<img src="http://gallery.nitromater.com/files/2/0/P_Burkart.jpg" alt="P_Burkart" align="right"borders="0"/>
READING, Penn. (September 27, 2006) -- When Phil Burkart and the rest of the NHRA contingent landed in Reading, Penn. two weeks ago, the Checker, Schuck's, Kragen driver had his standard blue and white CSK Monte Carlo ready to go. After a season full of "special edition" cars, ranging from a black and orange K&N Filters car, to the vivid swirling artwork on a Chevron Techron Chevy, to the popular bright yellow "Madman Murray" machine, Burkart was pleased to be "back in blue" for the Reading race. Mother Nature had different plans, however, and when Burkart returns this weekend for the rescheduled Toyo Tires Nationals, his blue CSK Monte Carlo will be safely tucked inside the transporter, while his new star-spangled Havoline body will be on the race car.
Originally slated to be used in Dallas and Richmond, the Havoline car made its debut last weekend as planned, qualifying 13th before bowing out to Tony Pedregon in round one on Sunday. Rather than swap bodies, back-and-forth, for the next two races, Burkart and his team will now continue to use the Havoline design at Maple Grove, and then at Richmond as planned. Perhaps Mother Nature just wanted to give these avid Pennsylvania drag racing fans a look at Burkart's beautiful new ride.
"The fans in Dallas loved the car, and I'm sure the fans in Reading will too," Burkart said. "And, if history tells us anything it's that almost all the Reading fans will be back. We've been rescheduled there so many times, but every time we come back the fans come back too. It's amazing to pull up into the staging lanes and see the grandstands full, even though you know people had to make a lot of sacrifice to make it back to the race.
"Reading is one of those regional races that draws from all over the northeast, so it's not just a matter of getting a day off work or driving 20 miles to get to the track. A lot of these fans come from New York, New England, and up in Canada. Throughout the years, they've somehow been able to get back to Maple Grove after we've been rained out, so I hope they can all do it again this year."
To be precise, the Reading event has been postponed and rescheduled four times in the last six years. The first of those four postponements occurred in 2001, when the 9/11 attacks took place just days before the race was to begin. In 2003, 2004, and now in 2006, however, the culprit was rain. And as Burkart mentioned, the Maple Grove faithful defied the odds by finding their way back to the track weeks later. Burkart hopes the rain problem will be alleviated in coming years, as the Reading date has been shifted to mid-August in 2007.
"I actually heard someone complaining about that, even while it was raining two weeks ago, and I couldn't believe it," Burkart said. "Let's be honest, all of us would rather be hot than wet. We can race in the heat, but we can't do anything in the rain, and when it starts to pour at Maple Grove it can get really bad because of all the grass parking lots. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few cars or trucks still stuck in the mud when we get back there this week. We all think the move to August is a great one.
"I know some people like the fall date, because when it doesn't rain we can really fly in the cool air. But, who are we kidding? If you're banking on those years when it doesn't rain, it appears to me you were betting on a losing proposition. By moving this race to August, we should have a much better chance of getting it done on the actual weekend we were supposed to race on, and that's better for everyone."
And perhaps it's better for the Maple Grove fans to see Burkart in his splashy new Havoline Monte Carlo, complete with the bright red star and a flowing American flag. Consider it an unexpected benefit associated with an unfortunate weather problem.
RAIN CREATES UNEXPECTED HAVOLINE SIGHTING IN READING
READING, Penn. (September 27, 2006) -- When Phil Burkart and the rest of the NHRA contingent landed in Reading, Penn. two weeks ago, the Checker, Schuck's, Kragen driver had his standard blue and white CSK Monte Carlo ready to go. After a season full of "special edition" cars, ranging from a black and orange K&N Filters car, to the vivid swirling artwork on a Chevron Techron Chevy, to the popular bright yellow "Madman Murray" machine, Burkart was pleased to be "back in blue" for the Reading race. Mother Nature had different plans, however, and when Burkart returns this weekend for the rescheduled Toyo Tires Nationals, his blue CSK Monte Carlo will be safely tucked inside the transporter, while his new star-spangled Havoline body will be on the race car.
Originally slated to be used in Dallas and Richmond, the Havoline car made its debut last weekend as planned, qualifying 13th before bowing out to Tony Pedregon in round one on Sunday. Rather than swap bodies, back-and-forth, for the next two races, Burkart and his team will now continue to use the Havoline design at Maple Grove, and then at Richmond as planned. Perhaps Mother Nature just wanted to give these avid Pennsylvania drag racing fans a look at Burkart's beautiful new ride.
"The fans in Dallas loved the car, and I'm sure the fans in Reading will too," Burkart said. "And, if history tells us anything it's that almost all the Reading fans will be back. We've been rescheduled there so many times, but every time we come back the fans come back too. It's amazing to pull up into the staging lanes and see the grandstands full, even though you know people had to make a lot of sacrifice to make it back to the race.
"Reading is one of those regional races that draws from all over the northeast, so it's not just a matter of getting a day off work or driving 20 miles to get to the track. A lot of these fans come from New York, New England, and up in Canada. Throughout the years, they've somehow been able to get back to Maple Grove after we've been rained out, so I hope they can all do it again this year."
To be precise, the Reading event has been postponed and rescheduled four times in the last six years. The first of those four postponements occurred in 2001, when the 9/11 attacks took place just days before the race was to begin. In 2003, 2004, and now in 2006, however, the culprit was rain. And as Burkart mentioned, the Maple Grove faithful defied the odds by finding their way back to the track weeks later. Burkart hopes the rain problem will be alleviated in coming years, as the Reading date has been shifted to mid-August in 2007.
"I actually heard someone complaining about that, even while it was raining two weeks ago, and I couldn't believe it," Burkart said. "Let's be honest, all of us would rather be hot than wet. We can race in the heat, but we can't do anything in the rain, and when it starts to pour at Maple Grove it can get really bad because of all the grass parking lots. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few cars or trucks still stuck in the mud when we get back there this week. We all think the move to August is a great one.
"I know some people like the fall date, because when it doesn't rain we can really fly in the cool air. But, who are we kidding? If you're banking on those years when it doesn't rain, it appears to me you were betting on a losing proposition. By moving this race to August, we should have a much better chance of getting it done on the actual weekend we were supposed to race on, and that's better for everyone."
And perhaps it's better for the Maple Grove fans to see Burkart in his splashy new Havoline Monte Carlo, complete with the bright red star and a flowing American flag. Consider it an unexpected benefit associated with an unfortunate weather problem.
