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EPPING, NH, qualifying: Years ago veteran drag racer Paul Smith and his good friend Gary Richards barnstormed across the country match racing their Funny Cars anywhere they could find a place to race.
Fast forward to 2007 and it's almost like a bit of déjà vu. Smith's son, Mike, and Richards son, Paul, have joined up to form there own racing team and have been following in their father's footsteps. The pair has been racing all season with Mike Smith as crew chief and Paul Richards as team manager. After former driver, Paul Lee, left the team, Smith has now jumped into the cockpit to take over the driving duties while still making the tuning calls. It’s the same scenario there fathers lived for years, reborn again in 2007.
The team were debuting the National Tire & Battery/Paul Richards Racing Nitro Funny Car in Epping and they were seeking a strong performance to help negotiate a long term deal with the company.
Smith was among the first pair of nitro cars to make a run down the New England Dragway quarter-mile all weekend and he made it a good one. The National Tire & Battery Chevy Camaro roared to a 5.429 at 270.59 mph on its maiden voyage, catapulting Smith into the No. 2 qualifying position at the end of the first session.
"The entire team has worked very hard in preparing for the race this weekend in Epping," said Smith, a native Floridian. "Paul and Dave Richards, Paul Cambron, Ryan Scott, Dwayne Beers and Mike Roberts have all done an outstanding job and I really appreciate their efforts. We really hope to perform well on Sunday and go some rounds.
The Paul Richards team will be hosting local National Tire & Battery regional managers and employees at the Corporate Hospitality area on Sunday, prior to the beginning of eliminations.
Mike Smith qualifies the National Tire & Battery Funny Car at the North American Nationals
EPPING, NH, qualifying: Years ago veteran drag racer Paul Smith and his good friend Gary Richards barnstormed across the country match racing their Funny Cars anywhere they could find a place to race.
Fast forward to 2007 and it's almost like a bit of déjà vu. Smith's son, Mike, and Richards son, Paul, have joined up to form there own racing team and have been following in their father's footsteps. The pair has been racing all season with Mike Smith as crew chief and Paul Richards as team manager. After former driver, Paul Lee, left the team, Smith has now jumped into the cockpit to take over the driving duties while still making the tuning calls. It’s the same scenario there fathers lived for years, reborn again in 2007.
The team were debuting the National Tire & Battery/Paul Richards Racing Nitro Funny Car in Epping and they were seeking a strong performance to help negotiate a long term deal with the company.
Smith was among the first pair of nitro cars to make a run down the New England Dragway quarter-mile all weekend and he made it a good one. The National Tire & Battery Chevy Camaro roared to a 5.429 at 270.59 mph on its maiden voyage, catapulting Smith into the No. 2 qualifying position at the end of the first session.
"The entire team has worked very hard in preparing for the race this weekend in Epping," said Smith, a native Floridian. "Paul and Dave Richards, Paul Cambron, Ryan Scott, Dwayne Beers and Mike Roberts have all done an outstanding job and I really appreciate their efforts. We really hope to perform well on Sunday and go some rounds.
The Paul Richards team will be hosting local National Tire & Battery regional managers and employees at the Corporate Hospitality area on Sunday, prior to the beginning of eliminations.
