MIKE SALINAS TO RETURN IN VIRGINIA
Las Vegas Top Fuel winner Mike Salinas was conspicuous by his absence in Atlanta. Salinas, who has two No. 1 qualifiers and came into the Southern Nationals fourth in the points, had business to tend to in California that kept him away.
Salinas owns Valley Services in San Jose, Calif., a waste-disposal, dumpster rental and event-rental service company, hence the name of his team, Scrappers Racing.
"He had a business and legal engagement that he was already committed to prior to this event, prior to the schedule coming out," team spokesperson Courtney Lambert said. "He said the business is what keeps the race team intact and successful, so he has to keep that as a priority."
Lambert said Salinas and the Scrappers team will be back for the next NHRA race in Richmond, Va.
Salinas' team has been one of the top-performing teams in 2019. With the addition of championship-winning crew chief Brian Husen, Salinas has qualified ninth or better in all six races, winning the four-wide race at Vegas for his first career victory and qualifying No. 1 at Vegas and Charlotte. He also raced to the semifinals in Pomona.
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