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Wednesday, May 2
Collective sigh of relief
By Chuck Etchells
Special to ESPN.com
If any of you were wondering about an extremely loud noise you might have heard around noon last Thursday, I can explain.
That sound was the Etchells Racing team letting out what had to be the world's biggest sigh of relief when we learned that Sunoco had decided to step up and become our primary sponsor for the rest of the 2001 season, and believe me when I tell you it didn't come a minute too soon.
As regular readers of this column already know, the last few months have been the hardest of my entire racing career. After exhausting my personal bank account, last week we were faced with either finding a sponsor or having to liquidate our assets in order to pay our bills, and quite honestly, it didn't look good. It's really tough to see something you worked so hard to build over twenty years start to crumble around you.
But in true Hollywood fashion, Sunoco rode in and saved the day. They called on Tuesday and asked that I meet with them on Thursday to see how we could put a deal together. Needless to say, things quickly fell in place and by lunchtime I was able to call the team with the good news. From that moment forward, my car became the Sunoco/Matco Tools Camaro -- it has a nice ring to it, don't you think?
What followed afterward was an incredible whirlwind of activity that continues even today (Wednesday). Even though the team was already at the track in Bristol, before the first qualifying session we were able to change the car's look to reflect Sunoco's support.
Although we won't debut our new Sunoco/Matco paint scheme until Englishtown, looking at our car right now, you get right picture. Wherever possible in our pit area, our previous sponsor's logos were removed and replaced with the distinctive blue and yellow Sunoco diamond.
But that was only the start. As I write this, our transporter has already been dropped off in Charlotte to be painted (I have to thank Sherwin-Williams for their invaluable assistance with this). New uniforms and driver's fire suit are also being designed, approved and ordered.
A big concern was our ability to quickly get the crew back to full strength. We had been forced to let some crew members go after Las Vegas when it looked like we would only be running one car. Once Sunoco came on board, Terry got on the phone to see who he could get back. It will take a little time, but we expect to be at full strength when we pull into Raceway Park.
If you watched the race in Bristol last week, you're probably wondering why Jim Epler was driving what was announced as my car. It's really pretty simple. As I already mentioned, our crew had been reduced to enough guys to work on one car, and it will take a couple of weeks to get things sorted out. Therefore, we decided to run one "full-time" car until Englishtown, with the other seeing limited action.
Since Jim has a better chance of qualifying for the Big Bud Shootout on Labor Day weekend in Indianapolis, we elected to run his car with the Sunoco/Matco body for Bristol and Atlanta, while I will carry the Mötley Crüe colors. (For those of you wondering if we aren't shorting the 'Crüe, don't' worry. Our deal with them was only for three races, which ended with the completion of the Gainesville event, so right now they're getting what amounts to bonus coverage.)
Jim will make all four qualifying attempts, while I will try one or two. Naturally, our goal is to get both cars in the show and win as many rounds as possible. It's going to be a challenge, that's for sure.
But once we get to the Matco Tools Supernationals, things should get back to normal. For the rest of the season I will be racing full-time in the Sunoco/Matco Tools Camaro, while Jim will be doing the same in the Racing Champions/Matco Tools car, which will have a unique Toys "R" Us paint scheme for two races.
Next week, we'll get back to talking about racing, and, hopefully, winning. But for now, I just want to close by thanking my sponsors, Matco Tools, Chevrolet, Mighty Auto Parts, Sherwin-Williams, Fram and everyone else who stood by us these last few months.
I'd also acknowledge everyone on my team for their support and loyalty during these tough times, as well as the many fans who wished us well. Finally, I'd like to welcome Sunoco on board. Our agreement is only for this season, but we're going to do everything we can to convince to stay longer, and you can help. If you have a chance to stop by your local Sunoco dealer and fill up, please do so. Tell them Chuck sent ya.
Chuck Etchells, driver and owner the Sunoco/Matco Tools Camaro Z28 Funny Car, provides a diary to ESPN.com throughout the NHRA season. Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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