Kenny Koretsky rolled out of bed Thursday and pronounced himself fit for the beginning of the new 24-race NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season that gets underway Feb. 7-10, at Pomona, Calif. 
 
It’s a good thing, too, because he was scheduled to begin testing at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Thursday.
 
Koretsky, of Richboro, Pa., was bedridden for 11 days with flu-like symptoms.
 
“I feel a lot better now,” said the popular driver who also answers to the nickname Captain Chaos.  “I couldn’t do anything, and that was difficult for me because I’m always on the go. But I did lose 11 pounds, and that made Eddie happy.  (Eddie Guarnaccia is the longtime crew chief on his Nitro Fish/Indicom Electric Chevy Cobalt.)  He’s always after me to lose weight. That’s not the way I wanted to do it, but we’ll take advantage of it.” (Koretsky graciously refused to reveal his current weight.)
 
“We were excited to get out of Pennsylvania and to Las Vegas for testing and the Pro Stock Shootout Saturday. In my book there’s no better place for Captain Chaos to start than in viva Las Vegas.”

New partnership, New Engine program has Koretsky excited 

Kenny Koretsky rolled out of bed Thursday and pronounced himself fit for the beginning of the new 24-race NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series season that gets underway Feb. 7-10, at Pomona, Calif. 
It’s a good thing, too, because he was scheduled to begin testing at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Thursday.
 
Koretsky, of Richboro, Pa., was bedridden for 11 days with flu-like symptoms.
 
“I feel a lot better now,” said the popular driver who also answers to the nickname Captain Chaos.  “I couldn’t do anything, and that was difficult for me because I’m always on the go. But I did lose 11 pounds, and that made Eddie happy.  (Eddie Guarnaccia is the longtime crew chief on his Nitro Fish/Indicom Electric Chevy Cobalt.)  He’s always after me to lose weight. That’s not the way I wanted to do it, but we’ll take advantage of it.” (Koretsky graciously refused to reveal his current weight.)
 
“We were excited to get out of Pennsylvania and to Las Vegas for testing and the Pro Stock Shootout Saturday. In my book there’s no better place for Captain Chaos to start than in viva Las Vegas.”
 
Koretsky said he and Greg Hill “are racing partners again this year.  Sonny Leonard is working on Greg’s engines and we are really looking forward to getting Sonny’s motor in the car to see what it can do.  Sonny had the motor on the dyno Tuesday in his shop (in Lynchburg, Va.) and it was in our car Thursday.”
 
Hill also is working with fellow Pro Stock driver Greg Stanfield. We hope this two-car concept reaps dividends,” he commented.  “They are separate teams but we will share information to make both cars run better,” said Hill. “We’ll get double the feedback.
 
“Kenny is running my motors that Leonard is working on and I own both cars,” Hill said.  “Pro Stock is getting so technical and competitive that you need every edge you can get. We are shooting to get both cars into the winner’s circle.
 
“We think it’s a pretty good deal.  We are working to develop our own motor program with Sonny and, at the same time, Stanfield is working on his stuff.  I think we have to do our own motor program if we are to be successful.  The top six teams (from 2007) all had their own motor programs.”
 
Koretsky was scheduled to buckle up for action Thursday, but cold weather at The Strip kept action to a minimum.   Three rounds of Pro Stock qualifying are on tap for the Shootout Friday – plus additional testing – before Saturday’s 16-car eliminations. Sunday is listed as the final test day.
 
“I’m ready to go to the NHRA winner’s circle for the first time,” Koretsky concluded.  “We all hope to get at least one win.”
 
NHRA increased the schedule to 24 events with a formal announcement of a new event in Charlotte, N.C., Sept. 11-14.  The track is being built by Bruton Smith on the same property as his Lowe’s Motor Speedway.