Page 27 - MINISTER ALEX SCHWENGLE - APRIL 22,2015
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LOCALWednesday 22 April 2015
Team Aruba Goes to Final Round at Southern Nationals
BRADENTON, Fl. April 21, ba was focused on staying U.S. Bounty Hunters Pro
2015 - Trevor Eman and
Team Aruba took the Aru- consistent through each Stock racers are more
ba.com Mustang to its first
final of the 2015 IHRA sea- round and did just that. like a band of brothers
son at this past weekend’s
Nitro Jam Southern Nation- Eman took out Matt Bertsch than fierce professional
als. The team proved that
they are a force to be reck- in round one on a hole shot competitors. This is very true
oned with on the quarter-
mile, qualifying third in the advantage. In round two, for Eman and Montecalvo,
eight car field with a time
of 6.338 at 221.02 MPH, just Eman faced number two as Eman explains:
five hundredths behind top
qualifier, John Montecalvo. qualifier, J.R. Carr. Despite “John Montecalvo and his
In eliminations, Team Aru-
Carr having the advantage entire team we consider
on paper it was Team Aru- very close friends. John
ba who would take the win and LA have visited us
and progress to their first in Aruba a couple of
final round of the season. times now, and Tommy
The finals paired Eman with Lee (Montecalvo’s Crew
good friend John Monte- Chief) did an exhibition
calvo. Unfortunately, the Pro Stock match race with
Aruba.com Mustang lost me in Aruba several years
traction on the run, caus- ago. So I really appreciate
ing Eman to have to abort these people very much,
and hand Montecalvo the and it’s an honor to race
victory. Still, the team was against them. The great
pleased with the overall thing about IHRA Pro Stock
results from the weeken. racing is that you can
“It was a great weekend line up at the starting line
for us in Bradenton,” Eman against your friends, not be
stated after the event. friends for those six seconds,
“Although we only made and after the race, win or
it down the track for one lose, get out of the race
of the qualifying rounds, car better friends than you
it was good enough to were before stepping in.”
place us third and give us As always, Team Aruba
a race day setup. All the not only strove for visibility
eliminations rounds were through their on-track
very exciting. The first two performance, but, perhaps
simply because they were even more importantly,
good side by side drag worked to make their
races, and the third one tiny island famous to the
as it caught my attention thousands of Southern
after getting loose and Nationals attendees.
causing us to abort the run. “I certainly hope we made
“We had consistent runs Aruba proud. I know they
in eliminations and were were following the live feed
trying to keep it that way and our Facebook posts.
for the final round,” Eman We loved connecting with
continued, explaining all our fans on the west side
the team’s strategy. of Florida and look forward
“We weren’t putting to meeting new ones on
any kind of tune up in it Florida’s east coast as we
to try to break records. continue on to Palm Beach
We were hoping to repeat International Raceway now
our performance from this upcoming weekend.
the two previous runs, We know we have what
but John Montecalvo put it takes to compete with
down a very good run that the best of the U.S. Bounty
I must honestly say I don’t Hunters Pro Stock teams
think we had a tune up and hope to repeat and
for even if we did make it improve and make Aruba
down the track straight. just a little prouder.”
John made some very Watch Team Aruba live
good runs through both via the Webcast on IHRA.
days of racing. He and com. Follow Team Aruba
his team earned this win.” on Facebook and Twitter.
Once engines are fired, Find race results, team
any racer will tell you it updates, videos and
doesn’t matter who is in photos. Also leave your
the next lane, but when comments to cheer on
the helmets come off, Team Aruba!q