Gateway: Chip King Friday notes

MADISON, Ill. - Chip King may have not won an NHRA Pro Modified exhibition yet, but he still has the "streak." King, 38, of Semora, N.C., is the only supercharged competitor to have qualified at every event; and one of the few to that can lay claim to the honor.

King wants to be the king in the end. After the first day of qualifying, the Indy Cylinder Head-sponsored King has his Bill Barrett-tuned, Hemi-powered Dodge R/T ranked fifth in the eight-car field.

The best run to his credit came during the second session, where he ripped off a 6.333, 221.23.

"We had to establish a baseline," explained King, who is in his sophomore season of Pro Modified. "We knew we had to go with a mild combination just to get us in the field. The track feels good and our conservative effort paid off in the end."

His first run was not as spectacular as his motor fell to an idle just past second gear when he broke the throttle linkage.

His best qualifying effort to date in 2001 came earlier in the season in Gainesville, when he landed in the second spot.

-HC