Re: Good question (1 Viewer)

[megadeth]

Who is more important in the success of a nitro team be it Funny Car or Top Fuel a top notch crew chief or driver?

My belief is a top notch crew chief although occasionally a driver will win the occasional pedal fest or reaction time but if a Crew Chief has the car figured out they to me are the most vital for success it's proven anybody with the ambition can drive man or women.
That 100th Wally for women sure isn't putting butts in the stands!
Championships just like Super Bowls are what I rate success by!
So who is more important?

 

[PJ]

While I would vote on the side of the tuner there is another variable to add.
The driver is the face of the team and who the sponsors are wanting. The better the driver, the more marketable and such means more money for the tuner to play with.
In the end, they both need each other pretty badly

 

[megadeth]

All though I agree with your reply women don't seem to be putting fans in the stands and pushing a simple milestone as the 100th Wally for Courtney which is more significant to the women who pioneered their place amongst other forms of motorsports it doesn't translate to attendance which from my observance is the key to NHRA's lack of success.
If this was formula 1 or NASCAR it would be more significant. I truly like Alexis, Courtney, Ashley, Melanie, Erica, Britney (All Talent Shoes) and the NHRA is pushing old news and isn't impacting what NHRA is trying to accomplish.
Bottom line a top notch tuner results in wins which peak corporate interest not women or men drivers all though they are an important asset.

 

[twostep]

The crew chief. Ray Charles could drive one of those things, in his current condition. Warren Johnson

 

[my friends call me Zappy]

So who is more important?

The tuner. No doubt.
A great driver can't make a slow car faster....but a great tuner, can make an average driver a winner

 

[camaro]

I think everyone would have to agree, It is mostly the tuner, however there has been an interesting driver change, this year that resulted in the team being much more competitive than it has shown in the past few years. This Driver has lost a couple of races on holeshots but the car hasn't been this consistent in years. Perhaps the crew figured out a good setup right about the time of the driver switch, but before the switch, this car rarely made it down the track 2 times in a row and now the car seems to be going rounds and looks quite capable of winning.

 

[TF CREW]

all four of their cars have made significant improvements