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Thursday, August 16
Etchells looking for rhythm
By Chuck Etchells
Special to ESPN.com
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This week, the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series heads to Brainerd, Minn., and for the first time in quite a while I'm excited heading into the race. After six months of struggling just to keep our heads above water, I think our team is ready to race. I'm sure most of you are wondering exactly what I'm talking about, since we have been at every race on the schedule so far, so let me explain.
Due to the various reasons I have detailed in previous columns, both Jim's Racing Champions/Matco Tools and my Sunoco/Matco Tools crews have struggled to find their working rhythm. Between a lack of parts and money and an ever-changing cast of characters, Terry, Larry, Roland and all concerned have had their hands full.
So much time was spent on training or putting out fires that we couldn't do the background work necessary to seriously compete for the win on a weekly basis, especially when you figure we were competing against teams that had solid budgets and established crews. To their credit, our guys never backed down and never complained -- they just worked their butts off.
Well, I think our performance both on and off the track at the last race in Sonoma shows that the pieces of this 300-mph puzzle may finally be starting to fall into place. Our cars made solid runs down the track on nine out of fourteen tries -- not perfect, but still a step in the right direction.
My guys serviced the car smoothly each time, often finishing with time to spare, and although they cut it a little close a couple of times, Jim's crew answered the bell every time and gave him a great race car. I guess you could say they are starting to hit their stride, and with an extra weekend to prepare, they should be more than ready to race in Brainerd.
In case you're still not sure what I'm talking about, being ready to race means our focus will be solely on getting our cars down the track with the full expectation of fielding two extremely competitive entries. The team is in great spirits, and for the first time since Gainesville, we're heading to a racetrack firmly believing that either one of our Camaros could win. That's huge.
However, I don't want you to get the idea that we think things will be easy for us in Brainerd. In fact, it's quite the opposite. We will be facing many variables throughout the weekend, any of which could very easily trip us up.
Take the track, for instance. For the fifth time in as many races, we will be facing a completely different tuning scenario. In Sonoma, we were at sea level, perfect for making horsepower, while in Minnesota, we'll be around 2,500 feet of air.
The temperatures are supposed to be cooler, which normally translates to some very fast times. However, the Brainerd International Raceway surface is a tricky one. It's good early on, but in the middle where the clutch locks up it can give you fits.
The easiest way to get through it is to build up enough momentum to make it through the transition period. It will be up to Terry and Roland to figure out what combination will work. After that, it will be up to Jim and myself to make sure we keep it straight, in the groove and with the candles lit to the finish line.
Then there's the competition. They, too, have had time to get ready, and they will also be doing their best to keep us away from the trophy. Beating them is no picnic, but I think we're up to it.
I'm also looking forward to this weekend because of the Brainerd area, which is located in the woods about two hours north of Minneapolis. I'll be staying with Mike Southerland from United Car Care at a resort on one of the lakes, which should be really neat. However, the thing I will truly enjoy is if we are able to live up to our own potential and get ourselves in the winner's circle.
The easiest way to describe it is that we are like a shark smelling blood in the water -- we're close and we can taste it, and we won't be satisfied till we reach our goal. So strap in and hold on, because it's feeding time!
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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