Massey Charlotte II Saturday report

SPENCER MASSEY DIRECTS FRAM/PRESTONE DRAGSTER INTO SECOND SPOT FOR SUNDAY’S FOURTH-ANNUAL NHRA NATIONALS AT zMAX DRAGWAY

Spencer Massey, Preston/FRAM Dragster

Photo by: Michael C. Johnson

CONCORD, N.C., Sept. 17, 2011 – Spencer Massey will drive his FRAM/Prestone Top Fuel dragster out of the second starting spot here Sunday in the fourth-annual NHRA Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

Massey, with a 3.771-second pass at 324.98 miles per hour in Saturday’s final qualifying session, just missed collecting his third pole of the season. His elapsed time was identical to his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tony Schumacher, but the latter’s speed was a bit faster and thus broke the tie for the number one position.

“That’s all right,” said the 28-year-old Fort Worth native. “We had great runs today and throughout qualifying and the FRAM/Prestone car shows great signs for tomorrow’s race. We’re going for rounds and to try and win another race.”

Massey will take on 15th-place qualifier Dominick Lagana in the first round of final eliminations beginning at noon EDT.

“We live and breathe this,” he offered. “We are going into race day with tremendous confidence. That’s especially critical now since we are starting the Countdown to the Championship.”

Massey arrived in the Tar Heel State holding third in the standings, 40 points removed from the leader, Del Worsham. With the playoffs beginning, he feels no additional pressure.

“It is the Countdown, but it’s still (just) racing,” he said. “I really don’t feel any extra pressure and I don’t think Phil (Shuler) or Todd (Okuhara) (his co-crew chiefs) or any of the crew guys feel it either. Our performance during qualifying showed we are approaching this the same way we’ve approached every race throughout the year.

“We go in looking to win rounds and win the race – plain and simple. I go into every round confident Phil and Todd have given me the best race car out there and all I have to do is my job – get a good light, hit the throttle and keep the car in the groove to be successful.”