March 29, 2004

Harold Martin completed a dramatic turnaround this past weekend by overcoming a major problem in qualifying to power his ACDelco Pro Modified Grand Am to a runner-up finish at the season-opening Amalie Oil Ancira Nationals in San Antonio, TX. This was Martin's second consecutive final round appearance in the IHRA's Hooters Drag Racing Series, coming on the heels of his runner-up performance at last year's World Finals in Rockingham, NC.

"This turned out to be a tremendous weekend for the ACDelco crew. Despite encountering major obstacles, we were able to qualify in a top position, and have a strong performance that established us among the leaders in the ultra-competitive Pro Modified category. It was an outstanding start to the 2004 season, with the only item missing from the story is the Ironman (the IHRA winner's trophy), which would have been the icing on the cake."

Martin's weekend in the Lone Star State got off to a rough start on Friday, as he experienced an unusual mechanical failure. Within moments of hitting the throttle on his second qualifying run, the studs on Martin's right rear wheel sheared off, forcing him into the wall, and severely damaging his race car. Undaunted, Martin and his crew worked through the night and into the morning to restore their race car to full competitive condition.

"My approach to any problem is to do a root cause analysis, and what was particularly bothersome about Friday's incident was that, during the off-season we had done everything you would want to in order to act pro-actively.

"For example, even though we had never experienced an axle or axle stud failure in the history of our race program, we know that these Pro Modified race cars have a tremendous amount of torque, so during the winter months, we purchased brand new axles and axle studs to prevent such a failure.

"Therefore, we were blown away that, with the installation of these new parts, we still had a failure. After evaluating the incident, it appears that there was a construction material issue, as the studs sheared right off, and there was no way we could have detected the problem beforehand.

"At that point, we were faced with two options. We could have gone home, and no one would have faulted us because the car was so severely damaged. But then we studied the situation, investigated the possibility of restoring the car, and got to work, trying to put some light in a very dark tunnel. It was a long effort, but lo and behold, we were able to complete the repairs."

The ACDelco crew's tireless efforts were rewarded during the first qualifying session on Saturday when Martin rocketed down the San Antonio quarter-mile in 6.218 seconds with a top speed of 226.47 mph, which was the quickest of the weekend to that point, and good enough to capture the second starting position for Sunday's final eliminations.

"I felt confident that we had a fast hot rod on Saturday, one that would be very competitive. I wasn't sure if it had a pole position in it, but I knew I would able to get out of it whatever it would give me. I was also confident of my ability to climb back into a race car after dealing with something as difficult as I had experienced. So, gathering our confidence and professionalism together with our never-say-die attitude, we went out and turned our fortunes around.

"After that run, I gathered the team together, who with that success had a new found energy. I did a quick analysis of our physical and emotional state, and knew we were whipped after pulling virtually an all-nighter to repair our race car. I knew our ACDelco Grand Am was a fast race car, one that could go rounds on Sunday, so I decided that the best thing would be to not make our last qualifying attempt unless we absolutely had to. Instead, we focused on getting ready for eliminations, so we could have an early night and get some well-deserved rest in anticipation of race day."

Final eliminations provided a completely new set of challenges for the ACDelco crew. Subtle changes in the weather and a weekend's worth of competition had changed the performance characteristics of the racing surface at San Antonio Raceway, sending teams scrambling to find the right combination.

"The race track had truly changed for eliminations, and was not as good as it had been in qualifying. I knew it was going to be a challenge when the Pro Stock cars ahead of us shook the tires, and our first run reflected that.

"Our engine program has been making tremendous inroads, which provides our car outstanding acceleration at the starting line. As a result, it left with the front wheels high in the air, which meant I had no steering for a long time. Unfortunately, at the same time, it was also shaking the tires.

"However, I glanced over at my opponent, and noticed he was also experiencing difficulty. I want to win so badly that I saw I still had driving room, and stayed with it, finding a way to get to the finish line first."

After a hard-fought victory over veteran Pat Musi in the opening stanza, Martin was the recipient of some overdue good fortune as he shared victories over former champion Shannon Jenkins' and Rick DiStefano in the semi-finals, putting Martin in the championship round, where he would face Glen Kerunsky.

Unfortunately, Martin would be racing in the final without the luxury of lane choice, which would prove to be a determining factor. Battling tire shake virtually from the start, Martin was eventually forced to shut off early, allowing his opponent to gain the victory.

"We were pumped for the final, and felt confident of duplicating our performance from qualifying. Unfortunately, it came down to lane choice, and we were relegated to the right hand lane, which had several issues, including a bald track by the 60 foot mark.

"Sure enough, once we reached that point, it started shaking the tires. I tried putting it in third to calm it down, but it continued to shake. I realized I was using up too much of the track, and that it wasn't going to be our day, so I decided to make sure to bring the car back in one piece."

Despite the initial disappointment, the entire Martin Motorsports crew knew they could take pride in their effort, having endured and overcome more obstacles in one race than some of their competitors will face in an entire season.

"As I said prior to the race, it's one thing to test well, and yet another to deliver that same performance in the midst of your top competitors, much less under the conditions we faced this weekend. As racers, we are measured by what we do on the track, and going to two consecutive final rounds sends a strong message for the 2004 season that our ACDelco Grand Am Racing team has indeed advanced to the next level. Heading into the remaining races, we are encouraged and excited by the prospects that lie ahead."

Qualifying: 2nd, 6.218 seconds, 226.47 mph

TV Schedule: Saturday, April 17 - 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Speed Channel