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How long have you been drag racing?
On & off since I was sixteen, probably about ten years.
How did you get your start? Jeff, my best friend in high
school, and his dad John owned an engine building shop. They pretty
much got me hooked on drag racing.
What’s been the biggest challenge to your racing program this season? Compared to last season?
I spent most of the 2003
season putting the car back together. It took much more time than I
expected to put this new combo together, mostly due to all of the
fabrication/planning I had to do to make everything work together. I
didn't finally get the car to the track until August, so now I'll
spend what's left of this season just working the new car " bugs " out
of it - and trying to get it dialed in for 2004.
What would you consider your biggest accomplishments as a racer?
People that don't do this can't understand the sacrifices you have to
make as far as everyday, normal life type things. So, in my eyes, just
being able to do this at this level is an accomplishment.
What’s gotten you hooked on the Mustang drag racing scene?
I bought my first Mustang, an '87 GT with an S-trim, from my best
friends cousin about six years ago. That got me started with the
Mustangs and I have been hooked ever since.
What are your plans for the future? If I get the car
together in time, definitely WFC6 and as many NMRA / FFW races that I
can afford to attend. This year I'd like to do much more local ten
inch tire races, a few cruise nights with my wife, and keeping the car
in one piece all season would be a BIG plus! Oh yeah, and hopefully a
bunch of eight second time slips!!!
What changes, if any, do you feel the sanctioning bodies need to make
in order for our sport to prosper? At this point, nothing
really comes to mind.........
Who are your biggest friends (or enemies) at the track? I
don't have any enemies ( that I know of ). Bill Lovelace, Damon Dias,
and a lot of other guys (and girls) that I race with are all people
that I consider my friends.
Who do you fear having to see at the starting line? Why?
Really, no one in particular, but I never under estimate anyone. I try
to concentrate on doing my own thing up there, and if I don't beat
myself, the rest usually goes okay.
What would you tell someone looking to start out in the heads-up
racing scene? Pick your class carefully, and be realistic
with your goals. The faster you go, the car takes more time, more
work, and definitely more money. It would be more fun to race a twelve
second car, than to have a ten second car sitting in the garage only
half finished because you ran out of time/money. And always try to
remember.........this is supposed to be FUN!!!
Very briefly, tell me the dumbest
mistake you've ever made at the race track? The latest
thing......probably not properly installing/tightening my blower
discharge tubing at the 2002 Cordova FFW race. It possibly cost me the
the True Street win, but hey - that's racing, right!?!
Anyone you’d like to thank, wives you HAVE to thank, other things not
mentioned you feel are important? MANY THANKS definitely to
my wife Stacy. Without her support and interest in racing I'd either
be divorced by now or would not be racing ( tough choice, right?? HA
HA, just kidding honey ) THANKS to my step-son, Greg, for all the help
with the racecar. THANKS to Larry, Tony, & Tim at ASSC. THANKS to Jim
Summers and all the guys at ATI Procharger. THANKS to Wayne at MPG.
THANKS to Jim at Chassis Service. Thanks to Bill Lovelace for the all
the tips/info.
What music do you listen to? Who’s your favorite?
Hard rock/heavy metal......the louder & faster the better. Downset,
Static-x, OLD Metallica, & Pantera to name a few.
Any nick names for you? Some of the guys at work call me
HOTROD, I guess it's the best they can come up with. When things are
going wrong, I tend to really complain about it, but only in front of
close friends & family so they started calling me RICH THE B**CH.
Do you have any pets? One dog - Sheba Two cats - Zipper &
Reese
Do you have Kids?
Step son, Greg, he's thirteen.
What do you like to do as a hobby outside of drag racing?
In the little spare time I have, I occasionally ride motocross with my
brother Steve, who is a pretty hardcore motocross racer. I do a little
snowmobiling in the winter.
What track do you dislike the most? My local track, but
it's very close to me, and they're always trying to improve it.
Which is your favorite track to race on? Toss up between
Rt. 66 and Gateway.
Do you have a lucky charm? What is it? My wife gave
me this beanie baby dog that looks just like my dog of fifteen years,
who unfortunately passed away right before WFC 5. He's stuck to the
dash of the racecar so he'll always be riding shotgun with me.
If you could meet anybody you wanted living or not who would it be? Why?
I really never thought about it much........
Additional Comments: I would
just like to thank anyone who has helped me out that I may have forgot
to mention, you are appreciated!! THANKS to all the racing
organizations for making this kind of racing possible. THANKS to
HARDCORE50 for giving my racing operation all this exposure on the
WWW. SEE EVERYBODY AT THE RACES!!!!!!!!!
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