K&N Filters Winternationals
Pomona
(Feb. 6-9)
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Mark Whisnant RW Performance Pro Stocker |
Reports: Saturday Pre-race |
Pomona, Saturday: Mark Whisnant arrived in Pomona, Calif. with hopes of placing is RW Performance/ Snap-On Tools Chevrolet Cavalier in the Pro Stock field for the 43rd annual K&N Winternationals. His hopes dissolved when the best run he could produce was a 6.826, 202.15 mph, which placed him 23rd and on the outside looking in.
"Not qualifying is always hard to take," said Whisnant of Stockbridge, Ga., "but I am still pleased with the results of this race.
"Four days before we left for testing in Houston, we lost our crew chief. It could have been a disaster, but luckily Gary Pearman and Markus Svennson were available. They started with us in Houston, which was only a week ago. Seven days is a very short time to become comfortable with the car, our equipment, and each other. Considering what they were up against, I feel they did and excellent job.
"I would like to be racing tomorrow, but I know that this team has a lot of potential. I know that we just need a little more time together and we will be as good as any team out there. We will be in Phoenix in two weeks to give it another try."
Pomona, pre-race: With only days until the start of the 2003 POWERade Drag Racing season, Mark Whisnant and Reid Whisnant announced major changes within their RW Performance Pro Stock team.
Two days before leaving for testing in Houston, the Whisnants' hired Markus Svensson and Gary Pearman as co-crew chiefs on their RW Performance Chevrolet Cavalier.
"It all happened very fast," said Mark, driver of the RW Performance machine. "Five days before we were supposed to leave for Houston to test we lost two key employees. Losing crewmembers so close to the start of the season is a tough situation to be placed in. It could have been a disaster, but we decided to turn a negative into a positive.
"Right away I got on the phone and stared making calls. I found out that both Markus and Gary were available and wanted to come to work for us. Both of them have excellent credentials, years of Pro Stock experience, and individual talents to bring to the team.
"For years we have watched the fuel guys put together two crew chiefs, with talents that complement one another, and become very successful. Look at [John] Force with [Austin] Coil and [Bernie] Fedderly; they're the best. So, instead of picking one guy over the other, my dad and I decided to hire both of them as co-crew chiefs.
"It all came together over the weekend, which might scare some people, but I felt like it was good karma. We arrived in Houston on Wednesday for the SuperBowl. We wanted to use this test session to see what we had in the car, and get a base line for Pomona. We were not trying to go out and set any records. We just wanted to make good solid runs, and get to know each other.
"Testing turn out better than I could have hoped. We ran as well as anyone there, and had better short times than we did all last season. It is still early, but I am impressed with the way Gary and Markus worked together, and with the rest of the crew. By the end of Saturday we had decided that we had done everything we could do there in Houston, and are ready to go to Pomona.
"In some peoples eyes coming into a big race like the Winternationals with a new crew chief might make us underdogs. But to me, coming into Pomona with two new crew chiefs just makes this underdogs that bite twice as hard."
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