NHRA: Time is on Etchells' & Epler's side heading into Houston

Putnam, Conn., March 23, 2001 - One term often used to describe a race car driver's level of experience is "seat time". The basic theory behind this connotation is that a pilot's proficiency increases proportionately with the amount of time spent behind the wheel. However, as team owner Chuck Etchells and teammate Jim Epler will attest, this connotation extends beyond the cockpit not only to those working on the car, but the vehicle itself.

The 2001 NHRA Winston Drag Racing season has seen multiple changes in the Etchells Racing organization, including its expansion to a second entry. This influx of new personnel and equipment has forced the team to battle a steep learning curve as well as a formidable Funny Car field. With each race, however, the crew's service procedure improves as they develop a routine and learn the intricacies of their race car, which translates into on-track performance.

Mötley Crüe/Matco Tools Camaro Z28 pilot Jim Epler has noticed the progress and is excited heading into Houston for this weekend's O'Reilly Nationals. However, as he is quick to point out, the crucial element still missing is consistency, which can be attained only through time on the racetrack.

"Right now we feel as if we have somewhat of a handle on the combination," stated Epler. "But we really can't say that until we put a couple runs together. That will be our goal for Houston. We'll start out by getting our Camaros down the race track and then turn it up a little bit each time from there."

A simple review of the season to date shows that the Etchells team will have to be on their game from the opening bell on Friday. In each of the last two events in Phoenix and Gainesville, the Funny Car contingent has set new records for the quickest field in the history of the division. In some cases, a career-best performance has not been enough to guarantee a spot in Sunday's final eliminations. In addition, a strong qualifying effort has not always translated into an equivalent success on race day, as the top qualifier has yet to advance beyond the second round. Chuck Etchells knows that not only is repeatable performance a key to getting his Kendall Oil/Matco Tools Camaro Z28 to the winner's circle, but that any potential advantage must be explored.

"We had a couple of things happen with our two cars in Gainesville that we'd never seen before," detailed Etchells. "If we can take that information and refine it, it could be a real boost. Therefore, we're going to test in Dallas before heading to Houston. Our primary objective will be to make a couple of strong runs and give ourselves a solid baseline to work from. If we do that, we'll then focus on these new areas to see if they work or not.

"Either way, we should be much better prepared in Houston. With every run, the crew is getting better at working together, and they're learning how to make these cars run consistently. Besides, the sea level conditions and fast racing surface lends itself well to our cars, because Terry Manzer knows how to make a lot of horsepower. We're excited, because we should be able to stick it over there."

Etchells Excerpts: This will be Chuck Etchells' 12th appearance at Houston Raceway Park… Chuck's previous best qualifying effort in Baytown was 3rd in 1997 ….. Chuck hopes to improve upon his three semi-final finishes here, which occurred in 1991, 1994 & 1997. Epler Extras: This will be Jim Epler's 12th appearance at Houston Raceway Park… Jim's previous best qualifying performance at HRP came on his first attempt here in 1992, when he captured the 2nd position…. Jim is looking to move up one position from his two Baytown runner-up finishes in 1994 & 1999.

Fast Facts

WHAT: 14th Annual O'Reilly Nationals, the fourth event on the 23-race 2001 NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series Schedule.

WHEN: March 22- 25, 2001

WHERE: Houston Raceway Park, Baytown, Texas

SCHEDULE: Professional qualifying begins with two sessions Friday, March 23 at 3:15 & 6:00 p.m., and concludes with two additional attempts at 12:15 & 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 24. Final eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 25.

TV: There will be two hours of qualifying highlights from Houston on ESPN from 8:30 - 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 24. On Sunday, March 25, there will be ninety minutes of early round highlights from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. on ESPN, followed by three hours of final round coverage from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. on ESPN2 (Times given are Eastern. As always, please check your local listings.) # # #