Mon, 10 Oct 2011, 10:10 AM Stick With It

By Kelly Wade Photo copyright 2011 Auto Imagery, Inc.

Making his Pro Stock debut at the U.S. Nationals.

Chris McGaha made a big leap when he opted to participate in Richard Freeman's Elite Motorsports Ride and Drive Program and take command of a Pro Stock car at this season's Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. The long-time Competition Eliminator racer licensed in the Elite Pontiac GXP just a week before the event, but neither the time crunch nor the bright glow of the spotlight left him flustered.

An ecstatic McGaha drove his way into the 11th qualifying position with a 6.656 at 206.95 mph, and he established himself as one of 16 fortunate competitors out of 28 vying to play on raceday. Although he exited in the first round, the experience left the Odessa, Texas, resident wanting more, and he couldn't wait to get back in the car in his home state for the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas.

The showing at Texas Motorplex was even more thrilling for McGaha, who put career-best numbers on the board during qualifying - 6.610, 209.17 mph - and then did the unimaginable on raceday by upsetting the reigning Full Throttle Series champion and defending event titlist, Summit Racing-backed Greg Anderson, in the first round. McGaha launched .044-second ahead of the four-time world champ and turned it into a .0011-second holeshot victory.

In Houston in 2004

"None of this has really sunk in yet," admitted McGaha. "It seems like I'm in a dream. I'm just numb. But I can tell you that we are probably going to stick with this. We did that two race deal with Richard, and more than likely we're going to do our own deal next year."

Although he isn't ready to disclose details, McGaha is pressing forward with the intent to run a Pro Stock car at 14 events in the 2012 season in addition to running his F/A GTO in Comp - a car he purchased from 2009 Pro Stock world champion Mike Edwards four years ago - at the divisional level.

If his early performance in Pro Stock is any indication of the future, there could be trouble ahead in the category. McGaha has some reliable experience behind him that helps to explain his early success and his confidence about the future.

The machinist-by-trade operates eight CNC machines between two shops: Harlow Sammons of Odessa, an oil fields-based company, and Southwest Performance and Machine, where he and his father Lester build most of the engines that they run in Comp Eliminator. He isn't just a driver, McGaha also understands the program from the inside out. And he's known racing all of his life; his dad started in Comp when McGaha was just a toddler.

The Pro Stock Truck in Indy in 2001.

"I've been going to the races ever since I could," he said. "We used to bracket race locally in those days, too, and I would sit up in the front seat of the truck with my mom and watch. I always wanted to race, and since I was about 12 years old I wanted to race Pro Stock. It's just the competitiveness of it. I wanted to do it."

McGaha started in NHRA's Jr. Drag Racing League and then licensed in Super Comp in a class held by Frank Hawley's school at Texas Motorplex. He made eight or so passes in the Super Comp car, but from there he immediately jumped into the more elaborate Comp category behind the wheel of a five-speed D/Dragster. He was just 17.

"That was a very big transition," recalled McGaha. "The very first time I ever got in that car was at Denver, and some guys were standing there taking pictures of it while my mom was strapping me in my seatbelts. They couldn't believe that a kid was getting strapped into that car by his mom - that car could run 7.50s at 175 mph, and you had to shift it like a Pro Stock car. I've been thrown into the deep end many times before - or as my dad says, thrown to the dogs. I'm used to it at this point."

>From the mid- to late-1990s, McGaha raced in Comp, and in the early 2000s, he moved up to race in the Pro Stock Truck category. He made three races: the U.S. Nationals, Memphis and Dallas, but didn't qualify, and soon after, the category was eliminated - but McGaha and his father brought the truck back to Comp and continued to compete there. At one point, he was offered a ride in an A/Fuel dragster but declined.

Running the GTO in Comp in 2009.

"I've just always loved Comp," he said. "One of the reasons I was excited to do the deal with Richard Freeman was because I would be able to work with David Nickens. He was a Division 4 Comp racer that we used to race with back in the day - as a matter of fact, Robert Freeman, the clutch man on the Elite car, was also a Division 4 Comp racer, and so was Richard Freeman. Those guys over there, you start combining their experience and there is an awful lot of it.

"We've never won a national event or even a Division 4 race, and the only guy to beat us in a final has been David Nickens. It was a privilege to get to work with him, and I hope to again in the near future."

Looking back on his career so far, McGaha has but one small regret. He believes that he would have been better served to have raced in Super Stock before becoming involved in Competition Eliminator because "you learn a lot in a hurry with a deal like that," he said. "As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate those guys who run that stuff. They have nothing to work with, but they have to make it go fast. My son, Mason, he's nine and runs Jr. dragsters, and I tell him that he's going to have to run Stock or Super Stock next."

McGaha actually picked up an A/SA Firebird that he had planned to run at the U.S. Nationals before the deal with Freeman came along.

McGaha during driver introductions at Texas Motorplex with Berkley and Mason.

"I had my heart set on bringing that car to the U.S. Nationals all summer long, but I had a new motor built for it and didn't get it done in time, so when Richard called, I knew I had to do that instead," he said. "I had a friend drive it at the Division 4 points race in Oklahoma City, but now that A/SA is just sitting in the garage feeling lonely."

McGaha thanked his supporters, including wife Holly, children Mason and Berkley, parents Lester and Valois, and friend Sergio Garcia, who comes to the races to help out on the Comp car. He also wished to thank Richard Freeman and his crew, as well as all of the people who have gone above and beyond for him throughout his years in the sport of drag racing.

"They may not even realize how much they've helped, but I have got to mention people like David Nickens, John Lingenfelter, Mike Edwards, and Gary Wise. Without probably knowing it, they have really helped me a lot through the years," said McGaha.

Whatever the future comes to hold, McGaha is content in the fact that he has already been able to do what he loves for so many years.

In the Elite Motorsports GXP in Dallas

"Racing has made us happy," he said. "I've seen a lot of people come and go, but we've been able to keep going all this time. It's been a lot of hard work, but it's worth it.

"The whole experience of racing Pro Stock for those two races exceeded my expectations; it was everything I thought it would be and more. I feel like I've already accomplished so much, now anything from here on out will be that much better."

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