Now that his first 2008 NHRA POWERade Series race is in the books, Dave Connolly is ready to make improvements. Finding time to do so, however, is a problem, as is being in early-season form when your competitors are five races ahead of you.
 
Connolly and the new Charter Communications Chevy Cobalt team’s preference would have included a weekend off between races in Atlanta and St. Louis to fine-tune the new car.  But the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals will be contested at Gateway International Raceway Friday through Sunday.
 
So, instead of putting vital test laps on the Cobalt, the Victor Cagnazzi team packed their bags Monday and headed for St. Louis.

Now that his first 2008 NHRA POWERade Series race is in the books, Dave Connolly is ready to make improvements. Finding time to do so, however, is a problem, as is being in early-season form when your competitors are five races ahead of you.
 
Connolly and the new Charter Communications Chevy Cobalt team’s preference would have included a weekend off between races in Atlanta and St. Louis to fine-tune the new car.  But the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals will be contested at Gateway International Raceway Friday through Sunday.
 
So, instead of putting vital test laps on the Cobalt, the Victor Cagnazzi team packed their bags Monday and headed for St. Louis.
 
“We just need to make more runs on our new car,” Connolly said after his first-round loss in his opening event.  “There definitely are things we need to address, but, all-in-all, we got back out here and got our feet wet” after the long layoff.
 
This visit to St. Louis is of special importance because: a) Charter Communications is based here and it gives the employees the opportunity to take a look at the team in the deep purple Cobalt; and b) Connolly arrives as the defending Pro Stock champion.  His victory here was the first of a career-best eight in 2007.
 
“It’s going to be exciting to be racing in front of the Charter people and it will be good to meet them,” he said.  “We’ll do the best we can and put on a good show for them.  This would be a good place for us to pick up our first win of the year.
 
“There are definitely some things we need to address.  It was great to go through the routine and get back in sync.  We’ll see what happens.”
 
Connolly must do in 13 races what the rest of the Pro Stock drivers will have 18 to do – earn enough points to place in the top 10 to qualify for the final six-race Countdown to the Championship that begins in September.   He is 24th with 34 points.  Greg Stanfield is 10th with 275. 
 
The chase is on.