Seattle Regional Defending Champ Demke is Back for More

Seattle Regional Defending Champ Demke is Back for More

KENT, Wash. (August 14) – A recent runner-up finish at the NHRA Northwest Nationals is fresh on the mind of Chris Demke as he returns to Pacific Raceways for this weekend's NHRA Lucas Oil Series West Region race. The Maddern Racing team is equipped with solid data from the national event, and they're eager to improve in this weekend's better predicted conditions. Demke is confident in his Peen Rite Top Alcohol Dragster's ability to make quick, clean runs down the race track, but he's also wary of his competition, especially the nitro-burning racers.

“The weather is possibly going to be cooler. I expect the A/Fuel cars to step up accordingly. I'm sure they've all gained data from the national event, and with that knowledge they'll refine their tune-ups and step it up a bit. But based on our performance at Seattle, I think we have something for them,” claimed Demke, who won this event last year.

This weekend's West Region event is the seventh race in three months for Demke and the Peen Rite/OSI/Boost Performance Products team. They've crisscrossed the country from their home base in southern California to the rural race tracks of Ohio and everywhere in between. While the driver and crew has had time at home between those races, the equipment hasn't had the same treatment.

“This race is the end of a long road trip for the car and hauler. The rig hasn't been back to the shop since it left for Topeka back in May. Everything will head back to the Maddern Racing shop after this event for servicing and any necessary repairs before it goes out on its next journey,” stated the crew member-turned-driver.

When looking at their race planner for this weekend, the Peen Rite team was faced with a choice; stay on the west coast at Seattle or venture east again for the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.

“The crew had me enter the Brainerd race just in case we wanted to go to there instead. Ultimately we decided to stay at Seattle and use our good tune-up to accumulate some more points,” Demke concluded.

Top Alcohol Dragster qualifying at the Pacific Raceways Lucas Oil Regional presented by The Sports Page begins at noon on Saturday, August 16th and continues at 3:45 and 7 PM. Eliminations start at noon on Sunday.

Maddern Racing is a family-owned and operated NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team based in Southern California. The team's Chris Demke-driven Peen Rite/Operational Solutions/Boost Performance Products blown alcohol dragster is owned by Jerry Maddern and crewed by Adam Rhoades, Kevin Watson, Mike Demke, Greg Rice, and Robert Hadaller. For more information on Chris Demke and Maddern Racing, please visit www.MaddernRacing.com.

Maddern Racing receives support from the following companies: Peen Rite Inc., Operational Solutions Inc., Boost Performance Products, B-G Detection, Afco, and LA X-Ray.