Championship Drag Racing

O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals
Ennis, TX
(September 21-24)

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Dave Northrop Nitro Fish/ISC Racers Tape Pro Stocker

Dallas, prerace: Kenny Koretsky will not be driving his blue Nitro Fish/ISC Racers Tape Dodge Stratus in this weekend’s O’Reilly Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex near Dallas. But the team owner will be there, watching Dave Northrop, who is sitting in for him.

“Physically, I feel fine, but I’m just not ready to get behind the wheel at that track,” said Koretsky, who was injured here in a spectacular qualifying accident with Bruce Allen last Oct. 7. “I am looking forward to going to Dallas. I have a lot of friends there. I want to concentrate on watching Dave drive and I’m hoping we run good.”

Koretsky had planned to compete at Reading, Pa., near his Richboro, Pa., home, but rain postponed the event.

For Northrop, the decision means he’ll be concentrating on driving the blue Nitro Fish Dodge instead of the red Dodge that has been his primary car during a season in which he planned to run about 10 races with Koretsky.

A former Competition Eliminator driver, Northrop has worked with crew chief Eddie Guarnaccia, testing and driving both cars.

“We are looking forward to running at the Motorplex,” said Northrop, who will be making his first Pro Stock appearance at the track. The event is the first of three consecutive races for Northrop, of Perkasie, Pa. He’ll be back at Reading – also his home track – the following week and at Richmond, Va.

“It will be nice to run the blue car again,” added Northrop, who qualified the red car at the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend. “We’ll have a fresh Larry Morgan-built motor in the car and we hope to run well.”

Changing between the red and blue cars may look simple, but it’s not, says Northrop. “The cars may look the same from the outside, but everything is different inside – the pedals, steering wheel, parachute handles. I’ve tested both cars the same day and Eddie reminds to change my mindset when I change cars.”

His mindset this weekend will be focused on qualifying well and winning rounds on Sunday.

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