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NHRA: Mike Dunn has sights set on Yankee Championship

30 January 2001

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

POMONA, Calif. - Mike Dunn played the waiting game last year and it paid off.

Dunn and team owner Darrell Gwynn sat out the majority of 2000 due to the lack of a title sponsor for the Top Fuel racing team. Despite offers from other teams, Dunn remained loyal and stayed with Gwynn as they waited for the financial backing necessary to run the 6,000 horsepower, nitro-burning machines.

During the 2000 U.S. Nationals, Gwynn revealed his three-year, $10 million deal with New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner that featured Dunn as the pilot of the vehicle sporting the familiar blue-and-white pinstripes. The car debuted for the final three races of 2000.

Good things come to those who wait.

The Yankee dragster will return to Southern California at the 41st annual AutoZone Winternationals, Feb. 1-4, at Pomona Raceway when the NHRA kicks off its 50th anniversary. The $1.9 million race is the first of 24 events in the $50 million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series.

"I knew Darrell had some deals in the works at the beginning of last year," said Dunn. "That all fell apart, then we didn't have anything by early July. I knew Darrell wasn't going to pay me to sit on my butt for another year either, but I would finish out my contract to him, which ran through 2000. We were still confident we would find something and get a program together. Then all of a sudden the Yankee deal came around and it was a pretty big surprise to everyone. Sometimes you gamble and it pays off. We were lucky and it paid off big time."

Dunn competed in the final three races last year, using those events as a test session to gain information for the 2001 season. It was quite a test session. Dunn recorded the three quickest times of the year running on the new 90 percent nitro-methane rule implemented by the NHRA at the beginning of 2000. He was the No. 1 qualifier at two of those events, and he made it as far as the semifinals in the season finale.

"When we first started testing down in Gainesville, we couldn't get anything right," said Dunn. "We finally started getting things to respond the way we wanted and it all started to work and then it all came around real quick. With the way we ran at the end of last year, and with the budget we have, me, Darrell, and the whole team are excited about the upcoming season."

Dunn, who usually wore contact lenses while racing, underwent LASIK eye surgery during the off-season. LASIK eye surgery involves using a special blade to create a small flap in the cornea, and then reshaping the cornea with a state-of-the-art excimer laser. In the hands of an experienced surgeon the procedure is virtually painless. Most patients return to work the next day.

"I feel good," said Dunn after the procedure. "It is still a little blurry at night, but everything went well. The actual cut in the cornea heals in about 24 hours, but you have to be careful for about a month. I'll be ready to race when it is time."

Based on their season-ending performance, and Dunn's new vision, the Gwynn-owned Yankee dragster will be a formidable contender for the Winston championship the next few seasons.

Text Provided By A. Vizcarra

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