Dennis Taylor Seattle wrap up

Taylor Has Best Qualifying Effort in Seattle

ANAHEIM, CA — Dennis Taylor and his Plumbing Concepts Funny Car came into this weekend’s Schuck’s Auto Supply Nationals at Pacific Raceways with a fresh win, having collected their second consecutive victory at the Northwest Division 6 event last month. Also, Taylor won this Schuck’s national event in 2004 and runner-upped here last year, so this place has been good to the team.

Qualifying on Friday got off to a tough start, as Dennis fell victim to hard tire shake, recording an off-pace 10.18-second run. Crew chief, Terry Morrow adjusted the tune-up to produce a 5.853 at 251.95mph to close out the day’s action. Morrow noted, “We actually had a dead cylinder right at the start that we later traced to a defective spark plug. In drag racing, anything can happen.”

The final qualifying shot on Saturday produced the second quickest pass of Taylor’s career – 5.60, which secured the third spot on the 16-car roster. Later that afternoon, the team won their first round match-up with a nice 5.66 at 243.06mph. Dennis mentioned, “We got away with one that time. It was on the verge of smoking the tires, but then I felt it nose over down track. Come to find out, a damaged valvetrain piece killed the mile-per-hour as it began to go away.”

Round two pitted Taylor against Steve Gasparrelli, who also flies the Plumbing Concepts colors. Dennis was focused for the challenge and cut a quicker reaction time (.031 to a .055), but a momentary distraction on launch caused him to hesitate on the throttle. That hesitation caused the RPM to drop lower than normal, which made the car shake the tires. Taylor said, “That was driver error. I felt we had the car to beat. Something made me flinch, but I can’t explain it.” Terry added. “I just feel good knowing our car could have won the event. That’s good enough for me. We’re competitive again and things are going to happen. This year, we have half as many runs on the car as we did last year, so we need our driver to get more seat time. With two more events right after this one, I’ll put my money on Taylor. He’ll be ready next week in Sonoma.”

Be sure to watch the Schuck’s Auto Supply Sportsman TV show on ESPN2, Sunday July 27 at 11:30am (Eastern Time).

For more information on Dennis Taylor’s marketing partners, please use the following links, or call the phone numbers below.

PlumbingConcepts.com — Southern California’s most progressive contactor and private-party services provider.

DeltaFaucet.com — America’s largest manufacturer of residential and commercial faucets, with 55 years of product innovation, Delta’s motto is “We work wonders with water.”

RentonCoilSpring.com – Learn how to lower your racing costs with longer lasting valve springs. RCS has been in business for 50 years, using premium materials and technology to achieve extended product life in severe-duty applications.

LucasOil.com – See why professional and sportsman competitors in all racing disciplines worldwide rely on the superior protection of Lucas Oil Products. Choose Lucas Oil Products for your street car, truck, boat, or off-road vehicle.

Taylorfreezers.com — Since 1965, Taylor Freezers (no relation) of Southern California has been distributing and maintaining a complete line of quality food service equipment. Its professional staff can assist with selection and supply, installation, store design, training, and after-sale service. Financing and lease options are available for a variety of profitable equipment. Call (800) 927-7704.

AdamsPolishes.com — Discriminating gearheads use the complete line of premium car care products from Adam's Polishes.

TaylorMotorsports.com — Serving your racing safety and crew apparel needs, Taylor Motorsports is drag racing’s most knowledgeable Hans® supplier.

MetroMMP.com — For the best in weatherstripping, seals, and moldings, look to Metro Moulded Parts to “Seal the Deal” and help bring your automotive project back to “like-new” condition. Call (800) 878-2237, or click for free catalog. Metro can also serve your industrial weather-sealing needs.

Moroso.com – Forty years ago, Moroso Performance pioneered the development of unique racing products, and that commitment continues today.

Shaker Shirts — Specializing in personal, team, or business-related screen printing, Shaker Shirts offers premium graphics design and top-quality, brand name apparel. Call (626) 960-3333 for your screen printing needs.

Bear State Heating & Air Conditioning — Serving Southern California’s HVAC needs for residential and commercial properties. Call (714) 237-1740.

Contact: Randy Fish
Email: zoomrf@earthlink.net