Slate Cummings Seals Up NHRA All-Stars Berth in Multiple Classes with Latest Stock Win
- 02.06.2011
Slate started off eliminations in his Moser Engineering/K&N B/SA Firebird with a freebie in round one when his opponent Thomas Gordon was unable to make the call and although Cummings has been in numerous situations over his racing career, he says starting with round two it got very interesting for him. Cummings had round after round of heads up races. "I've never seen four heads up races like that before on the way to the finals," he said of the way his side of the ladder played out. "We just swapped over engine builders and to have the power that we have is just an ungodly feeling. Jeff Taylor has just made that dang thing fly." Cummings admits while he was feeling pretty stout about each round of eliminations, third round had him thinking a little more of his opponent. "When I had Jeff Adkinson, I wasn't really sure what he had or not. He has Jeff Taylor power, too and he's one of the fastest [B/SA] in the country. So, I was a little worried about him." First, Cummings did what he needed to do at the tree, taking a .017 starting line advantage and still had no problem out running Adkinson, as the car also took care of its end of the deal posting a 10.298 to Adkinson's 10.478. "You know, I have never actually got to run a race and say all I got to do is not go red," Cummings said of his reaction times. "You know, if you're green, you win. So I was set up on a mid-thirty and I've never been able to set up like that in a race before. Usually, I'm set high double-oh." Cummings continued to put them on the trailer throughout his four heads up rounds, but for the final it was back to bracket mode as he would face the A/SA entry of Jimmy Hidalgo Jr. While Hidalgo had quite the starting line advantage, Cummings used his years of experience to drive a .005 margin at the stripe and a perfect 10.320 on his 10.32 dial and drove away with the Stock victory. With the win, Cummings has now sealed his spot for the Jeg's All-Stars shootout in both the Stock and Super Stock categories. The All-Stars is an elite race where the best of the best from around the country, with representatives from each NHRA division squaring off for huge prize money and bragging rights, that will take place in July during the NHRA National event in Joliet, Illinois. "I feel real good about that," he said of the upcoming shootout. "I've got a real good track record of being double entered in the All-Stars. I have the baddest team around and all kinds of folks who come with me to help and I have a new crew chief that just started with us last year. I have no worries, all I have to do is drive." On top of Cummings elation with his new engine program this season, he was quick to point out that there are some things that he will not change and that's the use of K&N Oil and Air filters on each and every one of the Cummings Motorsports entries. In addition to a full schedule of upcoming races for Slate and the rest of his family, which include Tulsa and the back to back NHRA Nationals in Bristol and Norwalk, Slate just happens to be looking forward to the end of the season. He and his wife are expecting their very first child near the first part of this fall and soon they will know if it will be a boy or a girl. And in true Cummings Family Style, the way they find out the sex of their child will be an interesting one. "We're going to do it in a different way," he explained. "We are going to have a party and we aren't going to know the answer. We are going to have the doctor put it in an envelope. So we are going to have a cake made and have a party and when we roll this cake out, we'll cut it and whatever the color is that will tell us what it will be." No matter a girl or a boy for Slate and his wife, this writer is sure a Cummings Motorsports JR Dragster is already in the works. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
