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SEATTLE, qualifying: Former NHRA Funny Car national event winner Jeff Arend qualified for his seventh consecutive race and ninth event of the season at the 17th annual CARQUEAST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Pacific Raceways, the 14th stop on the 23-race 2004 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour. Arend qualified the CMKXtreme Machine in the No. 12 position and will face Gary Densham in the first round of eliminations on Sunday for the first time this season.

Arend continued his season-long tour of hospitals in Seattle, visiting the Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center down town on Friday morning. After visiting with many of the children and their parents at the first-class facility, Arend headed to Pacific Raceways to begin preparations for qualifying.

The weather on Friday was hot, and mixed with the unknown quantity of working with a reduction in nitro to 85% in the fuel classes beginning at this event, the crew chiefs had their work cut out or them. Arend rocked to a safe opening run of 5.270 at 256.84 mph in the CMKXtreme Machine Corvette to qualify in the No. 10 position.

On his second qualifying attempt, Arend and the performance of the CMKXtreme Machine improved to a 5.114 at 289.63 mph and he moved up one notch on the qualifying ladder to the No. 9 spot with two sessions remaining on Saturday.

CMKM Diamonds Chairman of the Board and team leader, Urban Casavant, was pleased to have his number one employee, Melvin O’Neil and his wife Vicky, on hand in Seattle. They received an up close and personal look at the workings of the CMKXtreme Machine team in the pits and met with driver Jeff Arend during their visit.

Run during the hottest racing conditions seen all season, the Funny Cars came to the starting line early Friday afternoon for the third qualifying session in attempt to see who could conquer the heat. Unfortunately, only one car made a respectable 4-second run during the third round. Arend stayed consistent with a cylinder-dropping 5.252 at 291.95 mph but the CMKXtreme Machine dropped three spots on the 16-car ladder to the No. 12 position with one qualifying attempt remaining.

Arend went to the staring line for his final qualifying attempt looking to improve his position on the Funny Car ladder and also try and establish a basis for a raceday setup. The CMKXtreme Machine thundered to a respectable 5.130 at 293.66 mph to remain in the No.12 position for Sunday’s eliminations. Arend has qualified the CMKXtreme Machine for nine races in 10 starts this season, including the last seven consecutive NHRA national events.

“The car was moving pretty good on that last run,” Arend explained following the end of qualifying.” Then it shook the tires briefly and it moved the car over toward the right and I was fighting it pretty good to get it back into the groove, and I was able to get it back into the middle of the track by the end of the track.”

“Everything looks great on the car so far this weekend,” Arend added. “We took the motor out of the car after the first run and it looked like all we did was a burnout. The motor looked brand new, every piston, rod, bearing and everything is perfect.”