Wed, 19 Mar 2003, 05:45 PM
Once Upon A Time…
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By Bob Frey
Photo copyright 2003
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Jim Sickles in 1997.
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…there was a Top Alcohol Funny Car driver, who was quicker
than Frank Manzo in the finals at drag racing’s biggest event, the U.S.
Nationals. It was the kind of run that most drivers can only dream about. But
like so many stories, especially ones that include Mr. Manzo, this one did not
have a happy ending for the other driver. Despite the better numbers, Frank
still won the race. Alas, how many drivers’ dreams have ended that way?
The year was 1997 and the driver was Jim Sickles, a relatively
unknown guy from upstate New York. Jim had qualified fourth at Indy and had
made his way through the eliminations, beating Vern Moats, John Lawson and Pat
Austin before lining up against Frank in the finals. You know the rest. Well,
after a few years of on-again, off-again racing, and after fielding a fuel car
with Chuck Etchells doing the driving, Jim Sickles is back, and he’s saying
what not many alky drivers have said over the year, at least not in public,
he’s saying, “I want Frank!”
Jim Sickles is in the construction and real estate business
in New York, and like most racers who have been away from the sport for a
while, he never has gotten the drag racing bug out of his system. “I haven’t
driven since the end of the 1997 season,” Jim said, “but I always knew that I’d
be back racing.” And he’s back big time. With a new car (for him) and partnered
with Tom Anderson, a veteran, very savvy crew chief who can make a lot of
power, Jim Sickles just might get another shot at Frank Manzo, and while it
didn’t happen in Florida this past weekend (Frank was a no-show), it could
happen in the very near future.
Despite his fine showing at Indy in 1997, Jim didn’t run
enough other races to be a factor in the points either on the national or the
divisional level. His 49th place finish in the standing wasn’t
really indicative of the type car that he had. “We really didn’t run enough
races to make a run for the points back then, but I think my new sponsors and
my schedule will allow me to do that this year.” The new sponsors are Meyers RV
Superstores, the largest RV dealer in the northeast, a company that sells and
services new and used recreational vehicles from five locations in the New York
area, and JCI, a chemical company that services local and regional
municipalities throughout the country. “I’ve got a great relationship with my
sponsors, these are folks whom I’ve known for a while and when I took them to
the races last year, they knew right away that NHRA drag racing was right for
them.” With the financial help that he has, and with his relationship with Tom
Anderson, Jim should be a force in the alcohol funny car class this season. He
proved that at the first Division 2 race of the season in Gainesville when he
beat Jay Payne to win the event. “There were four cars there, but we did what
we had to do and beat the guys in the other lane,” Jim said. “And we ran better
every run which is always important.” He also mentioned that he ran 5.69 in the
finals and that kind of performance should help him go lots of rounds this
year. Will it be enough to beat Frank, well, only time will tell. “We tested
prior to the race, but with the rain and all, we didn’t get as many runs in
before eliminations as I would have liked. But I did feel comfortable in the
car and it did run well and that’s good.”
Jim Sickles
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Since he does run his own business, and has a family that
includes wife, Sarah, and four children, Jim decided that he would only get
back in racing if he didn’t have to live at the track. “I wanted to have a
situation where, basically, all I had to do was show up with my helmet and
drive the car, and I have that with Tommy.” Tom Anderson is one of the most
versatile individuals in the sport. In addition to the years that he spent
driving a fuel funny car, he has served as crew chief on a wide variety of
cars, including those of Al Hofmann and Don Prudhomme, but he’s more than just
a crew chief for Jim, he’s family. “Tom actually married my wife’s sister,
Christine, so now I have a crew chief in the family.”
A crew chief who, according to rumors, actually called Frank
Manzo up after he and Jim decided to go racing and said, “Frank, get ready,
we’re coming after you.” When I asked Jim about that he said that Tom had
called Frank, and when I suggested that poking that particular beehive might
not be a good idea he just laughed and said, “Yeah, I know.”
In 1997 Jim Sickles almost achieved drag racing immortality
by winning Indy and beating Frank Manzo. Almost. Instead, he lost on a holeshot
and finished 49th in the points. Now, with a new Bob Newberry motor,
and a crew chief who has proven that he can run with the best (even if he does
make silly phone calls) and a good start at the D-2 event, this could be the
year that Jim Sickles has dreamed about. With a schedule that will include the
Southeast division as his home division, and a national event schedule that
will include about seven or eight races, we’ll find out in a hurry just how
good this new team is. “I’d like to do well for my sponsors, because they’ve
put a lot of faith and trust in me and we have a solid program,” Jim said. “I’d
like to think we can run for the championship but there are a lot of good cars
out there and I’m looking forward to the challenge.” As for his brief time in
the fuel class Jim said that was a real learning experience and maybe, “…after
a few years with this program, I may try it again. But for now, this is what I
want to do and where I want to be.”
He’d also like to write a different ending to that fairy tale. “Once upon
a time, there was a champion named Jim Sickles….”
To learn more about Jim’s sponsors, check out their web sites
at…
www.meyersrvsuperstore.com
www.jcichem.com
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