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News
Releases CMKXtreme Machine Topeka Pre-Race
TOPEKA, pre-race: CMKXtreme Machine Funny Car driver Jeff Arend heads into competition at the 16th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals with plenty of confidence. The Canadian native enters this weekend's event with a ton of momentum after the CMKXtreme Racing team made four strong runs at the Route 66 Nationals in Chicago. Arend reset his career-best speed mark three times in the Windy City and made the quickest run of his life with a 4.844 to qualify for his third event in four starts this season. Arend and CMKXtreme Machine crew chief Paul Smith are no strangers to the Heartland Park Topeka quarter-mile. The pair teamed up during Arend's rookie season in Funny Car in 1995 and qualified for both races at the beautiful Kansas facility. Arend reached the semifinals at the first race in Topeka that season and returned to qualify for the second event in late September. Now, as he stands poised to win his first round of the season, Arend is eager to continue and improve on his performance in the CMKXtreme Machine Corvette. "Paul Smith is definitely getting a handle on the tune-up," said the fastest Canadian racer in drag racing history. "When you consider how quickly we put this team together (in just two weeks) it really shows you how knowledgeable Paul is as a crew chief. He has had to deal with a new team and a new tire and he's still been able to produce the best performance numbers of his career and mine. I have no doubt that the CMKX team is on the right path to eventually reach the winner's circle." Arend is currently ranked 18th in the POWERade Funny Car points standings after competing in only four of the eight completed races this season. The 41-year-old former national event champion will be competing at all of the remaining 15 races on the 2004 NHRA schedule. "I would love to show my appreciation to Urban Casavant (CMKX Diamonds founder and Chairman of the Board) with a national event victory," said Arend from his San Dimas, Calif., home. "Everyone involved with the CMKXtreme Machine team is working as hard as they can to make winning a reality. We're headed in the right direction now and we're not going to let up until we've attained our goals." CONTACT | |
