How long have you been drag racing?
12 years
How did you get your start? Was playing with Chevy's until the wife rolled home one day with this
Mustang. It just snowballed from there.
What’s been the biggest challenge to your racing program this season?
Compared to last season?
Trying to do to much on my own with no help, once the help came on board the program went immediately to the next level. So the biggest challenge would be myself.
What would you consider your biggest accomplishments as a racer?
Being able to finish in the top 5, 2 years in a row with very small changes in the combination, and having one of the mildest combos out there, more attention was put forth towards the chassis, then the rest fell together.
What’s gotten you hooked on the Mustang drag racing scene?
The competition, the friendships, and the amount of aftermarket parts that are available for the fords now.
What are your plans for the future?
For 2003 I will be sitting out most if not all of the season redoing the car, chassis upgrades to the cage are mandatory (in my eyes), rewiring the car, and getting the chassis even more tuned, and new motor more designed for the class instead of a street engine. I will be at the races hopefully crewing for a good friend to keep my skills sharp.
What changes, if any, do you feel the sanctioning bodies need to make
in order for our sport to prosper?
They need to listen to the racers more, this would make for less controversy in one organization, the other organization is on the right track, also it would be nice if the rules were close enough that we could cross over to different series with minimal expense outlayed.
Who are your biggest friends (or enemies) at the track?
All are friends in the pits.. all are enemies on the line.
Once the chute opens we are all family again....
Who do you fear having to see at the starting line? Why?
I fear myself mainly, I do stupid stuff when I know I have a tough race, not any one person, just when I know I have a chance to win against a good competitor, I will screw something up, I am working hard on this one though.
What would you
tell someone looking to start out in the heads-up racing scene?
Save your pennies, its not cheap and can put you in major debt in to time. put together a sponsor pack and try and get companies or persons to back your program, but you have to be dedicated. and never give up.
Very briefly, tell me the dumbest
mistake you've ever made at the race track? Well this past Fall at Fords at Englishtown, my car was on
fire, ran a 9.07, 8.99, 9.08 and a 9.02. The new chassis setup and Murillo tune was all working together, well I had to run Norris McCoy from Turbo People, and he had already run an 8.61, so I was pretty amp'd up about this race (note, this goes back to one of the previous questions...hehe), the Lights flashes and I cut that BIOTCH loose .498 RT to his .815 and it carried the front wheels a good distance, Man I was GONE, the car was pulling to the right and I was fighting to keep it in the groove as I ran out of adjustment in the anti roll bar, so I had to just wing it for the day, anyhow, while I was fighting the car, I pushed the shifter into high, well I guess I pushed the shifter at just the right angle and it went right up into neutral.....DOH!!!!!, this is a winters shifter, HOW THE HELL CAN YOU DO THIS, what a dumb ass, anyhow, Norris passed me and ran an 8.76 to win. should, coulda woulda. 330 times showed car was on a faster run than the 8.99 I ran earlier that day. Norris ended up winning the event.
Anyone you’d like to thank, wives you HAVE to thank, other things not
mentioned you feel are important?
Yes, My wife Vicki for letting me do what I love, Ricky Best and the Crew at Vortech Engineering, Larry and Ron from Rhodes Custom Auto Works Inc. Mike Murillo and Murillo Motorsports, Ron and Aaron from Metco, Dave Kogan and Pat Musi. Greg Barnett for keeping me in check at the races, Kevin Slaby for teaching me how to make my chassis work like it
wasn't designed too.
What music do you listen to? Who’s your favorite?
Anything but jazz and classical, hmm favorite id say Godsmack, Puddle of Mudd,
Foo Fighters.
Any nick names for you? My first name starts with a G, I tell no one this name cause I hate it..
So in high school my buds nick named me GRADY, now I get Spenczoid, Spenster, Spensterator, Heart attack, G man.
Do you have any pets? Yes, 2 dogs and 2 cats
Do you have Kids? No
Kids..
What do you like to do as a hobby outside of drag racing?
Surf the Net, Sleep on the lazy boy, have been known to play a round of golf on occasion,
What track do you dislike the most?
Orlando Speedworld.. that track is just nasty IMO. pits are ok.. but the track itself blows.
Which is your favorite track to race on?
I like Cecil County as its my home track, I like Maple Grove too, but it doesn't like me to well.
Do you have a lucky charm? What is it? None that I can think of.
If you could meet anybody you wanted living or not who would it be? Why?
The guy that invented the THONG.. self explanatory.
Comments:
Id like to tell the sponsors that we need you, and we thank
contingency sponsors the most for putting up the money so we have a chance to get a little coin back. This is a very expensive sport and to do it we need them.
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