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INDIANAPOLIS, qualifying: CMKXtreme Machine Funny Car driver Jeff Arend kept his 2004 qualifying streak alive by making the field at the biggest drag race, the prestigious 50th annual Mac Tools U.S, Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Arend qualified for his 12th race of the season and will face defending POWERade Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon for the second time this sesaon during the first round of eliminations on Monday.

Arend made his first qualifying attempt Friday evening in front of a huge crowd of enthusiastic drag racing fans at IRP. The CMKXtreme Machine shook the tires early in the run and Arend coasted to a 10.276 at 83.15 mph to finish the opening session unqualified. Arend returned for his second qualifying attempt on Saturday afternoon but only made it a little further down the track before smoking the tires again, recording a 10.442 at 79.89 mph to remain unqualified.

When the sun went down for the infamous Saturday evening qualifying session at the U.S. Nationals, Arend and crafty veteran crew chief Paul Smith got a handle on the performance of the CMKXtreme Machine Corvette. The 41-year-old native Canadian blasted to a 4.911 at 310.13 mph on his third qualifying attempt to jump into the 16-car field in the No. 13 position. Arend and the CMKXtreme team had two more qualifying sessions on Sunday to refine their combination and try and improve on their qualifying position for Monday’s eliminations.

On Arend’s fourth qualifying attempt early Sunday afternoon, the CMKXtreme Machine Funny Car was one of few floppers to make a full pass down the quarter-mile in the heat of the day. Arend laid down a very respectable 5.093 at 256.86 mph, despite shutting the car off near the 1000-foot mark. The former NHRA Funny Car national event winner maintained the No. 13 qualifying position with one important session remaining to determine Sunday’s historic 50th annual U.S. Nationals Funny Car field.

Arend’s final run was a good one. The CMKXtreme Machine Corvette stormed to a 4.966 at 304.46 mph, with a good set up for race day, where Arend will meet No. 3 qualifier Tony Pedregon from his No. 14 qualifying position.

“It’s a big thrill for the entire CMKX team to come to the biggest drag race of them all here in Indy and qualify,” said an obviously elated Arend. “We kept our qualifying streak going and as long as we’re in the show we have a chance to win. We struggled a little bit early during qualifying but now I think we have a handle on our hot weather tune up, so I feel like we’re in pretty good shape. The U.S. Nationals would be a great place to break out with a victory.”