Fri, 11 Jan 2002, 10:43 AM Starting To Take Shape

By Bob Frey

Before I actually begin this week’s column (I guess this is like "pre-boarding"), I just wanted to clarify something on the sponsorship front. There has been a lot of talk about Pepsi, possibly, getting into drag racing, with one or more of their brands. Folks have asked me about the conflict with POWERADE which is, of course, a Coca-Cola brand. From what I’ve been told, the only sponsor that would not be allowed on a car this year would be Gatorade, which is owned by Pepsi-Cola. Any and all of their other brands or subsidiaries would not only be allowed, but would be welcome on the tour this year. It’s easy to see why Gatorade would not be allowed and that should go without saying. By the way, have you noticed the defections from NASCAR and IRL lately, like Northern Lights, which had been the series sponsor on the IRL tour? If teams do their homework, and companies keep an open mind, many of these businesses could use NHRA teams as promotional vehicles in place of the much higher priced "cup" teams or Indy-car teams. Never before has the opportunity been this great for our sport and our teams, not to mention, the business community, to partner up. Go back to my interview with Rick Sanders of Sports Marketing Enterprises when he said that, "NHRA drag racing is the best, sports investment in the marketplace." Nuff said!!

It was about this time last year that I wrote about my wife’s new year’s resolution, the one about "getting in shape." I told her that she was already in shape since "round is a shape." We just started speaking again last week. Anyway, in addition to my wife, the 2002 drag racing season will begin taking shape any day now. Already there are lots of Pro Stock teams who are testing and, with the active return of Jerry Haas into the Pro Stock car chassis building business, this could be the best year in a while for the cars. Haas, who focused on the Pro Stock Truck class over the past few seasons, has already delivered at least one, new car to a prominent team, and has more on order. Should be fun since Jerry builds a pretty, mean machine. The David Nickens’ Mopar team tested one of Jerry’s new cars this past week and, from what I hear, it logged a 6.85 at 203 on its very first run. Not bad, huh? The Mopar boys also have a new Jerry Bickel car on order. Sounds like they’re subscribing to the Warren Johnson theory, that is, let’s get one of everything and see which car is the best. With Rickie Smith and Bo Nickens in the test drive mode, and Darrell Alderman going to Texas today, the Dodge team should be ready for the big Super bowl of Drag Racing at their home track, Houston Raceway Park, in a few weeks. Speaking of Houston, I understand that Lynwood Dupuy, who recently retired from NHRA, may be going to work at the Texas track real soon. If so, that’s a great addition for H.R.P. Nobody is better with the racers than Lynwood, and he’ll feel right at home with the D-4 teams and the local racers in Baytown.

Larry Nance

Still in the Pro Stock class, if you just happen to be going by the Marines’ base at Parris Island, North Carolina this week, and see a really big marine there, it’ll be Larry Nance. Larry, who has a sponsorship program with the Marines, will be making a personal appearance at the base, telling the recruits all about his involvement with the Marines and NHRA drag racing. Larry told me that he will be at Pomona with his Oldsmobile, complete with Dick Maskin horsepower, and that he has a new Cavalier being built at this time. Hey, didn’t he play for the Cavaliers, and isn’t the owner of the Cleveland Browns a former Marine? I see some natural tie-ins there, don’t you? How about a Larry Nance vs. Tom Hammonds final round at Pomona?? Stranger things have certainly happened at Pomona. Take 1990 for example. Did you know that at that race, Lori Johns, K.C. Spurlock and Jerry Eckman combined for what might be the three, biggest upset wins in the event’s history. And, while Lori and K.C. certainly were surprises, Eckman’s win in Pro Stock came after his 1989 season where he failed to qualify at nine races. Nine!! Now, I ask you, is a Tom vs. Larry final out of the questions this year?

Several of the divisional award’s banquets take place this weekend and then, it’ll be the first test session of the year, the National Time Trials at Phoenix, followed by the Pro Warm Up in Tucson. Among the cars most folks are anxious to see will be the new Dodge Stratus of Dean Skuza. Word on the street is that the new body is going to make a huge difference for the Mopar team. Dean will be at the Tucson test and we should get an idea right then as to exactly how good it will be. The body is at the Jack Roush shop in Michigan where it will get the finishing touches this week. Roush will do everything from build the body to paint it and even apply the decals. Next thing you know, Jack will want to build a four-door version (you younger kids, ask your parents about that). With the Dodge Pro Stock program on the upswing and a competitive body for the funny car, it could be a great year for the Mopar fans….With all of the focus on the Funny Car class last year, I’ll bet you can count on a few of the non-regulars on the tour switching to dragsters in 2002. Scott Weis did it successfully last year and Todd Paton’s going to do it this year. And, you can now add one more name to that list, Tim Wilkerson. Tim, who has been very competitive in the Funny Car class has purchased a dragster and should show up at one of the test sessions in the next three weeks, and then at Pomona. Tim’s a great guy, a nice addition to the tour and should be very successful in the dragster ranks. Nice move, Tim. Look for more to follow, and, look for some of those sponsor deals to break within the week, although, I must admit, I thought we’d see some by now.

Alan Johnson

One of the biggest announcements of the season is still expected to come from the Alan Johnson camp, where Gary Scelzi and Bruce Sarver are waiting to see how many cars A.J. will field this year. One thing you can count on, Gary will be at Pomona driving a Funny Car. A Toyota Funny Car. My sources tell me that the bodies are being completed as we speak and should be ready for Pomona. If it’s a last minute thing, Gary would probably be the featured driver at the Las Vegas test session the week before the Winternationals, wouldn’t you think? If you wonder what kind of support Toyota will give the program, I understand that Gary was at the T.R.D. (Toyota Research & Development) plant this week signing autographs. That sounds like a good start, doesn’t it? But, we’re still on pins and needles waiting to see who will be the primary sponsor or sponsors of the car or cars and, while there have been lots of rumors, nothing has been confirmed. Let’s hope the deal comes through because with Gary, Sarver and Alan Johnson putting all of their focus on the Funny Car class, this truly may be the season that John Force doesn’t win the title. But then, you’ve heard that before, haven’t you?