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News
Releases CMKXtreme Machine conquers
the Englishtown heat, ENGLISHTOWN, Saturday: Jeff Arend qualified for his sixth race of the season at the K&N Filters NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey. The driver of the CMKXtreme Machine Funny Car qualified in the No. 10 position for Sunday’s eliminations and will face John Force in the opening round. Arend continued his tour of hospitals in New Jersey on Thursday, visiting children at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick. Arend and Pro Stock Bike competitor Connie Cohen signed autographs, posed with patients for photographs and handed out CMKXtreme Machine souvenirs to the delighted children and their parents. Joining the CMKX team for the weekend in Englishtown was Vinnie Ferrone, President of associate sponsor, V.F. Trucking Company, located in nearby Rockaway, N.J. Ferrone, a longtime friend of crew chief Paul Smith, brought his wife, Deborah, and their two sons, James and Nicholas to the race and entertained nearly 100 customers, employees and friends in the team’s hospitality area. The weather was hot and muggy during first day of professional qualifying at Englishtown. The CMKXtreme Machine Corvette was the second fuel Funny Car to go down the track during the opening round Friday afternoon. Arend launched hard and was on pace to run a low 4.90 when the car began smoking the tires just before half track. The native Canadian finished the opening session in the No. 10 spot with a 5.739 at 174.89 mph. On his second attempt Friday evening, the CMKXtreme Machine dropped a cylinder just off the starting line and began pulling to left, forcing Arend to lift off the throttle just before half track. He posted a 6.197 at 146.97mph to finish the first day of qualifying on the bump spot in the No. 16 position. The weather was hot again on Saturday as another huge crowd filled Old Bridge Township Raceway Park for the final day of qualifying. The track temperature was over 120 degrees when Arend rolled to the starting line for the third qualifying session. The CMKXtreme Machine smoked the tires around the 500-foot mark and stopped the clocks with a 6.075 at 157.41 mph to remain in the16th spot on the Funny Car ladder. Out of 19 cars to make a qualifying attempt during the third session, only two were able recorded a four-second run. Arend had been bumped from the field by the time he pulled to starting line for his last shot at qualifying. The CMKXtreme Machine shot straight down the center of the left lane, smoking the tires at the top end to a 4.974 at 301.33 mph. Arend moved up to the No. 10 qualifying position, his second best qualifying effort of the season. “It was great to make the show,” said a smiling Arend. “We’ve qualified the CMKX car on the final run at the last two races and it’s been a real nail biter at both events. Paul and I looked at the computer before the last run today and we came up with a game plan to try and get down the track. We put our lucky tires on the car, the same ones that got us in the show in Topeka, and it worked out great. I was really concentrating on keeping it in the groove because the track has been very tricky this weekend. It’s nice to be racing on Sunday.” CONTACT | |
