Tim Wilkerson joined in as part of a horsepower party on Friday night in Sonoma, after the evening
marine layer rolled in over the hills, the temperature plummeted, and some of the best runs in many
a month were posted on the board. Wilk's 4.129 was good enough for the No. 4 spot overnight, and
his slight disappointment in the effort is perhaps simply nothing more than a sign of a guy who
currently has a very good hot rod.
"I kind of messed up on the clutch timing there, and it really slowed the car down in the middle of
the track, otherwise we might have been a lot quicker," Wilkerson said. "Once that layer of fog
rolled over the hill, which kind of slapped us upside the head and reminded us we're basically in
San Francisco, the track was pretty strong out there and you could pour the coals to it pretty
good. We were real strong off the line, and charging hard at the end, but it just kind of groaned
through the middle of the track. Nothing but a mistake in the way we set up the clutch, because it
did exactly what we told it to do.
"That right there was what this Western Swing is all about. We go up on the mountain in Denver and
broil in thin air. We go to Seattle and it's still hot, but at least we're back to sea level. Then
we come here, and just like Sonoma it's hot all day and everyone's sweating, but then the evening
fog rolls in over the hills and the thermometer just heads for the basement. People were digging
for jackets and sweatshirts they haven't used since Pomona. What it gave us, though, was a great
track and a chance to all run pretty strong, so even though we left a little on the table I'm a
happy guy to have gotten the LRS Shelby down there with a good number and to be up there in fourth
when so many good teams were putting good laps on the board."
Team Wilkerson Racing
NHRA Nitro Funny Car
http://www.timwilkerson.com
