Demke Riding Four-Race Win Streak into U.S. Nationals
upcoming 60th Annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals near Indianapolis. Demke and his Maddern Racing team treated their most recent event, the Topeka regional race, as a test session for Indy and ended up in the winner’s circle. They look to have similar success at “the Big Go”.
The Peen Rite-sponsored car and driver had one of their more impressive outings of the 2014 season at Topeka. Demke qualified No. 1 with a 5.325 and stayed in the five-thirties through eliminations. Both man and machine were quick and consistent, with Chris cutting .031, .044 and .043 lights. The California-based dragster ripped off 5.375, 5.320 and 5.336 elapsed times to secure the event win.
“We found everything we were looking for and more,” Demke said of the race/test session. “The team was looking for a quick, consistent tune-up for conditions that we could expect at Indy. I was working on improving my reaction times after receiving some advice from Tom Bayer, a sportsman racer who once drove Top Alcohol Dragster. While one race isn’t conclusive, I think we found what we needed.”
With a promising tune-up and a stride in their step, Demke and his Jerry Maddern-led team head to Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Raceway for the prestigious U.S. Nationals, August 27-Sept. 1. Chris won the historic event in 1998 as a crew member when Darren Nicholson drove the Peen Rite entry. He has two “Big Go” semifinal appearances and a runner-up finish to his name as a driver, but he’s anxious to get another shot at his first Indy win.
“Our team is going into Indy with the most momentum we’ve ever had going into this race. We feel confident in our chances and we’re itching to get a second Indy win as a team, my first as a driver,” Demke noted.
The U.S. Nationals has been a noteworthy race since its inception in 1954, with drivers and teams traveling from all over the country to compete. Legends are made at Indy, and some of the most memorable moments in NHRA drag racing have taken place there. The history of the race is one of Demke’s favorite parts of the annual visit to the racing capital of the world.
“Indy is a big race with a lot of history behind it. I’m proud to have the opportunity to race at the 60th Annual U.S. Nationals, especially knowing the legends who will be there: Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen, to name a few. This year I’m hoping to add my name to the list of drivers who won at Indy,” said the fan favorite driver.
Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying at the 60th Annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals begins on Friday with sessions at 1:30 and 4:30 PM. Q3 is at 12:15 PM on Saturday. Teams get an Indy-exclusive fourth qualifying session at 9:45 AM Sunday, followed by first round of eliminations at 5:30 PM. Eliminations continue on Monday.
