Joliet II: Ken Koretsky preview

Koretsky Renews Quest for Place in Pro Stock Top 10
Nitro Fish Wear Dodge Driver Plans to Rebound from Early Loss Last Sunday

JOLIET, Ill., Sept. 29, 2004 - Friday can't some soon enough for Pro Stock driver Ken Koretsky.

Koretsky has something to prove when the CarQuest Nationals (Oct. 1-3) get underway at Route 66 Raceway. He left the starting line too soon on Sunday during first-round eliminations at the Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas, and it cost him.

Koretsky's hold on 10th place in NHRA POWERade Series standing gave way and he slipped to 11th with 743 points. The Richboro, Pa., driver of the Nitro Fish Wear Dodge has four more races to wipe out a very slender, three-point margin Rickie Smith now has. Ninth-place Warren Johnson is only 29 points ahead with 20 points awarded for each round win.

"I felt real bad Sunday," Koretsky said. "The last thing I wanted to do was red-light, but I knew Connolly was good on the (starting line) lights and I wanted to be ready. I was too ready, I guess.

"The good news is we are just a few points behind Rickie and Warren's not that far ahead of us, either. We have four races to go and I know it's going to be a battle right down to the final race to see who will get the last few top 10 spots. You have to earn them."

Koretsky, a veteran driver with 160 NHRA Pro Stock races to his credit, has never finished in the top 10. For the first time in his career, he admits, he has the horsepower - thanks to engine builder Larry Morgan - and the car to do it, along with superb tuning from crew chief Eddie Guarnaccia and faultless efforts from co-crew chiefs Jerry Eckman and Joe Cunningham and transportation supervisor Denver Black.

"Eddie had the car running very well in Texas," said Koretsky. "We had the quickest run in the final qualifying session (6.793 seconds) on Saturday and we qualified sixth. Connolly, who is third in points, happened to have an off-day qualifying there and finished 11th. Heck, he went on to win the race."

Koretsky qualified third in the spring race at Route 66 Raceway and lost in the opening round.

"It's important for us to start winning more rounds," added Koretsky, "and we know we can. The track is good and we know we can run well there."

The Nitro Fish Wear crew has qualifying runs at 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Friday and 12:15 and 3 p.m. Saturday. Eliminations get underway Sunday at 11 a.m.