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GREENVILLE, S.C. - The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, and to a drag racer that means the racing season is drawing to a close. It’s time to either wrap up a championship or make a concerted effort to finish as high on the points list as possible and log some useful data for next season’s campaign.
In the case of Pro Modified competitor Alan Pittman, the latter scenario is the one he’ll be focusing on as the eMax IHRA Drag Racing Series schedule closes out with events in Budds Creek, Maryland, this coming weekend, and at Rockingham, North Carolina, in October.
It’s not that Pittman and car owner Mel Bush didn’t have what it took to challenge for the 2006 title, however. Pittman built the team’s unique 1962 Chevrolet in his Greenville, South Carolina, AP Race Cars shop, and the car was fitted with a supercharged powerplant from fellow racer Carl Spiering. When they unloaded in San Antonio for the first race of the year, they knew they had a car and a program that would allow them to take a legitimate shot at the championship.
And through the first three races of the season, thanks to their win at Grand Bend, Ontario, in early June, they were near the top in the championship points chase.
Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, they began to slide, and a string of DNQs and first-round losses relegated them to a spot outside the top-ten. Heading into Maryland, Pittman resides in the No. 13 position.
“We started off strong at the beginning of the year, and we thought we had somehow avoided the ‘new car blues’ that so many teams have to deal with,” Pittman said. “We did real well right out of the box, and we got a little overconfident. We figured all we had to do was show up and race, and we’d have no major problems. Man, were we wrong. Unfortunately, we overlooked a lot of things that eventually came back to bite us.”
Tire shake, clutch problems, a loose cap on the oil tank – all of these things led to Pittman’s woes. Through it all, however, his “bubble top” Chevy showed plenty of potential, propelling Pittman to career-best performances on several occasions. He knew he had a solid platform to build upon, and he was prepared to make the necessary adjustments.
“We’ve had to go back to the drawing board a couple of times this year, but to be honest that shouldn’t have come as a surprise,” said Pittman. “That’s just the way it goes in drag racing a lot of the time. We’ve tweaked the chassis, done a lot of work in the clutch can, and had our engines on the dyno at Carl’s shop a couple of times. We’ve made a lot of progress, and I’m looking for us to wrap up the season on a positive note. From there we’ll look ahead to 2007.”
This weekend’s race is the Torco Racing Fuels President’s Cup Nationals, September 29 – October 1, 2006, Maryland International Raceway, Mechanicsville, Maryland
Pittman Hoping For Strong Finish As Season Winds Down
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler, and to a drag racer that means the racing season is drawing to a close. It’s time to either wrap up a championship or make a concerted effort to finish as high on the points list as possible and log some useful data for next season’s campaign.
In the case of Pro Modified competitor Alan Pittman, the latter scenario is the one he’ll be focusing on as the eMax IHRA Drag Racing Series schedule closes out with events in Budds Creek, Maryland, this coming weekend, and at Rockingham, North Carolina, in October.
It’s not that Pittman and car owner Mel Bush didn’t have what it took to challenge for the 2006 title, however. Pittman built the team’s unique 1962 Chevrolet in his Greenville, South Carolina, AP Race Cars shop, and the car was fitted with a supercharged powerplant from fellow racer Carl Spiering. When they unloaded in San Antonio for the first race of the year, they knew they had a car and a program that would allow them to take a legitimate shot at the championship.
And through the first three races of the season, thanks to their win at Grand Bend, Ontario, in early June, they were near the top in the championship points chase.
Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, they began to slide, and a string of DNQs and first-round losses relegated them to a spot outside the top-ten. Heading into Maryland, Pittman resides in the No. 13 position.
“We started off strong at the beginning of the year, and we thought we had somehow avoided the ‘new car blues’ that so many teams have to deal with,” Pittman said. “We did real well right out of the box, and we got a little overconfident. We figured all we had to do was show up and race, and we’d have no major problems. Man, were we wrong. Unfortunately, we overlooked a lot of things that eventually came back to bite us.”
Tire shake, clutch problems, a loose cap on the oil tank – all of these things led to Pittman’s woes. Through it all, however, his “bubble top” Chevy showed plenty of potential, propelling Pittman to career-best performances on several occasions. He knew he had a solid platform to build upon, and he was prepared to make the necessary adjustments.
“We’ve had to go back to the drawing board a couple of times this year, but to be honest that shouldn’t have come as a surprise,” said Pittman. “That’s just the way it goes in drag racing a lot of the time. We’ve tweaked the chassis, done a lot of work in the clutch can, and had our engines on the dyno at Carl’s shop a couple of times. We’ve made a lot of progress, and I’m looking for us to wrap up the season on a positive note. From there we’ll look ahead to 2007.”
This weekend’s race is the Torco Racing Fuels President’s Cup Nationals, September 29 – October 1, 2006, Maryland International Raceway, Mechanicsville, Maryland
