Etchells & Epler Look to Keep a Full Head of Steam in Bristol
Putnam, Conn., April 25, 2001 - In many ways, the Etchells Racing team's 2001 NHRA Winston Drag Racing season can be likened to the journey of a steam locomotive. From the start of the season, the Terry Manzer-led crew has been working tirelessly trying to get the fire started, looking for ways to pick up speed. There have been glimpses of progress with Chuck Etchells' Kendall Oil/Matco Tools Camaro, such as his semi-final run in Pomona. However, it was not until a week ago in Gainesville that Jim Epler's Mötley Crüe/Matco Tools Camaro finally left the station, using the quickest and fastest pass of eliminations in scoring an impressive victory over Tommy Johnson Jr. in the first round. Now that this talented tandem has started to move forward, they head to the Volunteer State for this weekend's Thunder Valley Nationals determined to maintain their full head of steam. "Momentum is extremely critical in racing," explained Epler. "Simply put, success breeds success, and the results are visible. Once you score any type of victory, everyone's attitude is improved, and I find my driving even gets better. "That's why our first round win in Gainesville was so important. It's no secret that our year has not gone as we'd like, so our spirits really needed the boost. Our attitude heading into Bristol is to keep going rounds at every event, trying to make up this deficit we're currently facing and re-establish ourselves among the top runners where we belong." Although a victory is welcome at any venue, there is arguably no better setting at which to complete a turn-around than Bristol Dragway. Since its return to the circuit two years ago, this totally revamped Tennessee speedplant has been one of the crown jewels of the sport. In the first two years, it played host to the Winston Showdown, an all-star event which featured the unlikely pairing of Funny Cars against their Top Fuel counterparts. This year, however, the stakes will be higher, as this race has gained national event status, with points counting towards the Winston championship. From the start of the first qualifying session on Friday, teams will have their sights set on the winner's circle. The crew chiefs' task of tuning their 6,500-horsepower behemoths has been complicated by the change of this event's date from its summer running of a year ago. With cooler temperatures forecast and the advent of nighttime qualifying, it is very likely that the mark for the quickest Funny Car field in history could once again fall, with career-best performances required simply to qualify. "It's always exciting to go to Bristol Dragway," stated Epler. "The facility is fantastic, the track keeps getting better, and the people are just great race fans. This year, however, the team's outlook will be completely different. For the past two years with the Showdown, we were here for Winston, and naturally, for the money, and the atmosphere was little more relaxed. But now that this is a national event with points involved, we'll all be playing hardball from the first second we're on the track. "Last week we showed the potential benefits of a two-car team. This week the Etchells Racing team needs to step up even further and build on what we started, taking advantage of everything we can. Now that we've taken that first step, it's up to all of us to keep moving forward. " Etchells & Epler Excerpts: Although Chuck Etchells and Jim Epler have both raced at Bristol Dragway in the Winston Showdown, this weekend's event marks the first time either will compete in Tennessee in an Etchells Racing Camaro, as Chuck drove for Jim Sickles in 1998, while Jim Epler piloted a Toliver Racing Machine a year ago…Under the unique format of the now-defunct all-star event, Chuck advanced to the semi-finals in 1998, while Jim Epler logged a quarter-final finish in 1999….Jim qualified 6th for last year's Winston Showdown. Fast Facts WHAT: Inaugural Thunder Valley Nationals, the sixth event on the 23-race 2001 NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series Schedule. WHEN: April 26 - 29, 2001 WHERE: Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tennessee SCHEDULE: Professional qualifying begins with two rounds on Friday, April 27 at 5:15 & 8:00 p.m., and concludes with two sessions at 1:15 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. Final eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 29. TV: There will be two hours of qualifying highlights from Bristol on ESPN2 from 9:30 - 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. On Sunday, April 29, there will two hours of final elimination coverage from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2 (Times given are Eastern. As always, please check your local listings.)