NHRA News: Mopar Pro Bazemore ready for his favorite race (7/17/2003)

Mopar Pro Bazemore ready for his favorite race

7/17/2003

"I don't know why some of the competitors out here want to discuss my personality all the time. I find it humorous."
– Whit Bazemore

Go ahead and say it. He might just agree with you. Whit Bazemore is mouthy. But know this: mouthy or not, Bazemore just tells it like he sees it. In Bazemore's opinion, more drag racers should be like him instead of the other way around. If he somehow passes Tony Pedregon and wins the 2003 championship, he might have some converts.

Bazemore drives the Matco Tools Dodge Stratus R/T in the Funny Car division. After the first 12 events of the season, Bazemore has earned two victories in five final-round appearances. He has a firm hold of the No. 2 spot in the Funny Car standings going into this weekend's Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver and is looking to make his move to the top of the standings.

In this question and answer session, Bazemore talks about what it is like to be racing for the championship again, how married life has made him a better man, and why people just won't stop talking about his attitude toward racing.

Q: How have you evolved as a driver over the last year?
Bazemore: You gain more experienced with every race, which means you are always getting better because experience in this sport is one of the most important things. I think I'm more at ease with this team. The first year here was somewhat uncomfortable at times and that can throw you off. You get into a situation where you think you have to prove yourself to your team all the time and you start trying too hard. But things have evolved to the point where I am very comfortable here and I have a good relationship with everyone. I always had a good relationship with (crew chief) Lee Beard but now I think my relationship with Don (Schumacher, team owner) is the strongest it has ever been.

Q: Is chemistry between a tuner and driver important?
Bazemore: It's very important. As a driver you must have a lot of confidence in your people and you want your team to have a lot of confidence in you. That is one of the most important ingredients for a successful team. We have that and it's an important reason for the season we are having right now.

Q: People often accuse you of being mouthy. Do you agree?
Bazemore: I don't think I have ever been mouthy. Sometimes I just say what is top of mind. It just comes out. Compared to other people in other sports, I think I am pretty damn conservative, actually. Drag racing is very conservative and most of the drivers are very afraid of offending or even taking an opposing view of any establishment in this sport whether it is the corporate establishment, NHRA, the technical department or whatever. What ends up then is you have a bunch of people that are just puppets. Who wants to watch a sport like that?

Bazemore doesn't think he's mouthy, he just tells it like it is.
RacersEdge Photography

If you stand back and look at the sport, the big picture, you have to have people who are willing to voice another opinion. I get frustrated when decisions are made arbitrarily. There is a rule book and it should be followed to the letter and decisions should be made consistently and everyone should be given the same consideration. It doesn't always happen that way and that's when I get mouthy, as people say. But the rest of the time I am very pleasant.

I don't know why some of the competitors out here want to discuss my personality all the time. I find it humorous. I'm here to race and that's it. It's hard to have friends among your competitors although there are a handful of guys I really get along well with. There is also that other handful that are not necessarily bad guys, but they are people that you just don't know very well because of circumstances. Either you came up to the sport a different way or something happened early and you formed an opinion of them or vice versa and then you never took the time to change that opinion. That doesn't mean they are bad people.

You obviously have the hard-core [John] Force fans, which God bless them, they are great. You also have the anti-Force establishment, who naturally come this way. You get a lot of fans wearing a Force T-shirt, but they tell me to go out there and beat him. That's a good thing. I'm sure as long as they are out there buying his shirts, John is happy and as long as we are doing everything we can to beat him, I'm happy.

Q: How is the new Dodge program working out for the team?

Bazemore unveiled this special-edition Mopar paint scheme for the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals.
Click here for complete story.

Bazemore: Having Dodge come on board was a big bonus for our team because Dodge has similar goals in the fact we all want to win a lot of races and contend for a championship. They have made a commitment financially and with products, engineering, and support to help us make a better race car. When you see our competition and what Ford does with John, they are very aggressive. Dodge is aggressive as well. We wanted to be associated with a company that is aggressive and capable of giving us and helping us build a race car that is more competitive so we can challenge Force's team in a stronger way.

Q: Is this the most vulnerable Force has been?
Bazemore: Being halfway through the season he seems vulnerable. But there are a lot of other teams out there. His team cars are running very well. It's tough out there. His car runs well, they just haven't been consistent yet. But they just set a national record so they certainly have the ability to go out and dominate. You can't write them off. But the class as a whole is very competitive. Just because John is not the top guy, unfortunately, does not make it any easier.

Q: Do you try not to think about the championship?
Bazemore: Sometimes. But sometimes it is good to think about it because it can motivate you. Other times it is not good because it can start to affect you in a negative way. It depends on what kind of mood we are in as to whether we are going to think about it or not. You have to channel your thoughts always in such a way that will make you positive and perform better. It can get me pretty fired up just thinking about it and that is a good thing.

Q: How is married life treating you?
Bazemore: Married life is great. We've been married two years in December, so we are still newlyweds. It's a great thing. I'm just a lot happier person, especially when I am at home with Michelle or if she is out here at the races with me. We're a great match and I am very happily married and I think my wife is too. She is there for me and I try to be there for her all the time too. We support each other.

She is an athlete and that is time consuming. She is making a big effort to try to win the national championship in August for track racing on the velodrome. Her training and the effort she puts into it is tremendous, especially right now since it is so close. It's exciting for me and I am really proud of her because of the effort she makes and how much success she has had with her bike racing career.

Q: What kind of teammate is Gary Scelzi?

Dodge teammates Bazemore and Scelzi have some fun before driver introductions.
RacersEdge Photography

Bazemore: Scelzi is great. I knew the effort was being made for him to come here. I was kind of neutral on it because we'd been teammates before. We always got along, but he had so much success early on and I was a little jealous, let's be honest. This is a tough game and you have to pay your dues. I think the reputation he got when he drove the other Funny Car wasn't deserved at all. But he also had to adapt to a Funny Car from a dragster and apparently they are totally different animals. Gary's a very gifted driver and he is very hungry and very competitive. I really like that about him and we get along great. Both he and Scotty [Cannon] have paid their dues in this class. Scelzi is a great teammate and he is a lot of fun to hang out with.

Q: Is this is a big weekend for the team?
Bazemore: Denver is my favorite race on the schedule. We have had a lot of success there and it's my favorite track. I think the Bandimere family truly cares about the facility and the sport and they make an effort to do things the right way. We as racers have to rely on NHRA and a whole bunch of other people to do their jobs in the best way possible so we can make a living. We have to perform as well. When other people perform in a good way like the Bandimeres, it is really satisfying to go there and be part of it. They have invested a lot of money in their facility and it shows. It is a very successful race and that makes it a place that I really enjoy. It is a top-notch facility.

Q: What has been the most enjoyable part of the 2003 season?
Bazemore: I would say that winning Englishtown was pretty good. Then coming back and winning Chicago with Tony Schumacher winning in Top Fuel. It doesn't get much better than that.

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