Commerce: David Baca Saturday summary

David Baca Registers 4.634-second Run to Qualify Ninth at Atlanta

COMMERCE, Ga., May 14, 2005 -- David Baca and the Baca Motorsports Top Fuel team began to see the results of a revamped tune-up during qualifying for Sunday's Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.

Taking advantage of cooler Friday evening temperatures, Baca unleashed his best elapsed time of the weekend, 4.634 seconds at 326.00 mph, eventually winding up ninth in the starting line-up when qualifying concluded Saturday. His first-round foe will be Doug Herbert (No. 8, 4.611 at 319.29 mph).

"We still had something left in that tune-up, but we didn't want to get greedy" on the Friday run, said Baca. "We got down the track under full power and I got to shut off the car this time."

The team, led by Baca, his father and co-tuner Dennis, co-crew chief Larry Meyer and crew chief Kevin Poynter, received plaudits from David Baca.

"That (Friday qualifying run) was very satisfying for our crew," Baca said Saturday. "It helps the morale of the whole team when the car runs well."

Dennis Baca and Meyer have been hunting a gremlin in the car's clutch compartment and were hopeful they found it with this tune-up in the hot Georgia weather.

Saturday's results didn't keep going in the same direction, with Baca shutting off early on each run.

He did, however, say he planned to "find something in the tune-up that will give us something good for Herbert in the first round" Sunday morning.

-bms-