PHOENIX (February 19, 2013) -- Some may think the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello schedule begins with a bit of a rude challenge, with Pomona and Phoenix kicking off the campaign on back-to-back weekends. Tim Wilkerson, owner/tuner/driver of the Levi, Ray & Shoup Shelby Mustang Funny Car, thinks it's just fine, for multiple reasons.
Wilk and his LRS crew kicked off the '13 season this past weekend with a top-half qualifying position, but they did so by breaking in a pair of rookie crew members while another second-year "veteran" moved to a new position. The learning curve is steep, and the pressure is heavy, when new workers are put to the test with fans watching and the clock ticking, so the quick transition to Firebird International Raceway for this weekend's NHRA Arizona Nationals will be a good thing, according to Wilk.
"The amount of things they learned, in a short amount of time, is pretty impressive and pretty hard to digest for these guys," Wilk said. "They're mechanical guys, so they know how to bolt things together and they know how engines work, but completely rebuilding a nitro motor under pressure just takes experience, and they absorbed a lot in Pomona. If we had two or three weeks off right now, some of that would evaporate, I think, so it's good for them to get right back at it and do it all again. With two qualifying sessions on both Friday and Saturday, they'll be right back in the saddle."
In addition, Wilk has a more personal reason for wanting to get right back on the track. After a pair of fine qualifying sessions on Saturday in Pomona moved him into the No. 8 spot, his day on Sunday was cut about as short as possible when he double-stepped the throttle and fouled out in round one. The best way to put that memory away is to get right back on the horse and take another ride.
"No excuse from me, it's on the driver when the red light comes on," Wilk said. "It's hard to explain those things, and it wasn't made any better by the fact I wasn't feeling all that well with a head cold thing, but like I said it's all on me and I have to do better than that. In qualifying, we had one tree that seemed to take forever to come down, but you're not worried about cutting a light then so I didn't think about it too much. In round one, we looked at the video and it was 1.33 seconds from the time we both staged until the amber lights flashed, and when you and I are talking that's just a blink. When your foot is wanting to go, it's an eternity, and I screwed up.
"I'm ready to get back out there and have a good outing. Our new guys are getting better and better, our returning guys are helping out a ton, and we're all looking forward to getting in the show and then turning on the win lights. I don't expect to see that red light for a long time to come. It's history now, so let's get back to work and do something good."
Sometimes, the best approach is to get back after it as soon as possible. This season-opening back-to-back suits Wilk just fine.
From: Bob Wilber
More...
Wilk and his LRS crew kicked off the '13 season this past weekend with a top-half qualifying position, but they did so by breaking in a pair of rookie crew members while another second-year "veteran" moved to a new position. The learning curve is steep, and the pressure is heavy, when new workers are put to the test with fans watching and the clock ticking, so the quick transition to Firebird International Raceway for this weekend's NHRA Arizona Nationals will be a good thing, according to Wilk.
"The amount of things they learned, in a short amount of time, is pretty impressive and pretty hard to digest for these guys," Wilk said. "They're mechanical guys, so they know how to bolt things together and they know how engines work, but completely rebuilding a nitro motor under pressure just takes experience, and they absorbed a lot in Pomona. If we had two or three weeks off right now, some of that would evaporate, I think, so it's good for them to get right back at it and do it all again. With two qualifying sessions on both Friday and Saturday, they'll be right back in the saddle."
In addition, Wilk has a more personal reason for wanting to get right back on the track. After a pair of fine qualifying sessions on Saturday in Pomona moved him into the No. 8 spot, his day on Sunday was cut about as short as possible when he double-stepped the throttle and fouled out in round one. The best way to put that memory away is to get right back on the horse and take another ride.
"No excuse from me, it's on the driver when the red light comes on," Wilk said. "It's hard to explain those things, and it wasn't made any better by the fact I wasn't feeling all that well with a head cold thing, but like I said it's all on me and I have to do better than that. In qualifying, we had one tree that seemed to take forever to come down, but you're not worried about cutting a light then so I didn't think about it too much. In round one, we looked at the video and it was 1.33 seconds from the time we both staged until the amber lights flashed, and when you and I are talking that's just a blink. When your foot is wanting to go, it's an eternity, and I screwed up.
"I'm ready to get back out there and have a good outing. Our new guys are getting better and better, our returning guys are helping out a ton, and we're all looking forward to getting in the show and then turning on the win lights. I don't expect to see that red light for a long time to come. It's history now, so let's get back to work and do something good."
Sometimes, the best approach is to get back after it as soon as possible. This season-opening back-to-back suits Wilk just fine.
From: Bob Wilber
More...
