Australian Pro Stock driver Shane Tucker debuted his brand-new Auzmet Architectural Chevrolet Camaro this weekend and had two goals he wanted to accomplish at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals: qualify and improve each run he made. Both goals were accomplished this weekend at zMAX Dragway.
Tucker began raceday in the No. 15 spot and he had a first round matchup against Alex Laughlin, Tanner Gray and Erica Enders. The Four-Wide format can present its challenges and Tucker’s first round quad was no different. As Tucker, Laughlin, and Gray were all fully staged, Enders was timed out and was disqualified. When the tree came down, the remaining three competitors including Tucker had get on the two-step and let off the clutch resulting in less-than-stellar reaction times for all of them. Tucker clocked in with his best of the weekend, 6.709-seconds at 204.98 mph, but wasn’t able to advance over Laughlin’s 6.650, 208.36 and Gray’s 6.596, 210.28.
Despite not advancing to the second round, Tucker and the Rob Tucker Racing team are leaving Charlotte and heading to Atlanta feeling confident.
“I’m really disappointed I didn’t take advantage of the situation in the first round there,” Tucker said. “But look, I think we made some huge gains and strides forward this weekend. We said we wanted to improve every run and we did. I think we made some big, big gains this weekend. The boys will work on the tune-up and study it this week and we should be even better in Atlanta.”
SHANE TUCKER, AUZMET ARCHITECTURAL CHEVROLET CAMARO Qualified: No. 15
ELIMINATIONS
First Round: Alex Laughlin (6.650, 208.36) and Tanner Gray (6.596, 210.28) def. TUCKER (6.709, 204.98) and Erica Enders (No Time)
QUALIFYING
Friday: 6.829-seconds, 201.67 mph (Session 1); 6.803, 202.27 (Session 2)
Saturday: 6.758, 204.14 (Session 3); 6.783, 204.63 (Session 4)
-Shane Tucker media release
