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ST. LOUIS, qualifying: CMKXtreme Machine Funny Car driver Jeff Arend qualified for his seventh race of the season at the 8th annual Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals at Gateway International Raceway. The former NHRA national event champion qualified the CMKXtreme Machine in the No. 15 position and will face Tommy Johnson Jr. during the first round of eliminations on Sunday.

CMKXtreme Racing team members Jeff Arend and Connie Cohen visited St. Louis Shriners Hospital prior to the race Friday morning, meeting with over 50 children. Arend and Cohen distributed CMKXtreme souvenirs, signed autographs and spent several hours talking about NHRA Drag Racing with the children and their grateful parents.

When racing began the weather was uncharacteristically mild compared to past Craftsman Nationals and both fans and racers alike enjoyed the unusually comfortable conditions. The CMKXtreme Machine began the weekend with a solid 4.967 at 305.77 mph during Friday’s first session to finish the opening round in the No.9 position. Arend made his second qualifying run under the lights Friday night in front of a huge Gateway International Raceway crowd. The CMKXtreme Machine launched off the starting line like a rocket but shook the tires early in the run and Arend was forced to shut it off and coast to a 10.869 at 78.54 mph. The 41-year-old veteran flopper pilot finished the first day of qualifying 13th with two more sessions scheduled for Saturday.

Saturday brought more beautiful summer weather with temperatures slightly warmer than the previous day. The third Funny Car qualifying session began just as the sun was setting on another huge crowd at the Craftsman Nationals. Arend was in the right lane on his third qualifying shot. The CMKXtreme Machine dropped a cylinder just off the starting line and started pulling left toward the centerline. Arend fought to bring the car back into the groove but was finally forced to lift off the throttle, recording a 5.337 at 218.44 mph to remain in the No. 13 position.

All of the cars with a possibility of bumping Arend out of Sunday’s eliminations during the final qualifying session ran before the CMKXtreme Machine. By the time Arend approached the starting line for his last run, his spot in Sunday’s 16-car field was already secured. The CMKXtreme Machine launched hard off the starting line with the header flames high above the roof, but the car veered toward the centerline and hit the half track timing cones, disqualifying Arend’s final run. He finished qualifying in the No. 15 spot and will face Tommy Johnson Jr. during the first round on Sunday.

“We’re really happy that we were able to qualify the CMKXtreme Machine for eliminations,” said Arend, “but I punched a pretty good hole in the front of the body when I hit the cones on that last run. We have our work cut out for us but we should be able to fix it in plenty of time for the first round tomorrow.”

CONTACT
Bill Walters
CMKXtreme Racing
561-632-5713
plus320@aol.com