NHRA: New Track Awaits U.S. Nationals Racers

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

August 28, 2001

It's enough pressure for racers that this weekend's (Aug. 31-Sept. 3) 47th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is the most important event of the NHRA Winston Drag Racing season. The top professional categories have five, instead of the usual four, qualifying runs because of the high number of entries. Added to the mix this year is a new track surface at Indianapolis Raceway Park, making the set-up for each quarter-mile pass a mystery for drivers and crew chiefs.

Valvoline and Eagle One racers discuss how they plan to deal with the repaved track.

Darrell Russell (James Dean-theme Valvoline/Keystone Automotive Top Fuel dragster, sixth in points with one win, five final-round appearances -- including at most recent race in Brainerd, Minn. -- and top candidate for NHRA Rookie of the Year): "It's a roll of the dice. I have to hope it was done right, and NHRA prepares the track right, and we'll go out and do what we know how to do. What's going to happen is (crew chief) Jimmy Walsh and (engineer) Bob Bauer will walk out and take a look at the track, and make an educated guess of what they think the track can hold, and watch a couple of other cars ahead of us and try to make adjustments from there. I look at the track and it looks like a big, long track to me, but they look at how much rubber is on it and where the rubber is and that's what they make their judgements off of."

Joe Amato (three-time U.S. Nationals Top Fuel winner, now retired, owner of the Russell-driven James Dean-theme Valvoline/Keystone Automotive car): "We'll get feedback from other teams and it's a five-run qualifying race. The word kind of filters around that it's similar to some other track, and the crew chiefs will work off of that, and the weather. If it's real hot, it doesn't matter how good the track is, you can't get down it too easy if it's 130-140 degree track temperature. The weather is almost a bigger factor than the track."

Ron Krisher (runner-up in last year's U.S. Nationals in Pro Stock, currently seventh in points with one win -- made final round in most recent race at Brainerd, MInn. -- in his Eagle One Chevrolet Cavalier): Krisher tested at IRP Aug. 22-23, driving a Pro Stock best lap of 6.893 seconds, 200.53 mph. "The track is awesome. It is the best racetrack we've been on all year. I think it is fantastic. Today (23d) the track was over 130 degrees and we were able to run well. I don't think the track is fast enough to hold a national record because the air never gets good enough here. The track is certainly record quality but we'll need some really cool weather to see a record run. Even if the humidity is down, and the temperature is down, it would be tough to do it because the barometer needs to be really low for record conditions."

Matt Hines (three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion, two-time U.S. Nationals winner, currently third in points with two wins on the Eagle One Suzuki which also will carry the James Dean graphics): "In the past, when I went to Indy, I sat in the motorhome and I just had to visualize myself winning the race. If I could do that, I knew all I had to do was find my way there."

Jay Payne (leader in Federal-Mogul Funny Car class with four wins -- including most recent race at Brainerd, MInn. -- in his Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro): "You've got to look at the weather, for starters, see how hot it is. You've got to go look at the track and walk on it. If it's anything like Pomona, it turned out to be absolutely great."

Text provided by Michael Knight

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