If you thought Kenny Koretsky's performance last weekend was a fluke, he showed in Denver there's more where that came from.

Koretsky has now reached the semifinals in two consecutive races, backing up his runner-up finish last week at Bristol with a semifinal appearance in today's race. The self-proclaimed "Captain Chaos' qualified No. 3 for eliminations and defeated Max Naylor in Round 1 and Jeg Coughlin in Round 2 before losing to Krisher in the semis.

If you thought Kenny Koretsky's performance last weekend was a fluke, he showed in Denver there's more where that came from.

Koretsky has now reached the semifinals in two consecutive races, backing up his runner-up finish last week at Bristol with a semifinal appearance in today's race. The self-proclaimed "Captain Chaos' qualified No. 3 for eliminations and defeated Max Naylor in Round 1 and Jeg Coughlin in Round 2 before losing to Krisher in the semis.

"The guys are doing a great job," Koretsky said. "They've got this Chevy Cobalt really hauling right now, and we're moving up in the points. That's what this is all about. If we can just go a couple of rounds at a time, we can get back in this Chase. That's what we're counting on."

The secret to Koretsky's success?

"I think (our strong performance) has been a combination of things," Koretsky said. " We have a new motor from Steve Schmidt. That was the motor we started the beginning of the year with, and we got that back and it looks like it's pretty good. The guys have a good handle on the chassis and a good handle on the clutch, and I'm driving my butt off."

No pun intended, but Koretsky has literally driven his butt off.

"You know, I lost 25 pounds and I think that's helped a lot," Koretsky said. " I got a new seat and I feel comfortable in the car. And the more you drive these things, the better you get. I shifted it perfectly every run this weekend, so it's a happy thing to be up here in Denver and run this good. I think I've served notice that there's a new sheriff in town, but the problem is he's called 'Captain Chaos." - Bobby Bennett

 

 
Koretsky was proud of the fact that this Mopar Mile-High Nationals race is the 200th in his NHRA Pro Stock career. Captain Chaos is especially charged up these days about the emergence of son Kyle as a racer.
 
Already Kyle Koretsky has received the nickname “Kid Chaos” and is set to have his own T-shirts among the Nitro Fish Ultimate Gear line of apparel. But don’t think he jumped without discipline right into the Super Comp dragster that his father bought from Dave Connolly, the one in which Connolly’s father Ray recently won a race -- or that he will move into the Pro Stock class without preparation.
 
“We’ve got to keep him focused. He‘s a free spirit,” Kenny Koretsky said. But he assured, “Kyle went to Jimmy Harrington’s [driving] school and drove Super Comp and Super Stock cars. He made 13-14 runs in the 8.40s and 8.50s.”
 
Already he has won seven or eight rounds of competition, but according to the veteran Pro Stock driver from Richboro, Pennsylvania, Kyle Koretsky will not slide into a Pro Stock car until he makes between 100 and 150 half-track and full-track passes. “He’ll go to the Eddie Guarnaccia-Kenny Koretsky Driving School. That’s a first!”
 
The plan is to have Kyle Koretsky enter four races in 2008 and compete for Rookie of the Year honors in a full schedule in 2009. - Susan Wade