Championship Drag Racing

Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals
Pomona, CA
(November 1-4)

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Driver Profile

Jeff Arend Grime Boss/Jim Dunn Racing Charger

Pomona, prerace: And so it ends. Only 11 months after being named the driver of the blue Checker, Schuck's, Kragen Impala Funny Car, Jeff Arend will arrive at Pomona Raceway this weekend to begin his final race in the Team CSK machine. Knowing CSK Auto has chosen not to renew the sponsorship on the blue car for 2008, Arend has been concentrating on each lap and each race along the way, but this weekend there will be no getting around the fact it's all coming to a conclusion.

Any driver would be motivated to make a statement in his final race of the year, and certainly every driver would like to put an exclamation point on the end of a sponsorship, but Arend can also factor in his own desire to pay his team back, for the year they've given him and for the disappointing way in which their Las Vegas weekend ended on Sunday.

"We had the car to beat in Vegas, and the driver messed up," Arend said, referring to his red light start in round two this past Sunday. "We could've won that race, and that would've been a great way to start wrapping up the season and this blue team sponsorship. Instead of celebrating, I was apologizing, so now I have one more chance to show these guys, and the people at CSK, how much I appreciate what I've been able to experience this year. I owe everyone a ton, and if I can do anything to end this thing with a celebration, I'll do it.

"We're all sad to see the blue team sponsorship go away, but everyone around here knows how business works and we understand the reasoning. We're working hard at trying to find something else for next year, but we're way behind in the process so it's going to be tough. All we can do is work hard at it and hope something comes together, whether it's before Pomona at the Winternationals, or mid-season. And now, all we can do is try to end the 2007 season with a win. That might sound like a fairy tale, but I believe it can happen."

If his car performs in Pomona like it did in Las Vegas, and like it did at this same track back in February, Arend will be a factor to take home the trophy. In Vegas, the blue CSK Impala put five consecutive great runs on the board, before the red light ended things in round two. Had he not fouled, Arend would have easily won that round over eventual race winner Tony Pedregon, and would have been positioned as "the guy to beat" from that point on. Back in February, Arend made his Team CSK debut with a No. 11 qualifying spot and a semi-final finish, which included a huge hole-shot win over Ron Capps in round two.

"We started out pretty strong here, beating (Jack) Beckman and Capps before losing to Robert Hight in the semi-final," Arend said. "Then, for whatever reason, we just couldn't get a break or get out of our own way for a long time. We lost so many races by inches it was infuriating, but it's all history now and all we have left is the Auto Club Finals this week. We can make all of those memories go away with a big weekend."

Though he comes into Pomona with a 9-21 record, Arend has already had his most successful season in a long career that began in 1995. Up until this year, his best season mark was the 6-13 record he posted in 2005. His best-ever points finish was 16th in both 2004 and 2005, so his current position in the No. 13 spot would also be a career best.

"I knew coming into this season that I'd probably erase all of my career bests, and we've done that from top to bottom," Arend said. "We've reset my career bests for E.T. and speed a bunch of times, and we're going to end up with the most round wins ever for me, but I'd be lying if I said I thought my record would be 9-21 going into Pomona. With any luck at all, or a few breaks here or there, or if we were a foot quicker and a mile per hour faster a few times, this team would be well up in the standings and looking at 20 round wins or more. We've had the stuff, we just haven't gotten the results.

"So this weekend, I'll get up each morning at my home in San Dimas, and I'll drive about five miles to the track. No hotel rooms to deal with, no airports to struggle through, and I won't have to call my wife and daughter at the end of the day. Everyone will be here, our pit area will be full of friends and supporters, and I'll be able to thank everyone at CSK and Worsham Racing for giving me the chance to drive this car. The best way to thank them would be to let everyone join us in the Winner's Circle. That would be a great way to go out."

And a great way to put that exclamation mark on the end of the Team CSK blue car's illustrious history.

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