Bristol: Herbert returns

BRISTOL, Tenn., April 24, 2001 - Doug Herbert used to love to race at Bristol Dragway.

The reason? He won races at the old facility in six straight years (1992-97) while he was winning four International Hot Rod Association championships.

Times have changed, however. There is a new Bristol Dragway - built by owner Bruton Smith two years ago - and it is now home to National Hot Rod Association events. In its first two seasons, Bristol hosted the Winston Showdown, a special race that matched Funny Cars against Top Fuel dragsters.

This time around, the Thunder Valley Nationals event marks the first regular NHRA show, and Herbert admits he and his Snap-on Racing team would like to get acquainted with this facility's winner's circle.

"It's been a while since I won a race there," Herbert said. "I'd like to recapture some of the good luck I had there. It's a different track and stuff, but it's still Thunder Valley."

Herbert stands eighth in Winston Series points with 231 and knows a victory would push him up into title contention. The top six are separated by 85 points, or four rounds of racing. Mike Dunn leads with 404, followed by Larry Dixon at 399 and Kenny Bernstein at 351. Coincidentally, the top five have each won once in the five events that have been completed.

"We are getting a better handle on our hot-weather tune-up," Herbert commented. "Larry Frazier, my crew chief, made some big changes last Saturday (during the completion of the rain-delayed Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla.) and it turned out they weren't as big as we thought. We expect most of the races from here though the summer months will be run on hot, slippery race tracks.

"Bristol is likely to be slick," he continued, "but we know the racing surface is good and it should have more rubber on it than it had last year."

Herbert is happy to be racing other Top Fuel dragsters this time around. He only won one round in the two Showdowns.

Herbert had qualified 12th (4.714 seconds) before the rain halted Gatornationals competition March 18. He squared off against Bernstein in Saturday's opening round. The hot, humid conditions - a marked change from the cooler March weather - made the track slippery and Herbert's Snap-on dragster smoked the tires.

       "Bernstein won with the low elapsed time of the day (4.636 seconds,
which was equaled by Dixon)," said Herbert.  "How do you beat that?"

Herbert will be looking for some low elapsed times of his own - and the race win - this weekend.

-SOR