Dallas: Mike Thomas fighting for position

DALLAS (May 26) -- Gone are the crazy cold days of New Jersey from last weekend and in its place is the heat and humidity of North Texas. Such is life on the NHRA Tour.

Matco Tools Pro Stock driver Mike Thomas and the rest of the NHRA pros began their individual quests for the title of the fourth annual Castrol Nationals presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts Friday at the Texas Motorplex. Thomas finished the day with two solid laps of racing in the books but finds himself just outside the provisional field in the No. 17 position.

The 47-year-old pro from Knoxville, Tenn. opened the action with a 7.120-second lap at 194.09 mph to earn the No. 12 position. Then he knocked nearly one hundredth of a second off the mark in the cooler evening session with a 7.112-second lap at 193.92 mph but slipped five spots nevertheless.

"We missed the tune-up slightly in Round 2 and it costs us a little bit," Thomas said. "But we'll have her figured out by tomorrow and we'll find a spot in the field for this Matco Tools car.

"We've all been working so hard to get this team headed in the right direction. We all know we have the main ingredients right here, we just have to figure out how to put this thing together properly. We'll get there; I guarantee it.

"Tomorrow should be quick in the morning session before the sun heats up the track too much. That's where we'll need to make our move. We'll be working all night to get this car straight."