801 Racing
Severance and 801 Racing Go to Finals at Phoenix Regional
Courtesy of 801 Racing
Chandler, AZ – It’s a little over three hundred miles from Firebird Raceway to Las Vegas, NV. After the luck Joey Severance and his 801 Racing Dragster had at the Regionals, he might just want to go and place a few bets.
Severance’s Top Alcohol Dragster had some troubles in qualifying. Tire smoke and a lost blower belt landed the Woodburn, OR driver in the number eight spot. His qualifying time was a less than desirable 7.283 elapsed time, at only 125.54 miles per hour. The luck was just starting to show.
In the first round of eliminations, Severance faced number one qualifier Chris Demke and his Maddern Racing rocket ship. Demke had run off a series of 5.33’s in qualifying, and had the car to beat. Severance got off the line first and a distracted Demke tried to play catch-up to no avail.
“I got to the shut down area and didn’t know I had won,” said Severance. “It was great to finally get down the track with a 5.435@259.66.”
Perkins Ready for the Competition at Phoenix Regional Race
Courtesy of 801 racing
Phoenix, AZ – Cody Perkins has pulled the lever. Not the chutes, but the big red-handled fifty pound theoretical competition lever. Test mode is over. This weekend in Phoenix at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series race at Firebird
Raceway, Perkins and his 801 Racing dragster are going for it.
“We are in competition mode,” said Perkins. “We want to be the last Division 7 All-Star.”
Perkins is currently leading the Jeg’s All-Star’s points for the honor of representing Division 7 at the Chicago race later this year. It is not something the 801 Racing Team and Perkins want to give up. Fighting for the right to represent is the competition within the competition. The Regional event will have that added drama, as well as a string of west coast hitters.
“We are going there to beat the Peen Rite car,” added Perkins. “It’s between us and Chris Demke, and who goes more rounds.”
Perkins Winternationals Experience a Battle
Courtesy of 801 Racing
Pomona, CA – Cody Perkins and the 801 Racing Top Alcohol Dragster Team did quite a bit of fighting at the Winternationals. Not fisticuffs mind you, but there were battles a plenty.
Trouble started brewing Monday night before the race, just as the team was set to depart. Perkins found one of their rocker assemblies had broken. The crack wasn’t noticeable until the motor was completely assembled and the valve spring pressure was applied to the push rod cup. The first punch had been thrown. Perkins recovered, and with a right hook, replaced the faulty parts with their last remaining spare stand. So the crew jumped in the truck and headed to Pomona. Once they arrived, parts were awaiting that needed to be installed to get the car race ready. A flurry of rabbit punches followed, which were taken in stride and the work continued.
“We knew it was going to be a short field,” said Perkins. “We had a few new things on the car and didn’t need any carnage as we plan to attend quite a few races this season.”
Perkins is Ready for Season Opening Test at Pomona
Courtesy of 801
Pomona, CA – Cody Perkins comes to the Winternationals prepared to make the grade. Last year’s season ending event did not exactly go as planned. The images of a wild ride filled with smoke and a banged up race car were replayed all
winter long. Now that the 2012 NHRA season is here, Perkins is looking to create new memories from the Auto Club Raceway.
“The last time we were here at Pomona there was something exciting every time down the track,” said Perkins. “We never had a boring run.”
Cody and the 801 Racing Team are now looking for boring, as in boringly consistent quick trips down the quarter mile. The off season has allowed time to review and sharpen the lesson plan. They have studied last year’s data, and are ready for the first exam of the new racing season.
Perkins Wild Ride(s) in Pomona
Courtesy of 801 Racing
Pomona, CA – The concept of Drag Racing is simple. Run your car in a straight line as fast as you can to the finish. Cody Perkins found out at the 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals that it is never dull. The 801 Racing sponsored Top Alcohol Dragster provided a few memorable trips down the quarter mile.
“There was something exciting every time down the track,” said Perkins. “We never had a boring run.”
The first few qualifying attempts gave Perkins a great view of the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. The idea of a straight line was somewhat lost during these sessions. It wasn’t until the second qualifying round on Friday that the power of the 801 Racing Dragster was unleashed. A blistering 5.328 elapsed time at 265.80 miles per hour propelled Perkins to the number seven slot. The run was quite the thrill ride for Perkins because when the parachutes hit, one of the front tires blew.
Perkins Looks to History for Pomona Finals
Courtesy of 801 Racing
Photo by John Rogers
Pomona, CA – Cody Perkins and the 801 Racing Team are looking to days gone by for inspiration. The venue is the Auto 
Club Raceway at Pomona. It is at this track that Perkins ran his career best. A 5.33 elapsed time blast that he would like to improve upon. The motivation is in place and history is on his side.
“Pomona has treated us pretty good,” said Perkins. “In fact, when my father first ran Pomona he unloaded the car from the trailer and ran a 5.41. We also have made some big hits here and we are looking forward to the challenge”
Cody and his 801 Racing teammates have been busily preparing their Top Alcohol Dragster for the finals. Parts have been replaced, repaired and smoothed over. They will need everything to be right with the caliber of teams making the trip west for the last race of the year. The team is pumped up and ready to go down the quarter mile.
“We are excited about going to a tough race,” added Perkins. “The big teams are here and we want to beat the best. It means much more to run against a stout field.”
Perkins Goes Broke in Vegas
Courtesy of 801 racing
Las Vegas, NV. – Going broke in Vegas usually means only one thing. The tables got the best of you, or the one armed bandit 
kept everything it was given. At the Division 7 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Cody Perkins may not have lost money at the casinos, but the 801 Racing sponsored Top Alcohol Dragster did break a few parts.
“I think we broke one of everything,” said Perkins. “We broke all kinds of parts like heads, belts and even our windshield.”
Cody was able to get his 801 Racing dragster into the show in the number six slot with a 5.402. Cold track conditions were not kind to the sun and heat loving team. In the first round against Megan McKernan, Perkins was first off the line but the fun ended there.
“I hate cold tracks,” added Perkins. “We know how to run in the heat, but when we have cool conditions like this, it is really hard for us to get down the track. I am considering bringing in someone next year to do a sun dance.”
Perkins Looks to Step Up to the Plate for Divisional Race
Courtesy of 801 Racing
Las Vegas, NV – Cody Perkins and his 801 Racing sponsored Dragster are looking for some home track advantage for this
weekend’s Division 7 race. Even though the Perkins Team is from Utah, they consider the Las Vegas Motor Speedwaytheir home track. The previous weekend’s National event provided the necessary background information needed to go faster.
“We are going to get after it a little harder for the divisional,” quoted Perkins. “Low 30’s is the goal, if we tickle it just right. We can step on it with confidence and we want to go fast.”
The advantage of having a divisional race at the same track as the previous weekend is that the information obtained is still relevant. The disadvantage is that many other Alcohol teams stuck around with similar thoughts.
“Once again it will be a stout field,” added Perkins. “They also have more run data, so it’s up to us to step up.”
Second Round Exit Makes Perkins More Determined to Finish Strong
Courtesy of 801 Racing
Las Vegas, NV. – Cody Perkins and the 801 Racing Team are looking to finish up the year strong after going as far as the 
second round at the Big O Tires Nationals this past weekend. The team missed the first round of qualifying when it was discovered that they had broken the chassis in transit.
“We got behind the 8 ball to start, but we worked together and got it fixed,” said Perkins. “The key to going rounds is making runs when the conditions are good.”
Fortunately there were no other issues or breakage all weekend. Perkins later qualified in the number ten spot with a 5.400 elapsed time at 260.11 miles per hour. In the first round, Cody and the 801 Racing Dragster defeated Aaron Tatum with a stellar 5.362 at 264.44.
It’s All Good for Cody Perkins in Vegas
Courtesy of 801 Racing
Las Vegas, NV – Cody Perkins and the 801 Racing Team are planning for a good time in Vegas this weekend. The town itself is known to be exciting and a bit wild. This weekend, the good times will be down the track, and in the pits.
The party starts with the debut of Perkins’ new 801 Racing firesuit and helmet. The crew also will be sporting new crew shirts to keep it going all weekend. The gang from 801 Racing will also be there in support of their new runway model. Not all glitz and glam, the race is where Perkins really wants to shine.
“We know our car will run competitive,” said Perkins. “The trailer is packed full of all our good stuff. We have worked long and hard to make the good times come to us.”
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is known as a great track with traction galore. It can also be rough on motors. The last time Perkins raced here, a small piece of aluminum from the tank plugged a nozzle. The team ended up having to build three motors out of two. This year the plan is to keep it all together.
