The Shoe Speaks (1 Viewer)

[Paul]

I just can't imagine anyone ordering the General what to do, his credentials speak for themselves. If he felt testing was in order they would be the first ones there on Monday morning. You hire a crew chief to make those decisions and trust their judgement endorsing that with a contractual commitment. I commend Tim for standing his ground and choosing to return to Florida Retirement rather than be neutered by emotional decisions.

Did you ever think it was "highly recommended" to test in order to save face with the sponsor? If the team DNQ's and the sponsor asks what are you doing about it and the owner says "nothing, the crew chief doesn't feel it is necessary to test", that would leave a bad taste in a sponsor's mouth who is paying millions for a team to qualify and contend for race victories. Look at this from the team owner point of view. You don't have to like it but Don is the boss and Tim was the employee.

 

[Rat]

I'm with Don on this one.

 

[Pete]

Didnt he just up and quit Amato's team after losing 1st round one race?

Yes. But he didn't leave because of the performance of the car. 1992 was the year I believe, Amato's last championship. Prock came in the next year and the Richards' went to Pat Austin's car to start the season in '93, but quit at Phoenix testing and finished the year at Kalitta. '94 saw them at Chuck Etchells camp and they stayed with him up through the end of Chuck's driving career.

 

[.]

You're right Lynn, there are 2 sides. I hope we do, but we may never hear Tim & Kim's side.

In my opinion, Don is not a knee-jerk reaction type of guy. Resigning on Saturday after you don't qualify is a knee-jerk reaction, even if it has been brewing for a while (who knows? I don't).

I take Don at his word because I have always heard high praise about him from his employees--even former employees. He is a good businessman, but treats people fairly. I've seen his reaction under pressure and how he handles himself in tough situations. He is always measured and never a hot-head, even when he is obviously fuming. Examples include the $100,000 fine for having a barrel of non-VP nitro on NHRA premises or even the "remove the shroud" deal from the countdown last year. Either one of those would send a lot of us into a tirade. But Don handles it all very professionally. You don't get to where he is without some skill.

I'm sure there may be more to it than Don said, but bottom line: If the boss says "work Monday" you work Monday, not storm out Saturday and leave the owner, driver, crew guys and sponsor in a tough spot.

Bull****. He stormed the tower after his kid skipped the scales.

 

[Heavyhauler]

This reads more like a Billy Martin, George Stienbrenner story of the Yankees past. Both parties brought huge pluses to the show and were the best at what they did as owners and managers separately. Yes George may have been right and fired Billy 5 times, but sometimes being right is not the ultimate solution. Billy won a lot of games for the Yankees, and Tim has won a lot of races.

 

[sdwarf36]

Just something else to think about. I have no reason to doubt Don or what he said.

However, if you had just spent 4-days and tried your best to make the car go down a national event prepped track, and it did the same thing in about the same spot on every run according to team members and the media. What exactly are you going to test?

It is pretty obvious something is either wrong with a part or parts on the car, or there is a clutch problem, be it assembly or otherwise. But without taking it all apart and looking every single thing over there is nothing to be gained by doing the same thing on Monday that you had just tried doing on Sunday. JMO

Best of luck to all involved,

Rapid

So what if.....you didnt test-and then the same thing happens at Charlotte? As an owner-sponsor-crewman-anything--I'd be unhappy. Wouldn't really look like you were trying to hard to fix the problem.

 

[Rat]

So what if.....you didnt test-and then the same thing happens at Charlotte? As an owner-sponsor-crewman-anything--I'd be unhappy. Wouldn't really look like you were trying to hard to fix the problem.

If I was in Tim's position I would of tested if my boss told me too. No matter how stupid he may think it is. It could be just a bad weekend, and it could perform as expected next race, but what if next race happend and you still dont figure it out. Next race is where you face 4 cars and the 2 best continue, they have not had a top 2 race car consistantly and of the 7 rounds they been in this year they were only top 2 quickest twice. Overall they had a good car this year, but I would of at least tested to try and get better consistantly. They needed to qualify better.

 

[TSK]

But without taking it all apart and looking every single thing over there is nothing to be gained by doing the same thing on Monday that you had just tried doing on Sunday.

Isn't taking everything apart and examining it all what testing after an event is about?

 

[JAG]

Nick,

I am sure they have any number of clutches to put in the car, just as I am sure they swapped out the complete unit during the weekend trying to fix the problem. It could have been that Tim had already decided it was something that couldn't be fixed at the track and wanted the car gone over back in the shop for a more in-depth inspection. Trying what may or may not work is a pretty expensive deal on these cars.

My suggestion was that Tim had already decided something was making the clutch act that way, whether it was the timers, a fuel system problem leaning out the engine causing the tire spin. It wouldn't necessarily have to be a clutch issue.

I don't have the talent to run a nhra nitro funnycar, nor did I sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I have solved a bad weekend at the track by thinking it over on the way home. It usually comes down to somebody saying, "You know what you should have done."

Rapid

Or we have to call Lenco to get their issue fixed..lol

 

[kingcobrafan]

Did you ever think it was "highly recommended" to test in order to save face with the sponsor? If the team DNQ's and the sponsor asks what are you doing about it and the owner says "nothing, the crew chief doesn't feel it is necessary to test", that would leave a bad taste in a sponsor's mouth who is paying millions for a team to qualify and contend for race victories. Look at this from the team owner point of view. You don't have to like it but Don is the boss and Tim was the employee.

Spot on.

 

[RAPID]

So what if.....you didnt test-and then the same thing happens at Charlotte? As an owner-sponsor-crewman-anything--I'd be unhappy. Wouldn't really look like you were trying to hard to fix the problem.

So you don't think when they take the car apart they can find a problem? I am pretty sure something on the car has broken, because I doubt that Tim's tuneup is now suddenly incapable of going down a race track.

Ted, no you take them to the track to run them. You assemble, and make your car race ready in the shop. When at the track you service the cars. JMO

Rapid

 

[RAPID]

Or we have to call Lenco to get their issue fixed..lol

Greg,

Lenco called, said they have a upgrade for that. I ordered 2!

Rapid

 

[Toejam]

Joe, remember the NHRA has set limits as to how many days each team can test these days.

True, but for those Test days that NHRA does allow many teams take advantage! Obviously it pays off!

 

[Just Paul]

Yes. But he didn't leave because of the performance of the car. 1992 was the year I believe, Amato's last championship. Prock came in the next year and the Richards' went to Pat Austin's car to start the season in '93, but quit at Phoenix testing and finished the year at Kalitta. '94 saw them at Chuck Etchells camp and they stayed with him up through the end of Chuck's driving career.

Close.
Prock didn't join Amato 'till 1994. In 1993 Amato had Jeff Rogers and Larry Meyer tuning.

Austin crashed a car in Phoenix testing 93, and Richards quit in Pomona.


I'd like to hear Tim's side of the story on this deal.

 

[TooTall999]

Close.
Prock didn't join Amato 'till 1994. In 1993 Amato had Jeff Rogers and Larry Meyer tuning.

Austin crashed a car in Phoenix testing 93, and Richards quit in Pomona.

Just one question...anyone seen Skuza? What's he up to? I figured nobody had asked in a while..

 

[force fan]

Just one question...anyone seen Skuza? What's he up to? I figured nobody had asked in a while..

He's fishin'

 

[Toejam]

Yes. But he didn't leave because of the performance of the car. 1992 was the year I believe, Amato's last championship. Prock came in the next year and the Richards' went to Pat Austin's car to start the season in '93, but quit at Phoenix testing and finished the year at Kalitta. '94 saw them at Chuck Etchells camp and they stayed with him up through the end of Chuck's driving career.

Well I was at one race where Amato lost 1st round when Richards was still CC, and their Rig was Gone out of the Pits by the Semi's! You never see that!

 

[none]

Well I was at one race where Amato lost 1st round when Richards was still CC, and their Rig was Gone out of the Pits by the Semi's! You never see that!

Maybe because there's a rule against that now?

Alan

 

[MM]

Maybe because there's a rule against that now?

Alan

Details, details....

 

[Dave]

While I don't know about any rule, I can only picture someone trying to get a big rig out of the pack pro pits in joliet during raceday. So many people around and teams going back and forth, plus the tight confines would make it next to impossible to leave anyways.