Maddern Racing
Past Firebird Success and New Car Performance Give Demke Confidence
CHANDLER, AZ – Coming off of a #2 qualifying position and final round appearance at the season opening Winternationals, Chris 
Demke enters this weekend’s LODRS regional event with great confidence in his car and his crew. He’s only made just over ten runs in his Peen Rite/OSI/801 Racing Top Alcohol Dragster, yet he’s already starting to feel at home in the new car. The Maddern Racing team is learning what the car needs to click off consistent 5.2-second passes.
“The car is very similar to the old car, but it looks like it wants a more aggressive tune-up. Since it’s a regional, the track prep won’t be as good as it was in Pomona, so we’ll just have to watch ourselves. While we know the car wants an aggressive tune-up, we don’t necessarily need to get after it right off the bat at Phoenix because of the less favorable track conditions,” said Demke.
Demke Wheels New Car to Winternationals Final Round
POMONA, CA – Top Alcohol Dragster driver Chris Demke has enjoyed plenty of success at Auto Club Raceway in recent years. That success continued this past weekend, though maybe not to the extent that the Californian was shooting for. Considering the fact that the team only had one full run on the car heading into the event, it was a very successful outing for the Maddern Racing team.
“To win it would have been awesome, but to make it to the finals with a new car and all of the engine problems that we ran into, it certainly exceeded our expectations. I think we’re headed in the right direction with it. We’re slowly but surely learning what it likes. What it likes is an aggressive tune-up and it wants to go fast. We’re getting after it at the next one,” Demke said.
Demke and Maddern Racing Repeat Pomona Success
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Pomona, CA – Chris Demke saved the best for last in winning the Top Alcohol Dragster class at the NHRA finals. Having won the 
Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Demke now has a complete set of bookends. The Maddern Racing driver drove his Peen Rite / OSI / 801 Racing Dragster to its quickest and fastest times of the year. Even more amazing is the fact that Demke won the event by defeating three world champions in a row.
“It’s still sinking in,” said Demke. “Even after a few days I still can’t believe we did it. My crew gave me a beast of a racecar that was consistent as a bracket car. We went through three Top Alcohol world champs to get the win, and we captured second place in the National Point to boot! ”
Demke and Maddern Racing look to repeat Pomona success
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Pomona, CA – Chris Demke and his Maddern Racing Teammates started the year with a win at the Winternationals. Now they are back 
home and look to put a bookend on a very busy season. Having just completed Regional action in Las Vegas, the Peen Rite / OSI / 801 Racing Team is battle tested and ready to finish strong.
“The Vegas Regional was interesting because we recorded a team best of 5.314/269.24, qualified number two, and brushed the wall in round one and lost,” said Demke. “The car went into some tire shake early on and blurred my vision slightly. As I came out of the shake and my vision returned, I could see that I was headed towards the wall. I nudged it to the right a bit but the rear of the car swung to the left and made contact. The rim is a bit scratched up but other than that everything is fine.”
Demke and Maddern Racing in Vegas for a Show
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Las Vegas, NV – Chris Demke and the Maddern Racing gang are back in action this weekend at the Regional race at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. They are not in Vegas to see a show at some fancy hotel, they are the show. The Top Alcohol Dragster class is the fastest and quickest cars in action this weekend and Team Peen plan on being the headliner.
“I am looking to go out there and have some fun,” said Demke. “We have had a great year, but the part attrition has been a little high. I just want to put the car together, have it stay together, and put on a great show on raceday.”
The Maddern Racing crew has had some time to prepare for this weekend’s event. The parts have been replenished and the back-ups are in place. Just a few short weeks ago they were in the big show at Maple Grove. They were in their sixth consecutive final round in a row, and that memory is still fresh in Team Peen’s mind.
Maddern Racing Reaches Sixth Consecutive Final in Maple Grove
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Mohnton, PA – Chris Demke made it to the Top Alcohol Dragster final at Maple Grove Raceway and lost to Bill Reichert. That’s what the 
scoreboard said at the end of the day. It may be harsh, but the story of how they got there is a testament to the spirit of the crew of Maddern Racing and their fellow racers. Twice during the weekend there was a thrash to rebuild the car. Without the assistance of many strong-handed friends, the Maddern Racing Team would have been done for.
After qualifying in the second position, Demke was paired up against Karen Stalba in the first round. A stellar 5.263/269.73 dispatched of Stalba but past the finish line something went wrong. “What I felt wasn’t good,” said Demke. “When we got back to the pits we had a ton of work to do. Due to the weather, second round was the same day and time was tight. We would have never made it without the help from a couple of Top Alcohol Funny Car teams. The guys from the Pomponio TAFC Team and Micky Ferro’s Team all pitched in and we were able to make the call for the second round.”
Chris Demke has Fast Ideas for Maple Grove
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Mohnton, PA – This weekend will mark the first time that Chris Demke has been to Maple Grove Raceway. It is also the farthest east 
that the Maddern Racing Team have ever raced. There are no worries about geography as the Peen Rite/ OSI / 801 Racing Team has physics on their mind. To be more specific, they want to go fast.
Maple Grove is the place to go fast and that is plan for this race. Demke has a history of going fast, and not only in a Top Alcohol Dragster. In high school, Demke ran both track and cross country. In fact, he still holds the Verdugo Hills High School record of 52.5 in the 440 yard dash. In case you were wondering, the 440 is a quarter mile. That time may not win any Drag Races, but fast is a state of mind.
“I’ve got fast on the brain,” said Demke. “Maple Grove is a tight track and if the weather cooperates it will be amazing. That is why so many top times have been run here. I just want to go out and run hard the way I know we can.”
Reaching Final Round in Texas Not Enough for Demke
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Ennis, TX – Chris Demke blasted off the starting line in the finals of the 27th annual AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals with a big 
advantage. The Maddern Racing Dragster was off to a great start and looked to seal the deal until parts breakage ended more than just the race. It put an end to the chase for the Top Alcohol Dragster Championship.
Jim Whiteley wrapped up the title with the win. Now the focus turns to putting a big #2 on the wing. Spirits are high in the Peen Rite / OSI / 801 Racing camp. There is still racing to attend to, and a task at hand.
“Obviously we are disappointed, but we have nothing to hang our heads about, said clutchguy/tuner Adam Rhodes. “Basically a thirty dollar part cost us a World Championship. The unfortunate timing of parts breakage happening in the finals is just a fact of racing. We will finish up the year strong and go for a second place finish. “
Maddern Racing Anticipates Quick Times and Results in Texas
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Ennis, TX – The Texas Motorplex‘s all-concrete racing surface is just the kind of place that Chris Demke and the Maddern Racing Team has been waiting for. It is here where they can flex their tuning muscles and let it rip. The adjustments and revisions they have made to their Peen Rite/ OSI / 801 Racing Top Alcohol Dragster will make this weekend’s race something to watch.
“I am really looking forward running fast and doing it against some great competition,” said Demke. “Having Jim Whiteley and Bill Reichert there makes this one special. The top three in national points will be battling it out and we want to take advantage of the opportunity.”
Team Peen has been crisscrossing the country this year collecting low elapsed time slips and trophies. Crew Chief Jerry Maddern has the car running on mean and is looking to continue the trend. Crew members Kevin Watson, Michael Demke, Ronald Mann, and clutchguy/tuner Adam Rhoades have their well-rehearsed act down cold and are chomping at the bit. It has been eight years since they have raced at the Motorplex, but they are confident with their game plan.
Demke Wins at Woodburn and Resets Track Record
Courtesy of Maddern Racing
Woodburn, OR – Chris Demke and Maddern Racing did just about all they could do in winning the Woodburn Regional race this past weekend. They recaptured the track record, defeated a tough opponent, and won the race. The Sherriff and his posse have their 
swagger back and another trophy for the case.
“This win is three in a row for us, and four finals in a row,” said Demke. “The final round was amazing with the number one and two in points going at it. Reclaiming the track record is just icing on the cake.”
The path to the victory took some interesting turns along the way. In the first round of qualifying Demke saw Jim Whiteley snatch his track record away that the Maddern Racing Team set at the previous Regional race at Woodburn. Demke’s 5.315/269.78 was good enough for the number two spot, but not the record. In the second qualifying session Demke experienced tire shake and wisely shut it down. The team then made the decision to sit out the final qualifying session and went into eliminations still in the second position.
Sunday race day saw the Maddern Racing Team’s first round opponent Greg Lawrence not able to make the call to the line. Demke rocketed off the starting line in a planned half track “test run” but once again experienced tire shake, coasting to a 10.160/73.69. A bye awaited them in the Semi-finals and the Peen Rite / OSI / 801 Racing Team knew it was a chance to get lane choice in the finals. The car launched hard and streaked to a 5.283/268.25. That run not only gave Team Peen lane choice in the finals, but it tied the track record.
