Rat
Nitro Member
- Joined
- May 14, 2007
- Messages
- 1,877
- Age
- 40
- Location
- Bay Shore, NY
The following is from my out-of-print book. I own all rights. Enjoy.
Virgil Hartman is best known for tuning his daughter, Rhonda Hartman-Smith, to 4 consecutive top ten finishes in the NHRA, 5 top ten’s in the IHRA, including 3 top five’s and 3 wins in 7 finals with a Dragster he built. He also tuned and built the Funny Car that his son, Richard, started his career in to 1 final; Rhonda also drove a Funny Car he built and tuned and she had a successful season in the California Independent Funny Car Association. He also tuned Rhonda’s husband, John Smith, to 2 top ten finishes and 1 final in the NHRA, as well as 2 finals in the IHRA; but there are some unknowns about how hands on he really is. All of the clutches, cannons, fuel systems, and their management systems he also constructs them all, as well as having his innovations bought by companies, used by companies and many championship winning Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle Teams. Recently, you can find him working at his shop producing parts for companies and you can find his son as a current Top-Fuel crew chief that even won the 2007 IHRA Top-Fuel Championship.
PK: What are your overall feelings on the countdown and is it a good system for the NHRA?
VH: I like it as there is now excitement and drama in the last 6 races of the year
PK: I am not a fan of good teams being told the best they can finish is 11th. Since, the NHRA resets the points at the start of the countdown to make the points race tighter, I feel that the NHRA should qualify everyone for the countdown who has run every countdown qualifying race. It would eliminate anyone getting locked out of a top ten and a top ten finish can still be a goal for everyone. Would you modify the system for teams that peak at the wrong time and get locked out of the all-important top ten when they may perform better than a locked in top ten finisher?
VH: I like the system as it is. It allows the top ten teams to go for wins and/or test for the following year without fear of losing their top 10 status. It also adds drama to the final couple of events prior to the countdown.
PK: What does it take to be a successful crew chief in this class?
VH: Besides being a problem solver you must be an above average people motivator.
PK: You are responsible for the first husband daughter team to race against each other and finish in the top ten twice in the NHRA. Was it a challenge tuning both teams?
VH: Tuning the two cars was not hard; working with added people was a challenge.
PK: Do you race the track or the opponent?
VH: The track, but you are always aware of who you are running and their tendencies. If they have a weakness you want to be prepared to use it to your advantage at the most opportune time.
PK: Can you take me through what you do as a crew chief prior to a run?
VH: You lay out a battle plan according to the available equipment, its condition and the people available for an event. Once you have this plan, you set the car up for the first run according to the track location, prep and weather to give you the best opportunity to make a quick pass. After the pass you gather information, define problems and make adjustments accordingly within the parameters of you overall plan.
PK: Throughout my research, I been getting numbers as low as $8,000 and as high as $15,000. What is the cost of 1 pass and why such a variance?
VH: A slippery slope here. You must add all of your costs per year and divide the total by the number of runs. Some teams don't count all appropriate costs, others add outside expenses to the costs. Less runs may give a higher cost per run but a lower overall cost for the year. I am an owner/crew chief and my cost per run will be lower than with a hired crew chief because I pay the bills and a lot of my decisions factor in the costs.
PK: The price to race in the sport's top class keeps rising and has almost kept the independent team out of racing completely. What do you see for the reason the costs have skyrocketed and what would you do to put a cap on or decrease the costs making it friendlier to small budget teams?
VH: Most racers in their desire to win will spend whatever it takes to accomplish winning. Their creation of more systems and equipment and the need for more crew persons to maintain that equipment creates the extra costs. To cut the costs you just need to make the cars simpler, and that will also reduce the performance; but who has the fortitude to make such a decision. Tom Compton was brought in to save the NHRA from the very bad financial shape it was in, and he did save the organization; but he does not have the knowledge, or anyone around him to stand up to the larger teams to simplify the cars. Everyone there is afraid they will lose what little they have if they make any moves to improve the situation.
PK: How different is the frame of mind for a crew chief when you have a slow start that turns into almost overnight success in comparison to when you have a hard charging season from start to finish and what type of season do you find more welcoming to your habits?
VH: Drag racing is an "in the moment" sport, and if you have done it for any length of time at any level, you understand that there are times when everything you do leads to success and other times no matter what you do success eludes you. You must understand that you are doing something you relish and just enjoy every moment.
PK: Do you feel that the sport is on a good path for the future ahead?
VH: No, not in the professional ranks. I see a lot of family participation at the local tracks with the junior dragsters and lower bracket classes, but not many that are willing to dedicate their life to becoming a pro.
PK: What are your feelings on the sport’s decision to move to 1000 feet?
VH: I like it and wish it had come years sooner.
PK: If the sport was to return to 1320 feet, what steps would you take in slowing these cars down to make sure that a quarter mile return was a safe return?
VH: I hope it never does, but the performance levels need to be lowered in all classes.
PK: The move to 1000 feet turned back the clock on the incremental performance in Top-Fuel for a short time, but the E.T. record in 1000 feet is the quickest a dragster has been to 1000 feet in the history of the sport. Spencer Massey ran a 3.728 and could add up to being the first ever 4.3 second run. Saying that we will eventually hit 3.6 and 335 MPH in 1000 feet, is there any need for the NHRA to be concerned?
VH: NHRA is concerned, but the racers are several steps ahead of them on all fronts.
PK: The move to 1000 feet gave the sport an extra 320 foot window to slow down. If we stay the course with 1000 feet could the time ever come where the increase in performance for these cars ends up that they can begin to greatly diminish the extra 320 feet, thus drivers facing the same possibility of danger that they faced when it was 1320 feet?
VH: I believe the speeds the cars are going are too fast for any confined track area, no matter what the distance. You will see 300 mph in the 1/8th mile in the near future. Too much acceleration and speed and it needs to be stopped.
PK: Have you had any aspirations to drive?
VH: I drove all my cars when I started drag racing on the street and track. As the rules required more safety gear, especially driver's suits, I became more disenchanted with driving. I have driven up to TAD and TAFCs, but it is just another job to be done on a racing team. I enjoy building and developing things more than racing on the track today, and for about 15 years now.
PK: Do you have any aspirations to be a crew chief, or own a team in another class?
VH: I dabbled in all my extracurricular activities until I had the misfortune of seeing my oldest son electrocuted at an industrial site in front of me in 1993. During the funeral process I decided that if I wanted to do anything in life from then on I would do it immediately, no putting anything off that I really want to do. I have satisfied my desires in drag racing and at present have no desires to race.
PK: What programs do you run in-house?
VH: I own two junior dragster teams.
PK: What is your favorite race track?
VH: The one that I am at, whenever or where ever.
PK: What are your private rides?
VH: My wife drives a 2012 Chrysler 300 and a 1956 Chevy 210 sedan. I have a 2000 Chevy pickup, 1939 Chevy 2 door sedan, 1932 Ford hi boy roadster, 1966 Mustang coupe, 1988 Chevy 1500 bagged, shaved, show truck, building a 1937 Ford coupe and 1965 C10 pick up. And for my spare time I ride a Honda VTX1300C, wave runners and a 24' pontoon boat.
PK: What does it take to be a successful team owner in this class?
VH: Dedication and putting the race team as your #1 priority. When nothing else matters, you will be successful, just like any business or job.
PK: Can you provide an example of the financials and the amount of parts that are needed to compete at top level for a season?
VH: These are basic numbers for a full time NHRA team to run once the initial investment of car, transporter and support equipment is bought:
PK: Can you provide an example of what a driver and a crew chief would roughly make in a season?
VH: Some drivers pay up to $1.5 million to drive, some get paid, usually by the sponsor directly. Crew chiefs get anywhere from $2,000 for a weekend to $300,000 a year. A couple have been paid $750,000 for the year.
PK: How is Rhonda and when can we see her driving again?
VH: Rhonda is doing great enjoying her kids and family life. She gets offers, but the situation has to fit to allow her to be involved with her kids.
PK: Do you currently work for any teams or do you assist Richard at all with his team?
VH: Richard and I talk about his car/team at times, but that is his deal and he has always wanted to do things on his own, and I am in agreement on that. We do at times team up together on outside ventures, some racing and more on the business side. I do telephone consultations with about 15 teams at many different levels of the sport. I seldom go to the track anymore because I have an addiction to the sport and will jump right back in with both feet at a moment’s notice. I crew chiefed a TF team at a national event last year along with the Bullet Bod NFC at a few races, but that is about all.
I have teams that park their rigs at my facilities all the time and I see many of my racing friends throughout the year at many functions away from the tracks.
Virgil Hartman is best known for tuning his daughter, Rhonda Hartman-Smith, to 4 consecutive top ten finishes in the NHRA, 5 top ten’s in the IHRA, including 3 top five’s and 3 wins in 7 finals with a Dragster he built. He also tuned and built the Funny Car that his son, Richard, started his career in to 1 final; Rhonda also drove a Funny Car he built and tuned and she had a successful season in the California Independent Funny Car Association. He also tuned Rhonda’s husband, John Smith, to 2 top ten finishes and 1 final in the NHRA, as well as 2 finals in the IHRA; but there are some unknowns about how hands on he really is. All of the clutches, cannons, fuel systems, and their management systems he also constructs them all, as well as having his innovations bought by companies, used by companies and many championship winning Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle Teams. Recently, you can find him working at his shop producing parts for companies and you can find his son as a current Top-Fuel crew chief that even won the 2007 IHRA Top-Fuel Championship.
PK: What are your overall feelings on the countdown and is it a good system for the NHRA?
VH: I like it as there is now excitement and drama in the last 6 races of the year
PK: I am not a fan of good teams being told the best they can finish is 11th. Since, the NHRA resets the points at the start of the countdown to make the points race tighter, I feel that the NHRA should qualify everyone for the countdown who has run every countdown qualifying race. It would eliminate anyone getting locked out of a top ten and a top ten finish can still be a goal for everyone. Would you modify the system for teams that peak at the wrong time and get locked out of the all-important top ten when they may perform better than a locked in top ten finisher?
VH: I like the system as it is. It allows the top ten teams to go for wins and/or test for the following year without fear of losing their top 10 status. It also adds drama to the final couple of events prior to the countdown.
PK: What does it take to be a successful crew chief in this class?
VH: Besides being a problem solver you must be an above average people motivator.
PK: You are responsible for the first husband daughter team to race against each other and finish in the top ten twice in the NHRA. Was it a challenge tuning both teams?
VH: Tuning the two cars was not hard; working with added people was a challenge.
PK: Do you race the track or the opponent?
VH: The track, but you are always aware of who you are running and their tendencies. If they have a weakness you want to be prepared to use it to your advantage at the most opportune time.
PK: Can you take me through what you do as a crew chief prior to a run?
VH: You lay out a battle plan according to the available equipment, its condition and the people available for an event. Once you have this plan, you set the car up for the first run according to the track location, prep and weather to give you the best opportunity to make a quick pass. After the pass you gather information, define problems and make adjustments accordingly within the parameters of you overall plan.
PK: Throughout my research, I been getting numbers as low as $8,000 and as high as $15,000. What is the cost of 1 pass and why such a variance?
VH: A slippery slope here. You must add all of your costs per year and divide the total by the number of runs. Some teams don't count all appropriate costs, others add outside expenses to the costs. Less runs may give a higher cost per run but a lower overall cost for the year. I am an owner/crew chief and my cost per run will be lower than with a hired crew chief because I pay the bills and a lot of my decisions factor in the costs.
PK: The price to race in the sport's top class keeps rising and has almost kept the independent team out of racing completely. What do you see for the reason the costs have skyrocketed and what would you do to put a cap on or decrease the costs making it friendlier to small budget teams?
VH: Most racers in their desire to win will spend whatever it takes to accomplish winning. Their creation of more systems and equipment and the need for more crew persons to maintain that equipment creates the extra costs. To cut the costs you just need to make the cars simpler, and that will also reduce the performance; but who has the fortitude to make such a decision. Tom Compton was brought in to save the NHRA from the very bad financial shape it was in, and he did save the organization; but he does not have the knowledge, or anyone around him to stand up to the larger teams to simplify the cars. Everyone there is afraid they will lose what little they have if they make any moves to improve the situation.
PK: How different is the frame of mind for a crew chief when you have a slow start that turns into almost overnight success in comparison to when you have a hard charging season from start to finish and what type of season do you find more welcoming to your habits?
VH: Drag racing is an "in the moment" sport, and if you have done it for any length of time at any level, you understand that there are times when everything you do leads to success and other times no matter what you do success eludes you. You must understand that you are doing something you relish and just enjoy every moment.
PK: Do you feel that the sport is on a good path for the future ahead?
VH: No, not in the professional ranks. I see a lot of family participation at the local tracks with the junior dragsters and lower bracket classes, but not many that are willing to dedicate their life to becoming a pro.
PK: What are your feelings on the sport’s decision to move to 1000 feet?
VH: I like it and wish it had come years sooner.
PK: If the sport was to return to 1320 feet, what steps would you take in slowing these cars down to make sure that a quarter mile return was a safe return?
VH: I hope it never does, but the performance levels need to be lowered in all classes.
PK: The move to 1000 feet turned back the clock on the incremental performance in Top-Fuel for a short time, but the E.T. record in 1000 feet is the quickest a dragster has been to 1000 feet in the history of the sport. Spencer Massey ran a 3.728 and could add up to being the first ever 4.3 second run. Saying that we will eventually hit 3.6 and 335 MPH in 1000 feet, is there any need for the NHRA to be concerned?
VH: NHRA is concerned, but the racers are several steps ahead of them on all fronts.
PK: The move to 1000 feet gave the sport an extra 320 foot window to slow down. If we stay the course with 1000 feet could the time ever come where the increase in performance for these cars ends up that they can begin to greatly diminish the extra 320 feet, thus drivers facing the same possibility of danger that they faced when it was 1320 feet?
VH: I believe the speeds the cars are going are too fast for any confined track area, no matter what the distance. You will see 300 mph in the 1/8th mile in the near future. Too much acceleration and speed and it needs to be stopped.
PK: Have you had any aspirations to drive?
VH: I drove all my cars when I started drag racing on the street and track. As the rules required more safety gear, especially driver's suits, I became more disenchanted with driving. I have driven up to TAD and TAFCs, but it is just another job to be done on a racing team. I enjoy building and developing things more than racing on the track today, and for about 15 years now.
PK: Do you have any aspirations to be a crew chief, or own a team in another class?
VH: I dabbled in all my extracurricular activities until I had the misfortune of seeing my oldest son electrocuted at an industrial site in front of me in 1993. During the funeral process I decided that if I wanted to do anything in life from then on I would do it immediately, no putting anything off that I really want to do. I have satisfied my desires in drag racing and at present have no desires to race.
PK: What programs do you run in-house?
VH: I own two junior dragster teams.
PK: What is your favorite race track?
VH: The one that I am at, whenever or where ever.
PK: What are your private rides?
VH: My wife drives a 2012 Chrysler 300 and a 1956 Chevy 210 sedan. I have a 2000 Chevy pickup, 1939 Chevy 2 door sedan, 1932 Ford hi boy roadster, 1966 Mustang coupe, 1988 Chevy 1500 bagged, shaved, show truck, building a 1937 Ford coupe and 1965 C10 pick up. And for my spare time I ride a Honda VTX1300C, wave runners and a 24' pontoon boat.
PK: What does it take to be a successful team owner in this class?
VH: Dedication and putting the race team as your #1 priority. When nothing else matters, you will be successful, just like any business or job.
PK: Can you provide an example of the financials and the amount of parts that are needed to compete at top level for a season?
VH: These are basic numbers for a full time NHRA team to run once the initial investment of car, transporter and support equipment is bought:
- $900,000: Survival to get to all the events, make the qualifying runs, only win a round or two all year.
- $1.4 million: Same as above, but better performance and win about 10 rounds.
- $2 million: Mid pack performance and win about 15 rounds, a couple semi-finals.
- $3 million: A few top 5 qualifiers, consistent 1st round winner, many semi-finals, maybe a couple finals.
- $5 million: A contender
PK: Can you provide an example of what a driver and a crew chief would roughly make in a season?
VH: Some drivers pay up to $1.5 million to drive, some get paid, usually by the sponsor directly. Crew chiefs get anywhere from $2,000 for a weekend to $300,000 a year. A couple have been paid $750,000 for the year.
PK: How is Rhonda and when can we see her driving again?
VH: Rhonda is doing great enjoying her kids and family life. She gets offers, but the situation has to fit to allow her to be involved with her kids.
PK: Do you currently work for any teams or do you assist Richard at all with his team?
VH: Richard and I talk about his car/team at times, but that is his deal and he has always wanted to do things on his own, and I am in agreement on that. We do at times team up together on outside ventures, some racing and more on the business side. I do telephone consultations with about 15 teams at many different levels of the sport. I seldom go to the track anymore because I have an addiction to the sport and will jump right back in with both feet at a moment’s notice. I crew chiefed a TF team at a national event last year along with the Bullet Bod NFC at a few races, but that is about all.
I have teams that park their rigs at my facilities all the time and I see many of my racing friends throughout the year at many functions away from the tracks.
