more horsepower is on. I know the Maddern Racing brain trust will find what we need.”

The Texas weekend started out with several solid qualifying runs. Friday’s first session 5.420/270.22 was good but the Peen Rite/OSI/801 Racing Team wanted more. The second session on Friday saw them step up to a 5.328/271.84. It was a move in the right direction. Saturday’s final qualifying time of 5.448/267.32 was not an improvement.

The Maddern Racing team entered eliminations qualified in the number four position and a match up with the injected Nitro machine of Michael Manners. Demke was second off the line, but a strong 5.321/269.94 was enough to beat Manner’s 5.558/267.27. The Maddern Racing Top Alcohol Dragster moved on to Sunday with lane choice against Mark Taliaferro.  Hopes were high, and after a small staring line advantage, things were looking good. Demke was ahead to just about the thousand foot mark, when something caused the car to slow. Taliaferro was able to cease the opportunity, and motor on to the win. The tale of the tape showed Taliaferro’s 5.314./271.35 besting Demke’s 5.347/260.11.

“Things happen for a reason, and issues come up,” added Demke. “It came at the right time of the racing season. Our horsepower homework will make us stronger throughout the year. We will keep racing, and keep having the times of our lives.”

Right now the only task the Maddern Racing Team has is to complete their assigned work. They do have study partners however. Peen Rite will be bringing the snacks, 801 Racing the beverages, and their newest Team Partner, Operational Solutions will keep them all focused. It’s a Drag Racing research project crossed with a science fair experiment on methanol. The midnight oil will be burned, and Jerry Maddern, Kevin Watson, Joe Cole, Mike Demke, and Ronald Mann will put their heads together and find what they need. The grade will come at the next few races and nothing less than an A+ will be enough to satisfy the quest for more hundredths, horsepower, and race wins.