Courtesy of 801 Racing
Photo courtesy of ImagesLTD.com

Las Vegas, NV – With only about ten laps on their current engine combination, Garrett Bateman and the HipLink Dragster are proving they are quick on the track, and on the uptake. Going to the semi-finals at the SummitRacing.com Nationals this past weekend, Bateman is a happy man.

“Going to the semi’s was an exciting deal,” said Bateman. “It has come together quickly, and the car gets better each round we go.  We had a great weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, despite the loss.

Bateman qualified in the number six position with a 5.452/251.67. In the first round of eliminations, the Nitromethane Injected Top Alcohol Dragster was matched up against Brooks Brown. Bateman snapped off a .029 reaction time and took the round win with a 5.568/247.79 to Brown’s 5.917/213.98. In the second round, Greg Hunter had a great view of Bateman’s best run of the weekend.  The scoreboard showed a 5.335/255.29 for the HipLink Team, besting Hunter’s 5.486/260.97. Now it was on to the semi-finals.

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Courtesy of 801 Racing

Las Vegas, NV – When you are passionate about something, it shows. Cody Perkins is passionate about Drag Racing, and even more so about winning. After not competing up to his standards, Perkins was determined to make an impression on the SummitRacing.com Nationals. The 801 Racing sponsored driver and car then set off to do something about it.

In qualifying, things were not exactly going as planned. With only fifteen cars in attendance, the idea was to gain data and save on parts. Perkins ended up in the number fifteen position with a pedestrian 14.358/50.54. That didn’t bother Perkins. In the first round he was up against Megan McKernan. Cody’s 5.415/261.98 was enough to send the number two qualifier home. Next up was the fellow 801 Racing sponsored car of Johnny Ahten.  Ahten got the ever so slight reaction time advantage, and was ahead at the sixty foot mark. Ahten had some traction issues and Perkins won the round with a 5.503/232.55.

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Courtesy of 801 Racing

Orem, UT – When asked how to respond to inquiries regarding Thursday’s fire at 801 RACING’s facilities 801’s general counsel said to simply state this fact, “801 RACING is really beginning to heat up!”

 It is true.  2012 has been a “hot” year for 801 RACING.  Although we are only two months into the 2012 drag racing season, 801 and its team of top-alcohol dragsters have already collected numerous victories.  Chris Demke smoked the competition in Pomona and Gainesville to claim two national NHRA victories, and Johnny Ahten picked up another victory on the IHRA circuit last week when he burned up the track in Tucson.  

However, the heat from 801 RACING can be felt well beyond 1320 feet.  Earlier this year 801 teamed up with the famous Nitro Circus off-road racing team.  The 801 RACING/Nitro Circus trophy truck will compete in several off-road races this year before blazing through the Mexican desert during the Baja 1000 in November.

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Courtesy of 801 Racing

Las Vegas, NV – Cody Perkins is racing at this weekend’s SummitRacing.com Nationals for pride and respect. Fun is not in the mix. The Utah drag racer is tired of breaking parts, tired of tiptoeing around the bureaucracy, and tired of not winning. The time is now, and Perkins and his 801 Racing Top Alcohol Dragster are ready to get the job done.

“Racing at a National event has us pumped up,” said Perkins. “It’s great to run in front of the big crowds as opposed to the poorly attended Regional races. It’s not fun racing in front of three people waiting for Super Gas.”

Cody and his family based operation did not qualify this past weekend at the Regional event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. A problem in the ignition box prevented the team from making one qualifying session when the car would not fire. Other runs did not produce a quick enough time to get in the field. It was frustrating in many ways but that is not why Perkins has decided to make a change.

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Courtesy of  801 Racing

Las Vegas, NV – Sherriff Chris Demke is on the case – fear not racing fans. The investigation resumes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend where Demke and his Deputy’s are looking to close two separate cases.

First up is the search for a litter bug and a Regional title. Somehow a scrap of paper interfered with the timing lights during last weekend’s Regional event making it necessary to re-run the finals. The second case involves another National Event win. Both cases involve procuring a certain statuette named Wally.

“We are returning to the badlands of Las Vegas to take care of some unfinished business,” said Sherriff Demke. “The posse is busy preparing my mount, and I am looking forward to finishing what I started last week.”

The case file shows that during last weekend’s Vegas Regional event final, there was a timing light malfunction at the finish line. Demke and Jim Whiteley were blazing down the quarter mile with Demke leading the race. Just as the cars were approaching the finish line, a piece of paper tripped the lights. There was no way for NHRA to determine the winner. So on Saturday during the third round of qualifying, Demke and Whiteley will match up to determine the winner of the Regional Crown. Litterbugs are not invited to this round.

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Courtesy of  801 Racing

Las Vegas, NV – The final round of the Vegas Regional has been delayed. Not the greatest of news to Chris Demke and Jim Whiteley. The two racers were paired up in the Top Alcohol Dragster final, but a errant piece of paper had other ideas. Just as the cars were approaching the finish line, something disturbed the timing lights. So the race was put on hold until the third round of qualifying at the Big O Tires NHRA National event this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Chris Demke and his Peen Rite/801 Racing Dragster qualified in the #2 slot and were matched up against Garrett Bateman in the first round. Bateman got the starting line advantage, but a best run of the weekend 5.323/269.73 gave Demke the win. The round victory also garnered Demke enough points to earn the chance to represent Division 7 at the Jeg’s All-Star event in Chicago.

In the second round, Joey Severance took a shot at the tree but lost to Demke and tire smoke. The Peen Rite Dragster boogied down the strip to a consistent 5.357 at 269.73. It was on to the finals and Whiteley.

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Courtesy of 801 Racing

LAS Vegas, NV – Gunslingers’ like to carry enough ammunition to get the job done. The shrewd assassin has to work with the resources they have. In this case, 801 Racing’s hired gun, Cody Perkins is headed to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for regional action with only one bullet. Having wounded some parts at the Phoenix regional, Perkins only has one complete motor.

“The door is up, and we are headed to Vegas,” said Perkins. “I packed a musket, not a machine gun.”

Perkins will be relying upon 801 Racing’s 70W Racing Oil to keep things in place. Perkins and his family based crew will also rely upon their ability to conserve parts and still blister the quarter mile. This is not something new for the Utah based race team. Last year Perkins won the Topeka Summernationas in Top Alcohol Dragster with only eight pistons. In fact, those eight pistons stayed in the engine for quite a while. So it can be done, and Perkins and his Team are the ones to do it.

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Courtesy of  801 Racing

Las Vegas, NV – There will be regional action with play-off consequences this weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This is not about college basketball.  The play-off in question is the Jeg’s All-Star point’s battle, and the team fighting the odds is Maddern Racing.

The clock is ticking and they are down by ten points. Team leader Chris Demke is looking to go all the way and cut down the nets in Chicago as the last Division 7 representative.  To do that, Demke will have to not only navigate around screens and zone defenses, but also navigate the race track. Going rounds is the game plan.

“Vegas is a challenge,” said Demke. “At the end of last year we won the national event, and then didn’t qualify at the regional the next weekend.”

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Courtesy of 801 Racing

Orem, UT – After winning the 2012 NHRA Big O Tires Gatornationals, Chris Demke and 801 Racing Sponsored Team realized they were living the dream. Back to back Gatornationals wins, and back to back National Event wins. They also recorded the third fastest Blown Top Alcohol Dragster elapsed time. It’s quite the accomplishment. All this has not gone unnoticed. Facebook, Twitter, internet news sites, blogs, all abuzz with the accomplishments of Chris Demke and the Maddern Racing Team. 

801 Racing’s John Hill found it hard to remain subtle. When contacted, he waxed poetic about his 801 Racing Team; “We’re not surprised at all.  It’s a simple equation.  You take one of the best racers known to man and the animal kingdom, add some of the best racing products literally in the world and you walk away with Wally’s.  Really though, there’s much more to it than that.  The Maddern racing team is an amazing bunch, full of ingenuity and good times and they’re really the ones that make it all happen.”

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Courtesy of 801 Racing

Phoenix, AZ – A race within a race, qualifying is all about how quick you can get to the finish link. On Saturday, Cody Perkins and the 801 Racing Team ran a 5.378 elapsed time at 263.87 miles per hour. That was quick enough to launch them into the number two position. It was here where the Inesco/Steamco Dragster would stay for Sunday’s eliminations.

Carrying that number two qualifying spot into race day, Perkins was up against number seven qualifier Don St. Arnaud. Perkins and the team had lane choice and they believed the upper hand. Off the line, St. Arnaud got a small head start, but Perkins reeled him in after a few feet. Things were looking up, but they were not going to stay that way. Even though St. Arnaud was showing signs of trouble, Perkins was losing power. By the one-thousand-foot mark, Perkins’ lead was no more. Along with it was the glory of the number two qualifier, and ultimately, the race.

When asked about the race, Perkins was understandably short. “I really have nothing good to say,” said Perkins.

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