(10-29-08) CHARLOTTE, NC — Charles Carpenter goes into every race with several goals in mind: get down the track consistently, win rounds, and be able to load everything back in the trailer in one piece at the end of the weekend. At the LenMar ADRL World Finals at the Texas Motorplex, Carpenter had one more goal he was shooting for.
“I wanted to run a ‘3’ so bad I couldn’t stand it,” admitted Carpenter. “We have been so close all year, but haven’t been able to crack that magic number.”
After struggling throughout testing and the first qualifying session Friday, Carpenter and crew decided to go to a fresh set of Goodyears for Saturday’s competition.
“It was about the only thing we hadn’t changed in an effort to fix the car,” said Carpenter.
The change worked like a charm. Carpenter recorded a 4.02 at almost 185 MPH during Saturday’s first qualifying session to lock himself into the field at #7. That would set up a first round matchup with Stan Allen and the Bankston Boyz Camaro.
“I knew with the air getting a little better and the track tightening, we could just leave the car alone and it should be somewhere close to where it needed to be,” said the Pro Mod pioneer, who just turned 50 years old a week prior.
Carpenter’s Terry Murphy-built ’55 would deliver a sweet birthday gift when it ran a 3.989 to put a tire-shaking Allen on the trailer.
“That was definitely a highlight of the year for us,” Carpenter said. “I made my son Mike repeat the E.T. really slowly on the radio so I could make sure I was hearing it right. It was a huge moment for everyone that has worked so hard to keep this deal together throughout the year.”
Pat Doherty, Custom Autosound, Buddy Johnson from Buddy’s Automotive Concepts, Paul Albino from Total Induction Tuning Solutions, Kelly Bluebaugh from WFO Racing & Machine, and Mike Carpenter pulled together to give the 35-year veteran enough support to make it through 2008.
“I can’t thank everyone enough. This has been a great year for us, on par with our awesome 2007 season,” said Carpenter. “Buddy’s Automotive Concepts was on the side of the car as our primary sponsor for the weekend, and I am thrilled to run the numbers with Buddy here to see it.”
In round two, Carpenter would face the history-making Camaro of Jim Halsey. Carpenter left first, but ran out of the groove on the top end, fighting to keep the car in control and scrubbing off elapsed time in the process. Carpenter still lowered his personal best and ran his second ‘3’ in a row, posting a 3.987.
“That lap should have been much quicker, but I was fighting it all over the lane,” said Carpenter. “Halsey has the most dominant nitrous car out there right now, so you have to be on your game to get around those guys. In the end it wasn’t enough, but we had an awesome outing nonetheless.”
“It was a great way to end the year,” Carpenter said. “If I’m not mistaken, those 3-second passes are the first for a Shoebox-style nitrous Pro Mod, so that’s another thing we are proud of. It’s probably the last huge performance barrier I will break in my career. I remember when I started racing I couldn’t run much quicker than 7 seconds in an eighth mile. To come as far as I have over the years is a dream come true in so many ways.”
In addition to those mentioned above, Carpenter would like to thank the following companies for their support in 2008:
Goodridge Hose & Fittings
Santhuff Shocks & Struts
Holley/NOS
RJS Safety Equipment
MagnaFuel
Richmond Gear
Goodyear
Friction Unlimited
JAZ Products
Crane Cams
VP Racing Fuels
Pro Glass
Hairy Glass
RAM Clutches
Dilmar Oil
Stroud Safety
‘Billy Harper Power & Electric’
Carpenter is actively seeking primary sponsorship for 2009. For more information about Charles Carpenter Racing and the World’s Fastest ’55 Chevy, or for a copy of the team’s 2009 Marketing Partnership Guide, visit Charles Carpenter Racing.
Photos courtesy of Roger Richards
“I wanted to run a ‘3’ so bad I couldn’t stand it,” admitted Carpenter. “We have been so close all year, but haven’t been able to crack that magic number.”
After struggling throughout testing and the first qualifying session Friday, Carpenter and crew decided to go to a fresh set of Goodyears for Saturday’s competition.
“It was about the only thing we hadn’t changed in an effort to fix the car,” said Carpenter.
The change worked like a charm. Carpenter recorded a 4.02 at almost 185 MPH during Saturday’s first qualifying session to lock himself into the field at #7. That would set up a first round matchup with Stan Allen and the Bankston Boyz Camaro.
“I knew with the air getting a little better and the track tightening, we could just leave the car alone and it should be somewhere close to where it needed to be,” said the Pro Mod pioneer, who just turned 50 years old a week prior.
Carpenter’s Terry Murphy-built ’55 would deliver a sweet birthday gift when it ran a 3.989 to put a tire-shaking Allen on the trailer.
“That was definitely a highlight of the year for us,” Carpenter said. “I made my son Mike repeat the E.T. really slowly on the radio so I could make sure I was hearing it right. It was a huge moment for everyone that has worked so hard to keep this deal together throughout the year.”
Pat Doherty, Custom Autosound, Buddy Johnson from Buddy’s Automotive Concepts, Paul Albino from Total Induction Tuning Solutions, Kelly Bluebaugh from WFO Racing & Machine, and Mike Carpenter pulled together to give the 35-year veteran enough support to make it through 2008.
“I can’t thank everyone enough. This has been a great year for us, on par with our awesome 2007 season,” said Carpenter. “Buddy’s Automotive Concepts was on the side of the car as our primary sponsor for the weekend, and I am thrilled to run the numbers with Buddy here to see it.”
In round two, Carpenter would face the history-making Camaro of Jim Halsey. Carpenter left first, but ran out of the groove on the top end, fighting to keep the car in control and scrubbing off elapsed time in the process. Carpenter still lowered his personal best and ran his second ‘3’ in a row, posting a 3.987.
“That lap should have been much quicker, but I was fighting it all over the lane,” said Carpenter. “Halsey has the most dominant nitrous car out there right now, so you have to be on your game to get around those guys. In the end it wasn’t enough, but we had an awesome outing nonetheless.”
“It was a great way to end the year,” Carpenter said. “If I’m not mistaken, those 3-second passes are the first for a Shoebox-style nitrous Pro Mod, so that’s another thing we are proud of. It’s probably the last huge performance barrier I will break in my career. I remember when I started racing I couldn’t run much quicker than 7 seconds in an eighth mile. To come as far as I have over the years is a dream come true in so many ways.”
In addition to those mentioned above, Carpenter would like to thank the following companies for their support in 2008:
Goodridge Hose & Fittings
Santhuff Shocks & Struts
Holley/NOS
RJS Safety Equipment
MagnaFuel
Richmond Gear
Goodyear
Friction Unlimited
JAZ Products
Crane Cams
VP Racing Fuels
Pro Glass
Hairy Glass
RAM Clutches
Dilmar Oil
Stroud Safety
‘Billy Harper Power & Electric’
Carpenter is actively seeking primary sponsorship for 2009. For more information about Charles Carpenter Racing and the World’s Fastest ’55 Chevy, or for a copy of the team’s 2009 Marketing Partnership Guide, visit Charles Carpenter Racing.
Photos courtesy of Roger Richards
