Pomona II: Dave Connolly preview

Dave Connolly Hopes to End 2005 Season on Good Note

The future looked quite good the last time Dave Connolly visited Pomona Raceway in February. He left with the season-opening Winternationals' Pro Stock championship trophy in hand and visions of good things to come.

They did . . . for a while. And then the team changed cars, owners and began looking forward to the end of the POWERade Series season. It arrives Sunday afternoon following the Auto Club Finals, Nov. 3-6. JBut first, Connolly, crew chief Terry Adams and the SKULL GEAR Chevrolet Cobalt team would like to write a successful finish to 2005's competitive campaign.

"We've had our ups and downs," said Connolly of the last 14 races. "We have had a car that qualified in the top half of the field during much of that time. The good thing about going to Pomona is that we're familiar with the track and we have won there." JConnolly won at Pomona and again at Las Vegas in April and was runner-up once in the first five races but he only reached the finals once more. He slipped from first to fifth (1262 points) and will wind up there no matter what happens Sunday.

"We hope Grump (engine builder Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins) finds more power for this race," added Connolly.

Adams, meanwhile, was succinct. We'll be ready to give it our best shot, like we have all year," he said. "But when it's over, we're not looking back. Better days are ahead of us."

-jls-