Cleeves: Dave Hirata preview

CLEEVES, Ohio - NHRA Division 3 Federal Mogul Dragster pilot looks to bolster his division championship hopes with a win during this weekend's Division 3 Federal Mogul Drag Racing Series race at Edgewater Sports Park in Cleeves, Ohio.

The Lowell, Indiana native has been in four straight final rounds, winning two of those races (Madison, Ill, Martin, Mich), and hopes to keep the streak alive this weekend.

Hirata said, "The gameplan is pretty much going to be like it has all year. We're not changing a whole bunch. We are going to take the data we learned from Michigan, and probably leave it the same because we have had some pretty good weather here."

Hirata is ranked No. 2 in Division 3 going into this weekend's race, and hopes to make a move on points leader Jeff Wilson. Hirata defeated Wilson in the finals of the Division 3 race in Martin, Michigan just two weeks ago.

"For the Division Championship we are going to have to count on somebody taking out Wilson, and we have to, too. He is pretty much the top contender in the Division right now. That first round loss we had in Indy really hurt us. We will probably have to pick up one out of division race because we missed the Quaker City race. It just depends on how it plays out on how hard we chase the championship."

Qualifying begins today at 5 p.m., with eliminations starting Sunday.