Gibbs Names Funny Car Crew Chief

26 November 1997

INDIANAPOLIS -- NHRA team owner Joe Gibbs has named Wes Cerny
crew chief for his newly-sponsored Interstate Batteries/Hot Rod
Magazine Pontiac Funny Car, driven by Cruz Pedregon.

"Wes has had an outstanding career and we are delighted that he is now
on board with us," said Gibbs. "I feel that the pieces of the puzzle
are now in place to contend for the Funny Car series championship next
season. With Wes tuning the Funny Car and Mike Green (Gibbs' Top Fuel
crew chief) tuning the dragster, it's like having two first-string
quarterbacks."

Cerny, 52, of Fallbrook, Calif., became well known in recent years as
a successful tuner on the Top Fuel dragster owned by Don Prudhomme and
driven by Larry Dixon. But in reality, it was in the early 1990s that
Cerny started to etch his name as a blue chip crew chief when he
worked on the Hawaiian Funny Car, owned by Roland Leong and driven by
Jim White.

In 1991, Cerny's first full-season as a crew chief, the Hawaiian Funny
Car, finished second in the point standings, won four races in eight
final rounds, recorded the three quickest elapsed times of the season
and reset the national speed record five times.

Cerny's 1991 accomplishments also included winning the U.S. Nationals
and the special Big Bud Shootout in the same weekend at Indianapolis.

Cerny joined Kenny Bernstein's Top Fuel team in 1992 and was credited
with helping Bernstein become the first driver to go 300 miles per
hour (301.70).

After two seasons with Bernstein, Cerny was hired by Don Prudhomme in
1994, which was Prudhomme's final season as a driver. With Cerny
tuning, Prudhomme ended his driving career by finishing second in the
Top Fuel season point standings. Cerny continued with Don Prudhomme
Racing though the 1997 season.

"This is a great opportunity," said Cerny, who also raises and breeds
African grey parrots. "I wanted to be part of a two-car team that had
good rapport and good personnel. Joe (Gibbs) had this available along
with a tremendous organization. I look forward to sharing experiences
and information with the Top Fuel team, which will give both of us a
better chance of winning."

The Funny Car team also announced a new crew member in Scott Wibel,
who previously worked on Whit Bazemore's team. Along with Wibel, the
Funny Car crew will consist of four members from Gibbs' 1997 team --
Dave Fletcher, Jason McCulloch, Kirk Butterfield and Wade Crews.
Fletcher will oversee the day-to-day operations at the team's shop in
Indianapolis.