Well, after spending Sunday doing what every other gear head wanted to do, watching three major motorsports events on the tube, it was clear to me that, The F1 race from Monoco  was really nothing more than conveyor belt racing. Two the Coke 600 was more like a super late model race and three surprisingly the Indy Car race was spectacular.

Has the Izod Indy Car promoters hit upon something with this very unique looking car? ( I still can not get used to it, but I am coming around.) Has Formula 1 just out teched themselves? Even though NASCAR has the Gen Six car which is the closest thing to the "stock cars" the sport represents, it appears they still have the same problems as the COT.

The Formula 1 race at the very picturesque circuit in the Principality of Monoco is one of those motor races which are steeped in tradition and pageantry and fanfare. It is a place where people do have more money than God. However, even with all the money the F1 teams spend each year, and that continues to rise, the racing is as I stated earlier, conveyor belt racing. No body passes any body and if you get two cars close together they seem to run into one another, break a one hundred thousand dollar nose piece or bend an upper suspension wish bone, and the car is retired.

The cars are cool, F1 races are a place for beautiful people to be seen, but the racing needs to get more exciting. The venues are in exciting and exodic locations. However,when the on air talent get excited when there are two passes for second place, well then it is time for a make over. Bernie Eccelstone, the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer for Formula One has made is gazillion dollars, and if he can take care of his latest scandal dealing with reporting paying a German banker 28 milliion pounds (British Sterling) in bribes. Maybe he could sit down with the manufactures to look at a way to make the racing a bit more competitive.  Teach the drivers not to run into one another when they get close together. That would be a good place to start.

The NASCAR race The Coke 600 held at Bruton Smith's Charlotte Motor Speedway had action, had drama, but one thing is that stock car racing is still being hampered by phenomenon organic to stock cars. The cars need to be in clean air to be fast on the 1.5 mile tracks which are predominate on the NASCAR schedule. Which means that the lead car has the best operating conditions, cars back in the pack in "dirty" air are not as capable of running fast as the car leading in clean air. We heard many times Sunday night, by drivers who said, I could get so far on restarts but once the cars got up to speed then that was as far as they could go because they could not get into clean air.

It gonna take some more massaging on these Cup cars to get the to be not so aero-dependent. I hope NASCAR does this, especially on the 1.5 mile tracks and larger.

The most exciting event was surprisingly enough was the Indy car race. A third of the field lead the race, and there were sixty-eight lead changes.  Are you kidding me, at an open-wheel Indy Car race. The race was exciting, for the entire event.  The cars still take some getting used to visually moreover, they allow for more close quarters racing. Which at the Brickyard meant just the most exciting Indy 500 in many,many years.

I think that many of us who love motorsports, were absolutely thrilled to see what happened at Indy, and I would hope that both NASCAR and Formula 1 take a page from Indy car and make the racing more competitive.

 

Stuff to get off my chest. Karma and Sportsman Racers

Karma, there are many aspects, and definitions for the word. Basically be nice to people, do good things for people and it will come back around to you.  Another term we hear a great deal is paying forward.  Example, if you see an elderly man or woman buying a few things in a grocery store, offer to pay for them if you have the resources. Don't expect anything in return but a thank you and a smile. You never know when some stranger will help you out some day.  I am a big believer in karma. Many people have done great things for me with out even asking.

  However, karma can bite you too and when you willingly venture to the dark side.  I think that is what happened this weekend in Atlanta to the NHRA.  My reason for this is simple. Last weekend the NHRA in Houston at the running of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals. The event was plagued by rain rendering the sportsman pits which are situated in a grassy field impassable.

Houston was the debut of "live" racing. Well kinda live racing, it was the final two rounds of racing which were run live.  Which for drag racing is better than a sharp stick in the eye. So I understand the pressure those at NHRA and ESPN were under when the decision was made to not post-pone, but straight up cancel the event all together for the Sportsman racers (outside the Alcohol cars, which were pitted on asphalt with the pro cars. That was harsh.

Why not just tell the pro cars to pull out Sunday evening after the event,  and move the Sportsman racers to the pro pit locations and run the Sportsman cars?  I know easy to say from 1500 miles away, and I am not saying "Why didn't the NHRA think of that?"  Because I don't know if they did or not. However, it inform the racers and inform the fans.

So the next weekend Mother Nature more than made up for the Sportsman racers when the whole event was washed out in Atlanta. Is that Karma or not.  I'm not sure, it might be.

Speaking about Sportsman racers Bobby Bennett has posted a very interesting story about Sportsman racers and how they are treated by the NHRA, and the perception of two very high profile Sportsman racers. One  spoke about how the NHRA and I am paraphrasing here, treats the Sportsman racer like a red headed step child.

This year at Las Vegas there was the tragic death of Derek Sanchez in his Super Gas car. There is talk that the track was not safe to run on. There was talk he wasn't wearing a HANS device. I don't know about either. I have read where some Sportsman racers had pulled out of line before he ran. At other events Sportsman cars are pulled out of line due to unsafe track conditions.

That is a true statement. I too have seen super comp cars pull out of the staging area and drive back to the pits at Phoenix during a national event.

I can truly understand why the Sportsman racers feel the way they do. There is a double edged sword in my opinion and will try to explain from my perception what it is.
1.  The NHRA for years have used as part of their marking packages. "Come to the XYZ NHRA Nationals over  400 race cars and drivers rocketing down the quarter mile."  There are maybe on a good weekend 48-55 "Professional" teams at the event, the rest are Sportsman Racers. So what sounds better " Come see  48 race cars and drivers or 400.
2. If  National Event were just  "Professional" cars? Well then you think some of the "Professional" teams were bitching about a 50-55 minute turn around, try  15-20 minute turn around in order to keep the crowd entertained. (There needs to be something to run between the "Professional" cars and that is the Sportsman racers.)
3. What does the NHRA do that no other sport, let alone Motorsport do? The allow and encourage the spectators to come into the pits during the running of an event. So when the "Professional finish running what happens? The crowd runs back to the Pro pits to watch the "Professional" teams get their cars ready for the next round. Good and bad. One great for the marketing partners on the Professional teams, Bad there is nobody left in the stands to watch the Sportsman racers compete. What about their sponsors? ( Should the NHRA think about limiting fans accessibility to the pit area to the time before cars go down the track and after the conclusion of the racing for the day?)
4.  Speaking of that, when it comes to Sportsman racers and Divisional events the NHRA in my opinion turns their back on both the title sponsor and the racers.  You go to most Divisional races there is no crowd there. I point fingers at both the tracks and the NHRA.  I have spoken to divisional directors at the NHRA and they basically say that it is up to the track to promote their event. Some track owners I have spoken with say it is an NHRA event and the NHRA should promote it.  So what happens, no body does anything and the Sportsman racers, race in front of  NOBODY.  Now there are tracks who are still owned by promoters and they take the bull by the horns, promote the event and put butts in the seats. However, those promoters are few and far between. (Tracks and the NHRA and the people at Lucas Oil should put their heads together to get more people at these Divisional races.  It is a win-win for everybody.
5. From this perspective in Sportsman racing there is nothing more exciting than watching Stock, Super Stock and Comp Eliminator racing. Wheels up launches very fast cars, lots and lots of technology and innovation. Conversely Super Comp, Super Pro and Super Street, is not quiet as exciting. There are great looking cars in these classes however, there is a great deal of monkey see-monkey do.  For some of us you can only watch so many rear engine big block Chevy dragsters on throttle stop. Or Convertible Corvettes on throttle stops. (Take throttle stops off the "Super" classes and make them run with out the stops. Could make for more entertaining racing.")

So what does all this mean?  Nothing, unless people who have the ability to leverage these issues make it a point to do something about it. It has to come from all perspective and all parties must work together or there will be another Derek Sanchez, or worse. We as a racing community can't let it happen.  Drag Racing needs the Sportsman racers just as much as the Nitro burners.  Both categories are relevant  to the sport. Both need to be treated with respect.

I'm out of breath, and if you took time  to read this small version of War and Peace  God Bless you.

                  I Saw This One Coming

Only a matter of time.  The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing  tour this week is smack dab in the,middle of NASCAR country in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the running of the very unique 4 Wide Nationals at Zmax Dragway. This very interesting and out of the box thinking format, which 4 cars  to be run simultaneously , instead of the two-by-two fashion equated with traditional drag racing.

This make for very interesting and exciting racing.  The noise level is incomprehensible. The location of the track it relatively low elevation and huge abundance of trees in the area mean that there is an abundance of oxygen in the air. This means that crew chief can and do get very aggressive with their tune-ups.

What has been seen here since they started running this race is plethora of body shedding runs by those in the funny car contingent.

Matt Hagen was the first of many to experience these very spectacular and expensive engine explosions where the concussion of the explosion sends a one hundred thousand dollar carbon fiber body sky ward. Up to this point the damage, and danger of the body coming back to earth from it low level orbit has been confined to the track and the owners wallet. Moreover, it was inevitable before one of these bodies would makes its way either close to or into the grand stands.

Yesterday (April 20, 2013) in Q4 Robert Hight of John Force Racing experienced one of these body shedding engine explosions.  However, the body did not land back on the track or the side of the track, the body ended up in the grand stands. There are some excellent images,by famed photographer Roger Richards and article on Bobby Bennett's Competition Plus site showing this event transpiring. (http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/24811-hight-explodes-engine-sends-carbon-fiber-body-into-spectator-area)

NHRA Behind The Curve.  Is the NHRA whom's motto has been "Dedicated to Safety" fallen behind the curve in this safety matter? At the last event held in Las Vegas, funny car driver Johnny Gray had a similar instance happen when and engine explosion sent his body high into the Vegas sky. The wind took the body and nearly sent it into the spectator side bleachers. It was almost divine intervention that kept Gray's carbon fiber body out of the stands.

If the NHRA is truly "Dedicated to Safety" then should not Graham Light, Glen Gray, Danny Gracia, and Timothy White put their heads together with racers and engineers like Jim Head and devise and implement a way to tether these funny car bodies. Therefore in the event of a catastrophic engine event, where these carbon fiber shells are pitched into the air they are not coming back to earth in a spectator area or worse yet,  in a viewing area where those watching have limited mobility and cannot escape and become injured by this debris.

From this perspective motor sports  and moreover, the NHRA can not afford to deal with such a PR nightmare of having spectators let alone special needs spectators injured from debris coming off a race car and getting into the spectator area. Especially when there is a way to prevent it from occurring.

I hate to say I saw this coming, but I did,  The NHRA  was fortunate to have dodged a bullet on Saturday,and from all accounts it appears that thankfully nobody was injured in when Hights funny car body landed in the stands at Zmax. However, lets hope those powers to be at NHRA see fit not to rest on their laurels and deal with the situation after it occurs  and some spectator gets injured the next time a body is blown off a funny car.  And trust me it will happen again. 

Lets hope that the NHRA will live up to its brand and be dedicated to the safety of not only the racers, but that of spectators as well. Devise a system to tether funny car bodies so that spectators can continue to enjoy the most exciting type of motor sports on the planet.

Smoke's clouded reality and interesting perspective.

Perspective is an interesting thing. A person's perspective can and does cloud reality and their perception of reality. That perception is, in their own world, their own reality. 

This is what took place this past weekend at the NASCAR race in California. If you are going to be, or are a communications scholar, as technically I am now, watching Tony Stewart's post-race interview after the Sprint Cup race at Fontana was the prototypical case of clouded perception becoming reality.Stewart in his own perspective thought Joey Logano had done him wrong by blocking the three time Sprint Cup Champion on a restart with a hand full of laps to go. This put such a burr under Stewart's saddle that during a post-race interview with Fox the Champ issued a veiled threat to kick Logano's behind the next time they met.

This is the point that bares examining.  Stewart was so angry at the fact that somebody had "blocked" on the restart that he would want to physically assault Logano.

This is the same Tony Stewart who back last October while leading the final lap of the Sprint Cup race at Talladaga basically did the same thing. A huge pack of cars was coming through the fourth turn, Stewart and Matt Kenseth were battling for the lead and the win.  As the pack navigated the fourth turn,  Micheal Waltrip and Casey Mears hooked up and had a huge run on Stewart's left flank,  forcing Stewart to make a choice.  Either deal with Waltrip and Mears or Kenseth who was a car length behind on his right hip.

By his own admission, Stewart moved down to " block"  Waltrip who with the help of  Mears had a huge run towards the front of the field, a run which by all accounts would have pushed Waltrip or Mears to victory. However, Stewart’s logic or lack thereof, was to block a two car tandem which was running nearly ten miles per hour faster than Stewart was in order to keep his position at the front of the field.

This tact did not work and the result was  nearly  the entire field wadded up in a big ball on the exit of turn four, giving Kenseth the win, and ultimately costing Dale Earnhardt Jr. to miss two races in the Chase due to a concussion. Nearly a dozen teams ended up writing off perfectly good race cars due to Stewart's clouded perspective and judgment.

Stewart's response after the crash at Talladaga was one of " Oh well"  had to do what I had to do to win. The block was something that needed to be at least tried, damn the consequences.  However, when blocking happens to Stewart, his perspective changed  to the aspect of "he cost us a good day and sent Denny to the hospital" and Smoke is ready to "beat Logano's ass" for doing the same thing Stewart had done to Waltrip and Mears a few months previous.

The results of Logano's actions  were not as catastrophic to the field as Stewart's.  Logano did get together with Denny Hamlin on the last lap and Hamlin ended up finding a piece of inside guard wall at California that did not have any SAFER barrier.  He hit it head on and sustained a back injury.  Hamlin will reportedly miss up to six weeks due to a compression fracture of the L1 vertebra, a very painful injury.This is something that Stewart was quick to put the blame on Logano as well. Once again his perspective clouded, and his memory fleeting.  The fact that his actions at Talladaga sent Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to the hospital a few days after the October race, and caused Junior to miss two races in the chase with the after-effects of a second concussion somehow had disappeared from Tony’s memory banks.

Stewart is undeniably one of the greatest race car drivers to ever walk the planet. Many think of Stewart as the second coming of AJ Foyt, complete with the talent and the temper of Super Tex. Stewart is one of those types of people who has such passion for his profession because God has touched him with the talent that very few people possess. This talent much as Foyt's allows Smoke to drive any type of race vehicle, not just competently, but at the highest levels imaginable. Moreover, Stewart has a temper to match his talent.

While Stewart's tirade was great for television ratings, and will more than likely increase viewership of the race at Martinsville, it was without cause. Stewart was quick to place blame on Logano for blocking him on the restart and in Stewart's mind costing him a win. (Stewart ended up 22nd, due to the fact that those drivers who stopped at the last caution and took either two or four tires, was able to over come many of those who did not stop including Stewart.) What  would be interesting is to hear what Waltrip and or Mears would have to say about Stewart's rant on Logano's actions.

Perspective can cloud a person’s judgement and reality, however in the case of Tony Stewart another more classic cliche' would fit Stewart's actions after California, "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." More simply said, don't get angry at somebody for doing something you have done in the past, which resulted in an epic failure.

March Meet Preview for Funny Cars

In nature, spring is a season of change. Thus goes the world of nostalgia drag racing, 2013 could be titled a season of change. DRO reached out to some of the funny car teams in changes might surprise you.

We will start with the two- time and defending NHRA Heritage Series Funny Car Champion, Jason Rupert.  According to longtime friend, crew member, and NHRA reporter extraordinaire Brad Littlefield,

“Jason is mounting a new '69 Camaro body on his Funny Car. The black body will be a Rupert & Bays/Black Plague car as an homage to two of his mentors -- his father, Frank, and longtime nitro tuner Richard Bays. Rupert won the 2011 and 2012 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series AA/FC titles and recorded the only 260 mph run in class history with his Mert Littlefield tribute car. His entire team is slated to return along with sponsors Lucas Oil and Phenix Industries.”

This is exciting news for the Rupert team, however, it might not be very exciting news for the rest of the flopper contingent.

For John Hale who took his second and consecutive DRO flopper title in 2012 there are a few changes being made? “We will run the same chassis as last year, we just plan on running the Mustang “Nitro Boss” body a few more times. Fans love that body, so we will run it more.”

  There is also a reshuffling of crew members and duties on the team, and the addition of two new members included Marine Corps veteran Justin Wilson, who just completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan. (Semper Fi Justin) One of the biggest changes is that Guy Tipton will now handle the tune up decisions autonomously.

One other piece of news about Hale not related to nostalgia racing, is that  will find the Texan at the wheel of Steve Plueger’s fuel car at one or more NHRA National Events this year.

Other news, there are big changes with Will Martin for 2013. Martin will return to the flopper wars this year with none other than Chris Nance as co-crew chief along with Shane McWilliams. A group of new crew members, and a list of new sponsors such as, CP-Carrillo, Tejon Indian Tribe, Keigly Promotional Group and Williams Performance Products, to coincide with returning marketing partners Prolong Oil, and Fuel Injection Enterprises. The new team is busy going through the car and parts with a “fine toothed comb” to be ready for the 2013 season.

Another update, which has come into the World Headquarters, was from James Day, who will be behind the wheel of the Gary Turner Peddler funny car. There is some covert internet images of a super-secret new car (under cover) for the Turner team.  However, some unexpected delays have occurred in the process of construction, and the secret project will not be ready for the March Meet, however, it will be ready for roll out from the Skunk Works facility in California later in the year.

In another big surprise, that caught many people off guard, it was the fact that Rocky Mountain Raceway who has been an IHRA track for the past four years, in 2013 have ventured back to the NHRA and will hold a nostalgia event on August 23-25, which is two weeks after the Pepsi Nightfire Nationals in Boise.

Following the Salt Lake event the NHRA Heritage Series people appears to want to expand their horizons some as there is an event at the very legendary New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire, giving the top fuel cars another point’s event.

It is not clear how many of the west coast teams are going to make a the two trips back east to both Bowling Green, Kentucky and come back for Boise, then make 6200 mile round trip for a weekend of drag racing at Epping. Therefore, one can only guess that it is a way for the NHRA to bring out and show cases those cars on the east coast that cannot make the long trip out west to any of those events.

Speaking of Top Fuel, we are efforting to speak with some of the top fuel teams in an attempt to get their honest input not only on the new rules option laid out for the long skinny cars in 2013,in addition to how many if any of the West Coast contingent will make those two long trips back east.  One owner said that it would take nearly ten thousand dollars to make the round trip to Bowling Green.  One would have to think it would almost be double that to go to Epping. We shall see.

The Silly Season

Ok well as long as the Mayan Calender isn't correct and on December 23, 2012 the big blue marble doesn't  implode or something,  then NHRA Championship Drag Racing in 2013 should be an interesting season for sure when the teams show up in West Palm for testing, and then if there is a track to hold testing on the west coast. 

With that being said, it appears as though, Silly Season is running at a fever pitch.  For all four of you who read this blog ( which I have designated as and from now on will refer to you as The Faithful Four) who might not know exactly what Silly Season is, it is when there are big changes happening in the sport for the next season which brings out all kinds of rumors and gossip.  Some of which is actually true! :) 

First off the NHRA and its umbrella marketing partner, the Coca-Cola company have decided to make a change in the presenting sponsor for the 2013 season. Mello Yello will be the presenting sponsor for the NHRA Drag Racing Series taking over from Full Throttle Energy Drinks. Now just one question, cause I'm silly like that. Was any thought given to the unintentional consequences, color of the product, the product itself, and what kind of negative connotations could be constructed? Just wondering.

With that being said, there is big news in the on of the major teams in NHRA, Don Schumacher Racing.  First of all, there is the whole Spencer Massey debacle, which as more is found out the better things are left unsaid.  It is just a shame, in many ways. 

The other news from DSR is the fact that Matt Hagen's crew chief Tommy Delago has taken his leave from the team and is rumored to be heading for Ypsilanti, Michigan, the home of Kalitta Racing.  

Also in the Top Fuel world there are postings stating that  Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi Racing 

have also been told that the funding fountain  has dried up. This was also rumored last year too, right after Del Worsham won the Top Fuel World Championship. So we will have to see what happens as we proceed through the off season. 

Kalitta's have been rumored to be putting Alexis Dejoria' crew chief from 2012 and 2011 Top Fuel World Champion  Del Worsham back  into a funny car to drive, with partial backing from the folks at Tequila Patron. No word if this will be third  funny car or will it be a repaint of the DHL Toyota driven in 2012 by Jeff Arend. If so where does that leave Arend?

Speaking of other flopper teams, another hot tid  bit coming from Bobby Bennett and Competition Plus .com  is that Lee Beard and Cruz Pedregon have decided to go their separate ways at the conclusion of the season, even after winning the World Finals. That was one of those relationship, from my perspective that seemed doomed from the beginning. Both gentlemen have "healthy" egos which sometimes is like oil and water.  There wasn't a great deal of happy happy joy joy on Beard's face after Cruz took the win at the World Finals.

On the good news front, it is being reported by the "Burkster" at DRO is  that Grime Boss Hand Wipes will be on Jim Dunn's flopper for the 2013 season. Great news for this team who got more of their share of challenging ink with three engine explosions of biblical proportions this past season. Two at the US Nationals and one at the World Finals. Let's hope that 2013 is a better year and Dunn and Company and they  get some ink for going rounds and winning races.

And speaking of tracks it has been announced that Firebird International Raceway, the one in Chandler, Arizona will be closing down after their national event in February.  The Indian Tribe who owns the land is not willing to renew Charlie Allen's lease, so that leaves the desert southwest with out a race in 2014. Or does it. There is speculation that there are numerous other business men who have had talks with the Tribe and there might be a possibility that it is a relationship thing with Mr. Allen, and that another management team could take over the operations of the track and give it the proper update it needs.  Which might then secure the Phoenix track another year of national event fun.  Maybe even a back to the warm up series that was a huge success in the past. Stay tuned. 

Just a few things for the Faithful Four to chew on.  

Just to see if anybody notices.

Mark Lyle manages to have find success as the next NHRA starter

Mark Lyle (NHRA)

In NHRA Drag Racing, there have been just three men who have been in charge of sending racers down the track at national events. Those men were Buster Couch, Rick Steward, and now Mark Lyle.

Mark who hails from the Pacific Northwest just outside of Seattle is proud to be just the third person to hold this prestigious position in the sport. For those who have never met Mark the first thing that strikes a person is that Mark has this uncanny ability to manage things.  Being a former parts manager for a Kenworth dealer, has taught him well. Mark has the tools to balance and manage business and fun.  Lyle had been the Division Six starter since 2005 and was part of the Division Six team since 2001. Lyle stated that, “I treat the starting line like a business. And the most valuable part of being business-like is being consistent.”

Mark feels that being consistent in pivotal in working with the track crew and safety safari, but that consistency in how that core group of people works transfers over to the racers. “I felt that we were accepted by the racers, and crew chiefs, early on in the year. We felt it was essential to have strong two way communications with the racers and crew chiefs, in regards to track prep we exchange ideas, and it all seems to work out very well.” His plan was to give the racers the confidence that the track would be safe and consistent and that his decisions on the track would be the same.

It was not that easy at first as there was a case of nervousness that Mark felt that first weekend in Pomona. “When I got up and went to the track it felt normal, and I tried to tell myself this just like a Division race, except the cars are faster, and there are a lot more people in the grand stands.”  He tried to put it into perspective and no let the event overwhelm him. “It did feel a bit surreal, but, I just wanted to make sure I did not make any mistakes. At the end of the day I thought to myself, well I pulled that off.” His to manage again helped him keep his focus in front of those nearly one hundred thousand people over the course of the weekend.

The other time was at the book end event in Pomona as the top fuel cars of Brandon Bernstein and Tony Schmacher staged for the final, a race that would determine the Top Fuel World Championship, either going to Schmacher if he won, or to team mate Antron Brown if Bernstein. “I was nervous keep saying to myself, ‘Mark don’t screw this thing up, don’t make a mistake.”’ Lyle said he could feel relief in watching both cars cross the finish line. “I could kinda tell that Brandon had won it” Lyle stated. However, he did not know how close it was until watching the replay on the jumbo-tron. Unfortunately, Lyle did not have time to celebrate as there was still a full group of sportsman cars to run and they were under a time constraint, which is the curfew that is in place at Pomona. “We wanted to get that thing done by six o’clock or we would have had to come back on Monday.”

 When Mark is on the starting line, he is not oblivious to the fact that there is a lot of attention paid to him on the starting line.  “Rick, I think sometimes played to the camera, which is fine, that was his style, I know it’s there, but I just am so focused on what is going on and communicating with my guys, I just kinda put that thought aside.” He is not overtly going out to look for any additional attention. He knows that people especially this year would be watching him closely, especially the racers.

Mark’s first and only test happened at Gainesville, the first race of the year for the Pro Stock Motorcycles. In the second round of eliminations for the bikes which featured a race between Matt Smith and Hector Arana. The two protagonists did there burnouts and then proceed to pull up to the starting line and engage in a staging duel. Thus, Lyle waited for a moment, to see what the two riders would do, and then told them to stage. Both riders sat there paying Lyle no mind, so he motioned again, and still neither rider would stage, so Mark managed the situation. “I said to myself that is enough, and I shut them off and motioned for them to go back to the back of the line and think about it.”  According to Lyle, Arana, though that Lyle had disqualified the two riders for not staging for which Arana was concerned. “I communicated to Hector that he wasn’t being thrown out just given some time to think things over,” stated Lyle.

Therefore, when the two riders came up again to race Lyle’s messages were received loud and clear, as both racers staged right away with Smith taking the win. “After that point I had no more problems with any of the racers for the rest of the year” opined Lyle.

In looking back on Lyle’s first year, he readily admits to being his own worst critic, and if he had to give himself a grade on his performance for the entire season. “ I think that I would have to give myself a solid B plus for my freshman season.” Lyle thinks there are always ways to improve and improve his team.

Mark puts a immense deal of effort into making sure his team on the starting line is as a cohesive unit. “We don’t just work together, when there is time we plan side trips together and eat together, I feel that bonding is essential to making a team that works well together on race day. I look at these guys like they are a family we spend so much time away from our home families, which it is important to get along.”

On the subject of being away from home, Mark knows that the NHRA schedule is a grind. He said the he analyzed his travel briefly as he was in the hotel room in Pomona on Sunday morning and started thinking about the travel this year.  Twenty-four races, eighty-five days of racing, 141 days on the road, seventy-two airplane flights, total over eighty-two thousand miles. What is so funny about that is what Mark said he after being home for a week. “I started looking for something to do, I don’t know what to do for the next three months.” Sure Marks wife has a different outlook on that subject. It is a good bet she too knows how to manage to facilitate the completion of those “projects”