EDWARDS: RELAXATION THE KEY
Mon, 2009-04-20 11:00
Mike Edwards has learned that when it rains it pours. At least that’s how it works for his Pro Stock team.
Edwards drove to his first NHRA Full Throttle victory of the 2009 season in stopping Jeg Coughlin Jr. in a rain-delayed NHRA Southern Nationals final round.
The former sportsman world champion has earned four No. 1 qualifying positions in six races this season, yet hasn’t made his way past the second round in those events.
However, let it rain and Edwards has become a sure bet to reach the final round.
“It doesn’t matter if you win on Sunday or Monday … it’s an unbelievable challenge to win (a Pro Stock race). You can’t make a mistake and win in this class,” Edwards said. Mike Edwards has learned that when it rains it pours. At least that’s how it works for his Pro Stock team.
Edwards drove to his first NHRA Full Throttle victory of the 2009 season in stopping Jeg Coughlin Jr. in a rain-delayed NHRA Southern Nationals final round.
The former sportsman world champion has earned four No. 1 qualifying positions in six races this season, yet hasn’t made his way past the second round in those events.
However, let it rain and Edwards has become a sure bet to reach the final round.
“It doesn’t matter if you win on Sunday or Monday … it’s an unbelievable challenge to win (a Pro Stock race). You can’t make a mistake and win in this class,” Edwards said.
Edwards will admit that he’s made more than his fair share of race day mistakes on the weekend’s he should have dominated. There have been times when Edwards has wondered if the qualifying dominance has thrown his program off-kilter at times.
Twice last season, when Edwards didn’t qualify as strong, he twice recorded .000 perfect starting line reaction times. He’s lost that many times in 2009 on a holeshot.
A man of strong faith, Edwards realized prior to the weekend that he needed to zero in on what was ailing the team on Sundays. He began his investigation with the driver.
“It's thrown something off I believe,” Edward joked. “But I don't know what it's thrown off. You just got to keep buckling up and go up there and try again. I'm not down on myself I'm just focused on what I need to be doing. I just have to get more comfortable and relax. You know when you have that many good qualifying sessions there's always a lot of pressure on you. I just think I need to stop thinking so much and go up there and react.”
Edwards had plenty of time to think and react, not to mention a good night’s sleep.
"I didn't have any problem sleeping last night because I knew I was in the final and just had to relax and race," said Edwards, who also earned rain-delay wins in Seattle in 1996 and Topeka in 1999. "We came out this morning and had the car set on kill, as it was last night, but realized the track might not be in the same shape, so we made some changes to the car, hoping it would help it get down the track. I knew I just needed to cut a light and we would have a chance."
The changes worked as Edwards finally stopped the reigning Pro Stock champion in the final, after dropping title bouts in 1998 and 2001, when he used the best reaction time of the weekend, a .019, and a somewhat conservative 6.64 to get to the stripe first as Coughlin slowed to a 7.19.
"Jeg has been a thorn in my side for as long as he has been competing in Pro Stock," said Edwards, who improved his record to 7-18 against Coughlin. "I guess you can say he has done the same to the entire Pro Stock field. When you can come out on the winning end against a talent like Jeg, you have done your job and know the next time you line up against that yellow and black car it is going to be even tougher."
Edwards can hold his own against the competition his worst start this season has been from the No. 4 position. This is a feat that Edwards credits to his in-house engine program in 2008 and this year he’s leasing engines to Pro Stock racer Ron Krisher. One might draw the conclusion the added duty has him spread thinner than usual in final eliminations, the one day where concentration is king.
“I think I am doing more than I ever have been but I've just been a kind of knucklehead on Sunday,” Edwards admitted.
If he gets his concentration dialed in, should the competition get worried?
“Well I really like my chances. I'll put it that way,” Edwards said, as he looked to the sky and smiled.
Edwards drove to his first NHRA Full Throttle victory of the 2009 season in stopping Jeg Coughlin Jr. in a rain-delayed NHRA Southern Nationals final round.
The former sportsman world champion has earned four No. 1 qualifying positions in six races this season, yet hasn’t made his way past the second round in those events.
However, let it rain and Edwards has become a sure bet to reach the final round.
“It doesn’t matter if you win on Sunday or Monday … it’s an unbelievable challenge to win (a Pro Stock race). You can’t make a mistake and win in this class,” Edwards said. Mike Edwards has learned that when it rains it pours. At least that’s how it works for his Pro Stock team.
Edwards drove to his first NHRA Full Throttle victory of the 2009 season in stopping Jeg Coughlin Jr. in a rain-delayed NHRA Southern Nationals final round.
The former sportsman world champion has earned four No. 1 qualifying positions in six races this season, yet hasn’t made his way past the second round in those events.
However, let it rain and Edwards has become a sure bet to reach the final round.
“It doesn’t matter if you win on Sunday or Monday … it’s an unbelievable challenge to win (a Pro Stock race). You can’t make a mistake and win in this class,” Edwards said.
Edwards will admit that he’s made more than his fair share of race day mistakes on the weekend’s he should have dominated. There have been times when Edwards has wondered if the qualifying dominance has thrown his program off-kilter at times.
Twice last season, when Edwards didn’t qualify as strong, he twice recorded .000 perfect starting line reaction times. He’s lost that many times in 2009 on a holeshot.
A man of strong faith, Edwards realized prior to the weekend that he needed to zero in on what was ailing the team on Sundays. He began his investigation with the driver.
“It's thrown something off I believe,” Edward joked. “But I don't know what it's thrown off. You just got to keep buckling up and go up there and try again. I'm not down on myself I'm just focused on what I need to be doing. I just have to get more comfortable and relax. You know when you have that many good qualifying sessions there's always a lot of pressure on you. I just think I need to stop thinking so much and go up there and react.”
Edwards had plenty of time to think and react, not to mention a good night’s sleep.
"I didn't have any problem sleeping last night because I knew I was in the final and just had to relax and race," said Edwards, who also earned rain-delay wins in Seattle in 1996 and Topeka in 1999. "We came out this morning and had the car set on kill, as it was last night, but realized the track might not be in the same shape, so we made some changes to the car, hoping it would help it get down the track. I knew I just needed to cut a light and we would have a chance."The changes worked as Edwards finally stopped the reigning Pro Stock champion in the final, after dropping title bouts in 1998 and 2001, when he used the best reaction time of the weekend, a .019, and a somewhat conservative 6.64 to get to the stripe first as Coughlin slowed to a 7.19.
"Jeg has been a thorn in my side for as long as he has been competing in Pro Stock," said Edwards, who improved his record to 7-18 against Coughlin. "I guess you can say he has done the same to the entire Pro Stock field. When you can come out on the winning end against a talent like Jeg, you have done your job and know the next time you line up against that yellow and black car it is going to be even tougher."
Edwards can hold his own against the competition his worst start this season has been from the No. 4 position. This is a feat that Edwards credits to his in-house engine program in 2008 and this year he’s leasing engines to Pro Stock racer Ron Krisher. One might draw the conclusion the added duty has him spread thinner than usual in final eliminations, the one day where concentration is king.
“I think I am doing more than I ever have been but I've just been a kind of knucklehead on Sunday,” Edwards admitted.
If he gets his concentration dialed in, should the competition get worried?
“Well I really like my chances. I'll put it that way,” Edwards said, as he looked to the sky and smiled.
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