Thu, 11 Feb 2010, 01:24 AM New Territory

By Kelly Wade Photo copyright 2010 Auto Imagery, Inc.

Jimmy DeFrank

Jimmy DeFrank learned some new tricks on the way to picking up his third Super Stock Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series championship last year when a late-season decision opened the door for an opportunity to venture outside of his comfort zone and travel a bit more than normal. DeFrank, who typically puts together a successful season while competing close to home in the Pacific Division, gathered critical points racing in the North Central and South Central divisions, sealed up the title, and in doing so realized that sometimes you have to leave the nest to stretch your wings and find success.

The last few seasons leading up to DeFrank's successful run for the title were frustratingly close, particularly in 2008, when he battled hard for the championship but came up just short, and saw the dream slip through his fingers at the final race of the year. In the past decade since winning his second championship in 1999 (his first was in 1997), DeFrank has remained a contender and finished in the top 5 six times, but has truly been left wanting for more.

Jimmy DeFrank

"Winning a national title is the biggest thing in drag racing, because you're putting a whole year of your life into it," said DeFrank. "It takes so much focus and so much time. After we won two almost back-to-back, I really didn't understand how big and how special that was, and we were going to the races just for fun and didn't have that focus. This year, I had more drive. My dad is very involved with his classic cars and hot rods, and I'm not sure how much longer he is going to continue going to the races all the time. While he's still going to every race, I felt like it was important to try very hard."

DeFrank didn't come by his 8 Pacific Division Super Stock titles, one of which he scored this season, without a whole lot of effort and wise decisions, and after winning the divisional event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma and finding himself in a position to challenge for the world title, he called on those well-tuned skills to add a little more oomph to his game by taking an unfamiliar path to chase the national championship. The idea, however, wasn't all his own.

Tim Smith vs. DeFrank in Sonoma final. Photo by Bob Johnson Photography

"We had three finals in our first four national events and won the points race in Sonoma, but we still had no desire to chase the championship," said DeFrank, who runner-upped in his quick Chevy Cobalt at the season-opening Winternationals, the Lucas Oil Slick Mist NHRA Nationals in Phoenix, and the Jegs NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals.

"We loved Sonoma so much and really had a blast there, and as we were going into the winner's circle, our friend Jeff Taylor called and said, 'Man, you have to go for the championship.' He really talked me into it, and of course my dad was telling me to do whatever I wanted to do, but I could tell he wanted to do it. Some other racing friends, they know who they are, they encouraged us to go after it, and so we did. We went to the Division 3 race in Bowling Green, Ky., we got 83 points, and we just started marching from there."

Jim and Jimmy DeFrank

The successful businessman - DeFrank is also the chief operating officer of the family business, California Car Cover Co. - set out to explore new territory and overcame the challenge of unfamiliar tracks and conditions. He notched an important win at the divisional race in Belle Rose, La., and runner-upped at Thunder Valley Raceway Park in Noble, Okla., before sewing it all up in his home division by picking up a few rounds at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Winning the Auto Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at his home track in Pomona and nearly doubling up with a Stock runner-up was just the cherry on top of his awesome season.

"Winning the divisional race in Louisiana was great," recalled DeFrank. "We went all the way down there, so far away from home, and we won when we needed to. But I believe the world finals in Pomona was the highlight of the year for me. We made it to the final in both cars and won in Super Stock, and that was such an amazing way to close the championship season at our home track at the last race of the year."

DeFrank celebrates Finals win.

Aside from national and divisional championship trophies, the season produced a few other gems that could shine up to be potentially threatening to DeFrank's future competitors. Straying from the familiar path provided the chance to conquer the fear of the unknown and therefore gain a new level of confidence, and DeFrank said, "When you aren't comfortable, you look at things differently. I was forced to learn new ways of thinking about things, and that helped me stay really sharp."

He also scored a renewed positive, can-do attitude, thanks to the help of good friend and fellow racer Jeff Taylor and crew members Steve Decker and Tom Kerr.

"They believe that we can win," said DeFrank. "It really helped me not to worry, because they take the attitude of, 'We know what to do, let's just do it.' That really pumped me up, and I started to pick up that attitude, too."

DeFrank in his Stocker.

The team's plan for 2010 is very close to last season's, and they are playing it by ear, with no plans to go after the championship.

"I'd like to try to do better at national events this year and try to really focus in Stock, because I think there is a huge opportunity for improvement, and I'm so excited to put more effort into that," said DeFrank, who finished fourth in the family's '69 Camaro Stocker in 2008.

Jim, Loraine, Jimmy and Tony DeFrank

"There was such a large gap between championships and after coming so close the past few years, now I feel like there is a little bit of a monkey off the back. I really wanted to get another championship. To accomplish that took a little bit of the pressure off, and now we can go out and have some fun."

DeFrank thanked Jeff Taylor, Steve Decker, and Tom Kerr, as well as his family, including mother Loraine, brother Tony, and especially his father, Jim, whom DeFrank credits as "the backbone of the race team." He also acknowledged Phoenix Tires, K&N, Red Line Oil, Jegs, ProTrans, A-1 Performance, Racers for Christ, Jeff Taylor Performance, Comp Cams, CFE, and the DeFrank family businesses, California Car Cover Co. and California Car Duster.

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