Thu, 10 Jun 2010, 09:44 PM Not the Way it was Supposed to End

By Bob Frey Photo copyright 2010 Auto Imagery, Inc.

Bill and Matt Harris

For the last twenty-six years sportsman racers from all over the country have descended on one place with one goal in mind, to prove that they are the best at what they do. Sure, every week, or almost every week, they get to race at either a national or a divisional event with the same goal, to win the race. But this one week every year is special because it features the very best in the sportsman ranks. It's called the "All Star" race and it features the drivers who have done the best on the divisional level in each of NHRA's seven geographic regions. The race pits them against one another in a one day, three round shootout to determine who the best is. Since the race was first held back in 1985 it has been the highlight of the year for a lot of racers. In '85 the Competition Eliminator field included such greats as Tim Cole, Larry Kopp and others, and it featured a final round between Bill Maropulos and John Lingenfelter. And even though Bill won, John left feeling like he had accomplished something, after all, just to be an All Star is a real honor. Well, in 2010, the racers came to Route 66 Raceway for the annual affair, and in the end ten new champions were crowned. For those who lost, it was still a great opportunity to represent yourself and your division, and even though you didn't win, hopefully it was a good, enjoyable weekend. Unfortunately that wasn't the case for two racers.

Matt Harris

Matt Harris is a second-generation racer who was making his second All Star appearance. As the representative for Division 5, Matt was anxious to race against the best Comp drivers in the country. Along with his father and crew chief, Bill, the two prepared for what they thought and hoped would be a good weekend. But after fouling out in round one of the All Stars, the Harris family had to set their sights on winning the national event. "I messed up in the All Star race," Matt said. "I just left a little too early and it cost us." After getting over that little miscue, Matt began to concentrate on the first round of the national event, a round against the reigning World Champion, Bruno Massel. "Let's just say that we have developed a pretty good rivalry over the past few seasons," Matt said. "I'm a hard-core Division 5 guy and Bruno came in and won the championship and that kind of began our rivalry." Well, as luck would have it, the two were paired up against each other in round one, a round that ended badly for both of them. "Our car was on a really good pass, in fact, one of the best ever," Matt said. "And then I saw him pass me and then quickly disappear. The next thing I know I saw him coming toward me and I realized there wasn't a lot of room and there really was only one place for him to go." That one place was right into the side of Matt's Pontiac Grand Am. "He hit me, spun me around and flipped me over, and at that time I was just along for the ride." While all of this was going on, Matt's father, who was back on the starting line, was talking to him on the radio. "He asked me if I was ok, and I said yes. Then I told him that maybe I should wait until I stop spinning before I give him an answer." Once he did stop, and the Safety Safari got there, Matt determined that he was ok, but the car was a little worse for wear. "Honestly, it isn't too bad. We do have some cosmetic damage and a few things need to be cleaned up, but all in all, it's not bad." That's amazing, because looking at the incident it sure looked like the car was a total wreck. "The body is trash, but most everything else on the car is salvageable." Ironically this isn't the first time this car has been on its roof. "This is the car that Jason Line crashed and flipped in Columbus a few years ago," Matt said. "We were picking up some parts at Jerry Bickel's shop back then and we saw this chassis and we talked with Greg Anderson and we bought it."

Bill Harris

Matt was very philosophical about the incident and he said that he and his dad had been thinking about updating the car even before the accident. "We have been making a lot of power but the car really isn't the most aerodynamic one in the class. We had been thinking about making some changes and this will just move the process forward." So what do they do in the meantime? The same thing that most racers would do, they get another car and go racing. "The timing is interesting because we were thinking about getting another car, one that my brother or sister could race." That search took them back to the Bickel shop where they found another former Pro Stock car. "Jerry had the Olds Cutlass that David Rampy raced a few years ago. It looked like it would be perfect for what we had in mind so we got it." Now, with the help of their engine builder, Terry Iselin, they'll clean up the engine from the Comp car, put it in the Olds, and with a little luck, they'll be at the Division 5 points race in Denver next week. "We're not going to rush on the Pontiac, in fact, we might not bring that out again until next year. But we do want to race and so we'll see if we can get the Cutlass ready for the rest of the year. Terry has always done a great job for us and we make a lot of power, so I think we'll be in good shape."

Matt began racing after watching his father, Bill, run for a number of years. "My dad and my uncle went to a local track years ago and they took turns driving and dad did the better job on the track so he got to drive." Bill raced a variety of cars and he won the Division race in Brainerd a few years ago before turning the keys over to Matt. Today, Bill and his brother, Tom, along with Terry, all work together to give Matt a good car to drive. "My uncle comes to a lot of the races and we all have our jobs at the track." Matt's job is to drive and work on the computer while dad works on the clutch and Terry concentrates on making power. "We have set the national record a couple of times and we're confident that we'll be competitive even with the Olds. And once we fix and update the Pontiac it should be as good as new." Of course racing has to take a back seat to the family's business, which occupies the bulk of their time. "We have a business that provides electric fences for cattle ranches. Everyone knows that business is tough these days, so we have to do whatever we can so that we can race." That means a day at the job and evenings and weekends in the shop and that keeps everyone in the family busy. "My brother and sister are working on cleaning up the years of rubber and grime on the Cutlass right now and dad and I are trying to get the chassis and drive train ready for next week."

For a guy who came to Joliet with high expectations and left with a damaged car, Matt seems to be in great spirits. "Hey, it could have been a lot worse. It was fast before the accident and it will be fast after it." This is one driver who seems to be able to put everything in perspective, and with an attitude like that, and a the support of his family, it won't be long before Matt Harris is back in the All Star program and in the winner's circle.

"I would like to thank my family for all of their support through the years that I have been driving. My dad has been there from the beginning and has always been a great teacher. My brother and sister have recently become more involved and I look forward to their help in the future. I really want to thank my mom for being my biggest supporter. After the wreck I expected her to be reluctant to see me in another car, but she is very supportive and we are all looking forward to continuing the season." Matt went on to say that Terry Iselin and his son, Dylan, are a very big part in the success of the team. "Terry truly knows how to build great power and without his help we wouldn't be having the success we currently enjoy."

And as far as the accident itself goes, Matt said, "The members of the NHRA Safety Safari were at my side so quickly after I stopped spinning. I was so glad that I had help getting out of the car and I will always remember how safe I felt once they showed up. I would also just like to extend my deepest gratitude to all of the racers who came to our trailer after the incident. They were all very glad to hear that Bruno and I were both ok, and that is the really important outcome. There were even a few racers who offered us the use of their car for the end of the season. It is truly remarkable how close the racing community is, and for that I am thankful. And I would like to extend a special thanks to the Friis family. Don, Scott, and Kyle who have given us a lot of support recently and they were at the shop waiting for us to get home and help work on both cars for the next race."