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Reading, prerace: With only five races left on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour, Tim Wilkerson is focused on turning his Levi, Ray & Shoup Chevrolet Monte Carlo into a smooth running, competitive Funny Car again. And he's anxious to get started at this weekend's 22nd annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, nestled in the rural Penn. countryside. But the slow paced life style of the scenic Pennsylvania Dutch Country doesn't suit Wilkerson's fast paced four-second world.
"It's beautiful here in the Reading area," said Wilkerson, "especially now when the trees are beginning to change color. But I'm not here to sightsee; I'm here to get our car running strong. Our time is running short, and soon it will be the end of the year. So, we have to take advantage of every opportunity available to us."
Being nestled in the rural Penn. countryside makes Maple Grove Raceway a beautiful setting for racing, but the early fall temperatures and altitude can make the race track tricky to master. As the 2003 event Funny Car winner, Wilkerson knows how to assess the special conditions at Maple Grove and he's hoping to get the Levi, Ray & Shoup Monte Carlo to respond to his tuning decisions this weekend, the way it did three years ago.
"The last two races we've been beset by parts issues," explained Wilkerson. "But on the good runs the car responded to what we told it to do. And that's what we were missing earlier this year, so things are looking encouraging. If everything works the way it should, we should be able to get our car to be a strong race car again, and begin to turn our year around."
Wilkerson looks to take advantage of time remaining
Reading, prerace: With only five races left on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour, Tim Wilkerson is focused on turning his Levi, Ray & Shoup Chevrolet Monte Carlo into a smooth running, competitive Funny Car again. And he's anxious to get started at this weekend's 22nd annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, nestled in the rural Penn. countryside. But the slow paced life style of the scenic Pennsylvania Dutch Country doesn't suit Wilkerson's fast paced four-second world.
"It's beautiful here in the Reading area," said Wilkerson, "especially now when the trees are beginning to change color. But I'm not here to sightsee; I'm here to get our car running strong. Our time is running short, and soon it will be the end of the year. So, we have to take advantage of every opportunity available to us."
Being nestled in the rural Penn. countryside makes Maple Grove Raceway a beautiful setting for racing, but the early fall temperatures and altitude can make the race track tricky to master. As the 2003 event Funny Car winner, Wilkerson knows how to assess the special conditions at Maple Grove and he's hoping to get the Levi, Ray & Shoup Monte Carlo to respond to his tuning decisions this weekend, the way it did three years ago.
"The last two races we've been beset by parts issues," explained Wilkerson. "But on the good runs the car responded to what we told it to do. And that's what we were missing earlier this year, so things are looking encouraging. If everything works the way it should, we should be able to get our car to be a strong race car again, and begin to turn our year around."
