Wed, 9 Oct 2002, 02:09 PM Crew Chiefs Prepare to Conquer the All-Concrete Quarter Mile

Courtesy of NHRA Communications Photo copyright 2002 Auto Imagery, Inc.

ENNIS, Texas -- NHRA drivers get the tropies, sign the autographs and often get most of the credit when it comes to winning. However, while a good driver is crucial to any team's program, one other key position -- without much of the fanfare -- is perhaps even more valuable to a team's overall success. The crew chiefs are the men behind the scenes who make it all happen with wrenches, screwdrivers and computer data. Without the right person tuning the car to near perfection, the drivers' trip down the quarter-mile may be a very short and smoky ride.

Every Top Fuel and Funny Car crew chief can't wait to strut their stuff at the 17th annual O'Reilly Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec, Oct. 10-13, at the Texas Motorplex, a drag strip custom made for the best tuners in the business to showcase their talents.

Larry Dixon, Gary Densham and V. Gaines are the defending champions for the $1.9 million race, the 21st of 23 events in the $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Dick LaHaie and Ed McCulloch

The all-concrete quarter-mile at the Texas Motorplex is one for the tuners. When the track opened in 1986, it was the only track of its kind. Most tracks had short concrete launching pads, creating a bump at the transition between concrete and asphalt. That usually creates a problem with the tires, as they try to connect to the track with 6,000 horsepower in the car. The Texas Motorplex, however, eliminated that problem by making the track one surface, from start to finish.

"The track is usually smooth as glass," said Rob Flynn, tuner for the Tommy Johnson Jr.-driven Skoal Chevy Camaro. "If the conditions are good, you can run a similar set up to (Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.). It is very important that the drivers keep the cars centered because that groove is not as wide as most of the other tracks we race on."

Mike Neff, tuner for the Oakley Pontiac Firebird driven by Scotty Cannon, said the track's narrow grooves are usually only a problem for the Funny Car category.

"It's a good place to run especially if the conditions and right," Neff said. "We're looking forward to going there because it is getting to the time of year when we can expect to see quicker and faster times out of the cars because of the cooler weather, especially at that track.

"One thing we have to be real careful about with the Funny Cars is the track being slippery and because the groove is so narrow, the cars have a tendency to move around a little too much."

Dick LaHaie, crew chief for the Miller Lite Top Fuel car driven by Larry Dixon, is looking forward to going to Texas because the narrow groove doesn't affect the dragsters as much and the Miller Lite team has a good history at the track.

"The biggest concern at every track is getting the tires to hook up with the track," LaHaie said. "We set the track record there last season with a 4.500, and we ran in the 4.50s all day, in the heat. The track is equal in both lanes. It's no longer a new track, but (track owner) Billy Meyer did his homework when he built the Motorplex."

Since the Motorplex opened for business, it has been one of the tracks to set higher standards on the way quarter-mile surfaces are set up across the nation. Mike Green, crew chief for Andrew Cowin's NY Yankee Top Fuel dragster, said the Motorplex has helped tuners at other venues.

"Because of the Motorplex, other tracks have stepped up and made their tracks better," Green said. "Some of the tracks now have concrete up to half-track. To us, that is real important because if we've got the car hooked up to the track by then, we're usually in pretty good shape.

"I was with Cory McClenathan's team when we were the first to run over 320 mph (1997) and we did it at the Motorplex. I've got some very good memories at that track and it's one of the tracks that we can really put up some good numbers at."