CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals
Chicago
(Sept. 25-28)
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Tim Cullinan J.P. Phillips dragster |
Reports: Saturday Pre-race |
Chicago, Saturday: Tim Cullinan failed to qualify at his home track on Saturday for the 3rd annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. Cullinan made only one run during qualifying in the Mike Smith-tuned J.P. Phillips dragster but was unable to make the 16-car field for Sunday's eliminations.
Rain washed out both rounds of Professional qualifying on Friday after persistent showers hit Route 66 Raceway early in the afternoon and continued until well into the evening. That left Cullinan and the J.P. Phillips team with just two chances on Saturday to make the 16-car field. The team spent most of Friday afternoon dodging raindrops and making finally preparations on the J.P. Phillips dragster. Saturday's qualifying conditions were dry, cold and windy, with temperatures in the mid-50 degree range. Cullinan was in the second pair of Top Fuel dragsters scheduled to make a qualifying run down the record setting quarter-mile at Route 66 Raceway during the first session.
Unfortunately for Cullinan, NHRA officials deemed the rear wing on the J.P. Phillips dragster to be taller than the rules allow, just as the first pair of Top Fuel cars fired up their motors. The crew struggled in vain to try and lower the wing in time to make a run but they ran out of time and were forced to return to the pits and wait for the final qualifying session.
After the team made sure the rear wing was in legal trim with the NHRA officials, Cullinan pulled to the starting line for his one and only qualifying attempt. The Illinois racer launched down the track on a strong run but he left the line before the tree was activated and his run did not count. Cullinan was understandable disappointed after qualifying ended.
"There is a lot of pressure to try and make the show on only one run when you're racing at this level," said Cullinan. "I usually need a couple of runs to get into the groove on the lights and I guess I just pushed the tree too hard on our last attempt. The car made a good run but I don't know if it would have been good enough to make the show. Losing two qualifying runs to rain on Friday seemed to be a bad omen and things just got worst for us after that. We'll be back on the NHRA tour soon and hopefully we'll put together a better effort."
Chicago, pre-race: Top Fuel driver "Turbo Tim" Cullinan will return to his home track of Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., this weekend to compete at the third annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. Cullinan will be making his third career NHRA appearance and the second of the 2003 POWERade season, with all three of his starts taking place at the record-setting facility in the suburbs of his hometown of Chicago.
The independent racer made his NHRA Top Fuel debut at the Chicago race one year ago and has competed at nine events in Top Fuel on both the NHRA and IHRA circuits. The 41-year-old former drag bike racer is sponsored by J.P. Phillips, Inc., a successful Chicago-area plastering company. Cullinan has owned the company for 10 years and has worked on a number of major construction projects in and around the Midwest. J.P. Phillips has worked on such notable projects as Harrah's Joliet Casino, Chicago's Hilton Towers Hotel, the Wisconsin State Capital, the Chicago Art Institute, and Notre Dame University. During the peak construction season Cullinan employs over 100 people at J.P. Phillips.
Cullinan enters the CARQUEST Nationals with veteran crew chief Mike Smith once again making the tuning calls. The team has gradually improved at each race they've attended as Cullinan continues to search for more support.
"It's tough to run a Top Fuel car out of your own pocket," Cullinan said. "We're looking to run well enough in Chicago to attract some more support so that we can race on the NHRA tour more often in the future."
At the Lucas Oil Nationals, the first event held at Route 66 this season, Cullinan won his first NHRA elimination round and ran a career-best elapsed time en route to a quarter-final finish.
"We've made some improvements in the fuel system and we should be in pretty good shape this weekend," Cullinan said. "Our first goal is to qualify for eliminations and then we'll try and go four rounds on Sunday."
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