Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: Featured Interview

Featured interviews from SpeedwayMedia.com

  • Exclusive: First-Seasons with Greg Zipadelli

    Exclusive: First-Seasons with Greg Zipadelli

    In this edition of Speedway Media’s first-seasons column, we caught up with former NASCAR Crew Chief and now Vice President of Competition for Stewart-Haas Racing, Greg Zipadelli. He discusses how he became a crew chief in NASCAR, how he connected with Joe Gibbs Racing, his success with Tony Stewart, and more.

    SM: You burst onto the NASCAR scene in the early 90s when you were only 21-years-old as a crew chief for your family team in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour with Mike McLaughlin in 1988. The team advanced to the Busch North Series in the early 90s and had success. What drew you to make a career in racing and why did you choose the role of crew chief versus being a driver?

    GZ: “I don’t know, I just always remember being three or four years old going to the races because my uncle, he always owned an asphalt modified and ran in New England, my dad built the motors in the early days and the car was kept in our house a little bit so I was just around it,” Zipadelli said.

    “I always liked working on them (cars), that seemed to be my comfort zone. I just never had a desire to drive. I never had money to speak of to build my own car or even try that. I just don’t know, I didn’t have a lot to desire (to drive a car) I always enjoyed working on them more.”

    SM: You had a lot of success early on in your career, winning a combined eight races in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Why did you have so much success in your career as you started?

    GZ: “Well, I had been involved early on when I was working on them,” he said. “I was just young as a crew chief. I think when a lot of people come into the sport young, they have a different mindset. I didn’t have any bad habits or notions of this is what works. It was like, ‘let’s try this. Let’s do that.’

    “I was working on the same car when Brett Bodine came to work for us. With Mike (McLaughlin), we ran (NASCAR) Busch North Cars. Mikey was doing really well at that time and him and I hit it off.”

    SM: After spending some time in the Modified Tour and Busch North Tour, your first major break came in 1997 as a crew chief for Mike Stefanik in the Nazareth race. Unfortunately, your day ended early due to a crash. But, in the weeks leading up to that event, were you anxious or nervous about working as a crew chief in the Busch Series knowing it was your big break?

    GZ: In ’88, ’89, ’90, we ran the Modified and then ’91 we ran with a limited schedule with McLaughlin,” Zipadelli said. “We were kind of dabbling with the Busch North Car, going back and forth. We then went Busch North racing for a few years. McLaughlin was there for a few years and then Stefanik came and took the ride.”

    “I had crew chiefed all those years in the Busch North Tour. We did a lot of things together as friends.”

    SM: Following the ‘97 season in the K&N East Series, you were on a one-year hiatus before returning to the sport full-time crew as a crew chief for one of the up-and-coming drivers of the sport, Tony Stewart. How did you connect with Joe Gibbs Racing and get paired with Stewart for your first season in Cup?

    GZ: “So, in ’92 and ’93, I moved down and worked for Todd Bodine in the Busch Series, but I still owned a house in New York with Mike McLaughlin,” he said. “That’s when I took McLaughlin and said ‘come on back here. We’ll put you full-time’ and so I packed up and moved home.

    “Honestly, it felt like I never accomplished something in the Busch North Tour. I wanted to win a championship in that series before I left to crew chief in the Cup Series.

    “I went to work for Jeff Burton and I built shocks, changed tires, I was the car chief for that role in that year (1998). We were parked next to the 18 (Bobby Labonte) and I got to meet with Jimmy Makar and they were starting their second team and he asked if I was interested in working for their second team. I met Jimmy at the old Cracker Barrel and we hung out for a while and talked.

    “That afternoon, I got a call from Joe Gibbs and he asked if I could meet him at Denny’s in Huntersville, North Carolina and we sat down and just talked. At that time, I could do anything on a racecar. Jimmy was talking to me about doing shocks and car chiefing that team. However, a day later, Joe called me back and asked me if I was interested in the crew chief job. It literally happened that quick. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded with a lot of great drivers in my life. With that being said, it was fun and we had a lot of fun.”

    SM: Do you remember your first conversations with Tony Stewart? How did that all become about?

    GZ: “I talked to Joe (Gibbs) and I accepted the offer,” Zipadelli said. “Afterward, he gave me Tony’s number and I gave him a call. (Tony) was still in Columbus, Indiana. I called him and Tony had a bunch of people over at his place playing pool and we talked for a quite bit. I don’t know when (we met), but it wasn’t long after that where we went down to Daytona and started working the test session.

    “Tony wasn’t very involved in what went on with the team, he would just show up and drive. My personality was just to take ownership of everything and being responsible, it worked good for us.”

    SM: Your first Daytona experience was that year and your driver was on the front row in your first gig as a crew chief in the Cup Series. Even though you, unfortunately, finished 28th, 19 laps down, do you have good memories of that experience? Do you remember your thoughts when you first entered the track and experienced all of the excitement that racing at Daytona brings? Did you look forward to it and did you feel ready or were you nervous?

    GZ: “Oh gosh, there’s always nerves,” he said. “To roll down to Daytona, we didn’t have any points. Back then, you had 50 cars (show up and qualify) and we had to qualify our way in. Fortunately, we tested and had a really good racecar and qualified on the outside pole. However, we had an issue with the intake manifold and we ended up not running very well in that race.”

    SM: At the Martinsville race that season, you qualified on the pole with Stewart and were a part of helping the team gain momentum with a string of top-five finishes, with the exception of Richmond. Was there a particular moment during the ‘99 season when you and the team began to get comfortable with the car or was there still a learning curve as the season progressed?

    GZ: “I’ll be honest with you, I’m always a believer that there is a learning curve,” Zipadelli said. “I don’t know, if the learning curve ever ends, you’re always trying to adjust. There was a time during midseason, I don’t know when exactly, but I think it was the Loudon race that we should have won but ran out of gas. At that point, we realized, we can do this but we just have to clean up the loose ends. Winning a Cup race is hard.

    “I learned a lot and I still beat myself up over it. Shortly after, we won Richmond, then Phoenix and Homestead. We had a very successful rookie season.”

    SM: You got your first Cup Series win at Richmond as Stewart dominated the race leading 333 of the 400 laps. What does that victory mean to you today and have you ever had a chance to go back and re-watch that race?

    GZ: “No, I haven’t been able to re-watch that win,” he said. “I haven’t done a good job in my life of going back to enjoy those special moments. It’s kind of been, what’s next and working harder to go to the next race.

    “As far as that moment, it was surreal. We ran really well that night. That night, we closed the deal.”

    SM: You and the team finished fourth in the points standings in 1999. Did finishing fourth in your first season exceed your expectations especially after earning two more wins at Phoenix and Homestead?

    GZ: “Oh, absolutely,” Zipadelli said. “I don’t know if there’s anyone who has ever had that kind of season. If you go back and look, I don’t know if anyone has won three races and finish fourth (in the standings) in a rookie year as we did.”

    SM: When you reflect on your career, are there any races that you wish you could go back to and have a do-over, such as a win that got away? Is there one race in particular that stands out?

    GZ: “There’s a few that got away from us that we never did win,” he said. “A couple of Daytona 500s where we had some good racecars, good opportunities, but things always seem to get taken away from us at the end of the day. It is what it is at the end of the day.”

    SM: Do you collect memorabilia from your career? If so, what do you have in your collection that reminds you of your early years in the sport?

    GZ: “I have some articles that were done,” Zipadelli said. “I try to keep a shirt or firesuit every year that I crew chief. Other than that, not a lot. some collectible cars that we used to get all the paint schemes. I’ve got a few hoods in my shop, just the normal stuff.”

    SM: Do you have a favorite victory or two from your career? What were your favorite wins and why?

    GZ: “Obviously, the first Indy win for sure because that was more of a relief than excitement,” Zippadelli said. “Tony put a lot of pressure on himself to go out and perform and we had a good racecar that day. Without the Loudon win, the Indy win is definitely a highlight.”

    SM: What do the Winston Cup championships in ‘02 and ‘05 mean to you and were they the highlights of your career?

    GZ: “Yeah, for a kid to grow up in New England and have the opportunity to work yourself through the ranks, I mean at the time, (winning the championship) was pretty special,” he said. “During that period, there were some tough characters you were racing against, some of the greats of the sport. We were fortunate enough to have that success early on.”

    SM: Do you miss working as a crew chief?

    GZ: “I do. The ups and downs, the adrenaline, making good calls and bad calls. I didn’t think I would miss it as much as I do I honestly, sincerely miss it.”

    SM: It’s hard to believe your first start as a crew chief came 33 years ago. If time travel was possible, what would a 54-year-old Greg Zipadelli tell a 21-year-old Greg Zipadelli? Is there anything you would do differently?

    GZ: “Man, I don’t know,” the two-time Cup Series champion crew chief said as he reflected on his career. “You always look back and think if I can go back and know what I know today, how much could you do? I don’t know if I would have a whole lot to change. I was an extremely dedicated hard worker, very motivated. I think I would do the same things.

    “Would I go back and do it all over again today? Definitely, I would. Honestly, I don’t know if there’s anything I could change. I would have to really think about that. I had a lot of fun crew chiefing for 33 years and having that success. I was fortunate to meet a lot of good people and make really good friends. I don’t think I would script it (my career) that much different.”

    Fans of Greg Zipadelli can follow him on Twitter and visit his website here.

    Throughout Zipadelli’s Cup Series career, the New Britain, Connecticut native has made 468 starts, earned 34 career victories, 143 top fives, 237 top-10 finishes and won 13 poles. Additionally, he won two Cup Series championships with former NASCAR driver and Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in 2002 and 2005.

    Special thanks to Greg Zipadelli for taking the time out of his busy schedule to conduct the interview.

  • Darlington – A Labor Day tradition of racing, family and fun

    Darlington – A Labor Day tradition of racing, family and fun

    NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway to celebrate Labor Day with a full weekend of racing competition and fun for the entire family.

    As track president Kerry Tharp discussed several of the planned events, one thing was quickly apparent; there will be something for everyone.

    “We’re going to have a fan zone. We’ve got a kid zone. We’ve got live entertainment Friday and Saturday night,” he said. “We’ve got a Playoffs party Saturday night and a doubleheader on Sunday.”

    But, when the racing begins, tensions will be high as all three series focus on the Playoffs.

    Turn 2 of the track was recently repaved in preparation for the Labor Day weekend. It was, however, a necessity rather than an enhancement.

    “It was a much better long-term solution than the piecemeal we had been doing for the last three to four years,” Tharp explained. “They finished up about three weeks ago and NASCAR sent some people down from the manufacturers to check out the work. They felt very good about it. It didn’t change any of the banking or any of the geometry of that turn. I think it’s going to have a minimal if any, effect on the racing. It’s something that we had to do.”

    The Cook Out Southern 500 is the first race in Round 1 of the Cup Series Playoffs.

    The 1.366-mile track presents a unique challenge in the upcoming races. A win will automatically advance a driver through the Playoffs to the next round but there is a delicate balance between aggressiveness and patience.

    “Darlington is a race where you need to be patient. It’s 500 miles so it’s 100 miles further than most races. Someone can be leading it on the 100-mile mark and then all of a sudden you look and say, ‘where did that guy go?’

    “So I think the (playoff) drivers would certainly want to secure a win here but they also don’t want to forego any chance of advancing with a poor performance here. So, I think they are going to have to be very, very patient, take care of their tires and just be the best they can be.”

    Tharp is looking forward to having the Camping World Truck Series back this weekend as they compete in the second race of their postseason playoffs.

    “I love having the Trucks here. They put on great racing. I think for fans that have never come to a NASCAR race, the Truck Series is one to start out with. It’s an opportunity to let the fans see some of the younger drivers that are working themselves up into the ranks and there are also some veterans in the mix.”

    The Xfinity Series regular season is winding down and with only three races remaining the competition at Darlington will be intense as the drivers contend for the remaining spots.

    Although the 2022 schedule has not been released, Tharp is “cautiously optimistic” that the track will have the opportunity to host two race weekends again next year.

    “We feel that the fans like coming here, the teams like coming here and it puts on a great show. It’s just a short drive down from where most of the team shops are in the Charlotte area.

    “There are a lot of things to do here in South Carolina. It’s a beautiful part of the state and we would certainly welcome two race dates and hope to have two race dates for many, many more years to come.”

    This will be the first time since September 2019 that the track is fully open with no seating restrictions in the grandstands and no limits in the camping areas.

    “Ticket sales are going well,” Tharp confirmed. “There are really no limitations on our ticket sales or camping. We’re going to have a lot of fans in the grandstands and a lot of campers in the infield and the exterior of the facility.”

    There are no specific COVID-19 protocols for fans in outdoor areas but they advise fans to wear masks in any enclosed spaces.

    “We just ask fans to be smart and to be accountable for their own health.”

    Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/.

  • Exclusive Interview – First-Seasons with Steve Torrence

    Exclusive Interview – First-Seasons with Steve Torrence

    In a continuation of our “first-seasons” features, we caught up with three-time Top Fuel Champion Steve Torrence who reflects on his early years in NHRA.

    Torrence, a Kilgore, Texas native, spoke about his early ranks in the sport including transitioning from Alcohol dragsters to Top Fuel dragsters, his first start at Richmond in 2006 and his first victory in Atlanta of 2012.

    He also discussed various other topics surrounding the early years of his NHRA career.

    SM: Your first Top Fuel season came in 2006 where you raced in three races that year at the age of 23 years old, which at the time was considered a fairly young age in the sport. Can you discuss what it was like making your debut during that time period and why that age was the right time to race professionally? 

    ST: “Honestly, it was the right place, right time for me in 2006,” Torrence said. “In 2005, I had started driving Alcohol dragsters in the top Alcohol class and won the championship, which then led me to a relationship with Evan Knoll. Late one night in ‘06, Evan called and said ‘Hey. I want to put you in a Top Fuel car with J.R. Todd.

    “So, I flew to St. Louis and got my license the Monday after the race for J.R.’s car and made my debut later that year in a Top Fuel.”

    SM: Prior to entering the Top Fuel ranks, you competed in different classes such as the Pro Modified Outlaw classes and the alcohol dragsters. As you were making your transition from alcohol to Top Fuel, was there a learning curve during that period, or were you starting to get comfortable racing Top Fuel since you had experience in the alcohol drags? 

    ST: “The people who tell you who don’t have a learning curve are full of shit, because nothing compares to the acceleration and power of a Top Fuel car,” he said. “There’s always a learning curve. It may not be nearly as steep coming from an Alcohol car, but definitely a curve.”

    SM: As you entered the 2006 season, you only ran a part-time schedule, competing in three races, then taking ’07 off, before eventually running full time in 2010. In those early years, was it hard for you to manage expectations such as race wins despite running a part-time schedule? Could you expand a little bit on running part-time for a few years?

    ST: “I was so blessed and thankful to even have an opportunity to drive a Top Fuel car, but it was an underfunded team,” Torrence said. “Somewhere in ‘09 or ‘10 had CAPCO (Torrence’s current sponsor now) on the side of it, but nothing compared to what it is today. We started our own team in 2011. You go out there, you utilize your opportunity as a stepping stone or a position to be able to drive for one of the bigger teams, or just get some name recognition. 

    “There was one opportunity I had to win a race at the time and (losing that race) lives with me forever. I lost on a holeshot, where I could have gone to the final. At those times though, you need to manage those expectations and say ‘Hey. Let’s go a round or two and be content, happy with that.’”

    SM: Your first Top Fuel start came at Richmond in 2006. You qualified 11th and had your first-round matchup against Larry Dixon. Prior to that first-round matchup, what were the weeks of preparation like leading up to your first Top Fuel event? Were you starting to get anxious or nervous, or since you already had so many years under your belt, were you already feeling primed and ready?

    ST: “Looking back on it (my first Top Fuel start), I was ecstatic,” the three-time Top Fuel champion said. “I mean, that was an opportunity of a lifetime to go drive a Top Fuel dragster. I could only imagine how excited I was. I went there ecstatic. I was the new kid on the block wanting to make a splash. The thing that stands out the most about that race was making a solid pass and throwing the parachutes and the parachutes came off. That’s what I remember about the whole weekend.”

    SM: Back then, Larry Dixon was one of the greats in Top Fuel. As you were slated to face him in the first round, do you recall ever being somewhat intimidated or were you more excited that you would race Larry? 

    ST: “Probably not,” Torrence said. “Driving the A-Fuel car the year before, we went to 13 races and won nine of them. So as a driver, I was very confident. I probably wasn’t intimidated. Even though you’re nervous, I probably went into that thinking ‘I’ve got to prove myself.’ You have to go out there and say ‘I’ve done this.’”

    SM: One race later at Las Vegas, you had your first career round victory against Cory McClenathan. How special was it for you to gain your first-round win by defeating McClenathan at Vegas? Just talk about the run.

    ST: “Cory was one of my favorite drivers when I was a kid, so that’s pretty cool to be able to get that first career round win against him.”

    SM: Eventually, six-years later, you earned your first runner up finish at Norwalk racing Spencer Massy. Even though you ran part-time in your early career, did you ever feel like that you were never going to get a runner up despite being solidly consistent up until that point? 


    ST: “From 2006 to 2011, we didn’t have that type of car caliber under me,” Torrence said. “I never had the thoughts of ‘no I can’t win.’ “It’s just a great race car, makes an okay driver look good. A great driver and an okay race car, is just okay. It takes both elements to be successful.

    “When we started in ‘11, we ran well. In ‘12, that (runner-up) was fairly early in the season. I mean you go to Norwalk and you runner-up. I think we had a couple of runner-ups really quick. I will tell you, there is nothing more difficult than winning your first race, because those early rounds are just rounds. When you’re in the final, you’re racing for the Wally (NHRA’s trophy). Mentally out, you can psych out of winning. You can distract yourself, but once you’ve (won), the final becomes similar to the other rounds. However, you have to mentally overcome that and have that experience.”

    SM: Later on in 2012, you won your first career race at Atlanta defeating Tony Schumacher. Have you ever had a chance to watch that race back and what does that victory still mean to you?

    ST: “I have probably watched that race before, but I can tell you everything about that run,” he said. “We go up there and I had been good on the (Christmas) tree all day. I was .046 (reaction time) something, on the final. Tony, I believe, rolled the car a little bit early on the tree and was .031 on the tree. We were shallow. The car went out there and ran an 89 something, just a nice A to B run.

    “Tony smokes the tires (went a 91 for ET) and to be able to get your first win against Tony Schumacher is pretty strong. He is the winningest Top Fuel driver ever and winning against him held more merit. You didn’t get there by luck or beating people. That (win) was pretty cool.” 

    Torrence’ first win at Atlanta 2012, Photo Courtesy of Natalie Torrence

    SM: Do you ever remember getting any congratulations from Tony or a “good job” afterward? 

    ST: “He (Schumacher) came over and congratulated me and told me good job,” Torrence said. “I mean Tony’s a pretty cool guy. He gives credit where credit is due. I remember the whole conversation we had. Later in the year, we made a deal where I told him I want that helmet (Schumacher’s). He said, ‘you’re going to have to beat me to take it.’

    “Later in the year, we raced and I beat him in a round. He came over and gave me that helmet. So, I have that helmet at home in my trophy case.”

    SM: After Atlanta, you won two more races at Englishtown and Seattle before finishing ninth in the points that year. After winning that first race, were you and the crew starting to click together to get those victories and runner-up finishes? 

    ST: “Oh yeah, for sure,” he said. “At that time, you’re still kind of getting the right people and everything put together. Richard Hogan, he’s been my crew chief since day one. You know, everyone was kind of feeling each other out. I can say that now and see how long that’s taken us now. Though when you get to those final rounds and secure victories, it breeds confidence. Not only the driver, but the crew chief and everyone on the team.”

    SM: As you continue to reflect on your career, are there any races from your early years that you look back on and you’re thinking ‘Man, I wish we had another chance to get this victory back’?’ Do any of those races come to mind? 

    ST: “Oh yeah definitely,” Torrence said. “I think I was in the final at Indy three or four times before we ever won it. It’s not that we were really beating ourselves, we were just losing close races. I think if you look at the final in Indy of ‘16, it was one of the closest races of the year. I raced (Tony) Schumacher in the final. It was just a crazy race, but we had a few of those.”

    SM: Some racers collect their own merchandise and some don’t. Are you a driver that collects your own merchandise and if so, what do you have in your collection that reminds you of your rookie season(s)? 

    ST: “I actually don’t,” the three-time Top Fuel champion said. “There are some things I wished I would have kept. I’ve got some old hero cards that I kept. Those are kind of neat to look back and be like ‘Damn. I’ve been doing this for a long time.’

    “There are certain things I’ve kept. I keep all of my helmets, certain firesuits, some of the hero cards. Now, I’m a little better about keeping those kinds of memorabilia.”

    SM: I’ve been asking drivers what their favorite Wally is out of their collection. What is your favorite Wally and why? 

    ST: “The first ones that come to my mind are shiny, gold polished ones that say world champ,” Torrence jokingly says. “Atlanta 2012 will always stand out in my mind. When you win a race with your own team, that will always stand out the most.”

    SM: Following up on your championships, talk about your first one in 2018. 

    ST: “I’m probably one of the drivers of late that has won a championship with and without the Countdown (NHRA’s version of the playoffs), he said. “Both ‘18 and ‘19 was the Countdown, but with ‘20 that was COVID so there was no Countdown. ‘18 was the year where we swept all six races of the Countdown. That (2018 championship) is by far my favorite.

    “We were so close in ‘17. We had the wreck at Dallas in the middle of the Countdown and we weren’t prepared enough in the backup car to make that seamless transition and we ended up losing the race the last day of the season to Brittany Force. Had it not been for the Countdown, we would have won the championship well before the season ended.”

    SM: Wrapping this interview up, it’s hard to believe your first Top Fuel start came 15 years ago. However, if time travel was available, what would a 38-year-old Steve Torrence tell a 23-year-old Steve Torrence? Is there anything you would do differently? 

    ST: “Oh yeah, I definitely would do things differently,” Torrence said. “I’ve had to learn those few lessons the last few years. Never lose your drive or intensity, always be you but be careful with what you say.” 

    In Torrence’s career, the CAPCO driver has won a total of 46 races in 259 starts. In addition, he has 23 career runner-up finishes along with 36 semi-final, 69 quarter-final round appearances and 81 first-round starts. He also has 30 No. 1 qualifiers and four DNQ’s with a record of 387-209.

    So far in 2021, Steve has amassed six wins in 11 races, one runner-up finish, two semi-finals and three No. 1 qualifiers, generating a record of 30-5.

    Fans of Steve Torrence can like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Additionally, you can check out the Torrence Racing website here.

    Many thanks to Natalie Torrence for coordinating and setting up the interview and special thanks to Steve Torrence for taking time out of his busy schedule to conduct the interview.

  • Ryan Preece – Turning obstacles into opportunities

    Ryan Preece – Turning obstacles into opportunities

    If you have spent any time in the NASCAR Cup Series garage you probably know that Ryan Preece is one of the most personable competitors at the track with a quick smile and charismatic personality.

    Once he straps into his racecar, however, Preece is all business with an unrelenting drive to succeed.

    In his second year at JTG Daugherty Preece was paired with crew chief, Trent Owens, after switching to the No. 37 Chevrolet. The transition was not without its hurdles due to practice and qualifying restrictions during the pandemic. But this year the duo seems to have hit their stride, earning three top-10s plus three additional top-15 finishes.

    Last week at the Pocono Mountains 350, Preece finished eighth. But that’s only half of the story. After damage to his primary car during practice, he had to drive a backup and start the race at the rear of the field. Most would see that as an obstacle but Preece wasn’t worried. Only a week earlier at Circuit of the Americas, he started in 36th place and finished 15th.

    “I was really confident that even in a backup car, we could go out there and pass to have a good day,” he said.  “Everyone at JTG Daugherty Racing works so hard every week to get all of our cars prepared, so the fact that we were going to a backup really wasn’t concerning for me.”

    It wasn’t the only challenge Preece faced during the race.

    “We knew we were going to be a little short on fuel, so we started early with fuel-saving techniques to make sure we had enough to make it to the end. Trent (crew chief) did a great job of keeping me informed throughout the race so I could do things myself in the car that would help us make it to the end.”

    It was Preece’s first top-10 since finishing ninth at the Daytona Road Course in February. There have been ups and downs throughout the season but the eighth-place result at Phoenix is another indication that the team is headed in the right direction.

    Although he experienced another disappointment with an engine failure at Road America, the stats confirm that his average start and average finish are better than they have ever been in his Cup Series career. The only missing ingredient is consistency.  

    Preece credits their continuous improvement to a number of factors.

    “I think just having two good races to start the season has helped to put us in a good position to continue learning throughout the season, rather than trying to dig ourselves out of a hole from the start. Working on my second year with Trent has also helped. Last year was our first year working together, and then we were without practice or qualifying which can really help him learn my driving style and help me learn how he makes adjustments with my feedback.”

    As the season progresses, Preece isn’t concerned about next month or next year. His goal is simple.  

    “We take every week one at a time,” he explained, “doing all we can to get a win or a top finish. Obviously, last year was not our best, and we had a lot of bad luck that went along with that. Being consistent and having strong runs right out the gate was a big help for our season, and we just continue to focus one race at a time.”

    Consistency – focus – one day at a time.

  • Exclusive interview with Corvette Racing driver Tommy Milner

    Exclusive interview with Corvette Racing driver Tommy Milner

    In this week’s Q&A interview, Speedway Media caught up with current GTLM and Corvette Racing driver Tommy Milner. Milner has competed for Corvette Racing since 2011 where he debuted for them at the Sebring race.

    Milner, a Winchester, Virginia native, discusses what he thinks is his best season is to date and what he considers as the most special win he’s given to Corvette Racing among many other topics.

    SM: You’ve competed for Corvette Racing since 2011 and you have 14 overall wins which include the American Le Mans Series and eventually the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series. which season do you think is your best season with Corvette Racing and why?

    TM: “The best (season) can kind of go different ways, right?” Milner said about the season. “Sometimes, the best can emotionally, in some way, the feelings you get throughout the year, some are better than others. I think 2012 stands out (as my best season); that year was my first championship, first ALMS win, just a year where everything kind of went right.”

    “Getting some of those wins made me feel a bit more comfortable and established some way with the team. All things considered, 2012 is my best year for sure.”

    SM: As a follow-up to that question, which of those 14 wins for Corvette is the most special? Or are there any podiums that remain especially meaningful to you?

    TM: “Le Mans in 2015, that one we really had just a faultless race from start to finish in tough conditions,” he said. “2013 Sebring stands out, those moments where everything comes together. You know, driving-wise, the cars feel great, I felt like I was at the top of my game. Getting those wins in those situations, that validation goes a long way.”

    SM: Is there a moment where you wish you had one of those races that got away, back?

    TM: “Daytona (2015), I’m not sure what year that was, but we were on a restart and we were first and second and I got caught up with a slow DP car and got damaged and that was already after we came back from a problem,” Milner stated. “The 15 car came out of the infield and got really loose and just bailed basically. I thought I had enough of a gap, but obviously not and I made contact. That was a race that definitely stands out.”

    SM: If your driving career was over tomorrow, but you had the option to stay in the sport whether it’s as a crew chief, engineer, specialist, marketing, Public Relations, etc., what would your other career choice be if you stuck around in motorsports but were not racing in IMSA?

    TM: “(My other career) would be something like a mechanic or engineer in some way because that was my upbringing in racing,” he said. “My dad was a team owner and he had an engineering mind and my brother-in-law was a crew chief, so I connected really well when I was younger with the guys working on the cars day in, day out.”

    SM: Sometimes people get mistaken for other people and that especially happens in racing a lot. Have you ever been mistaken for someone while on the grid for an IMSA event and if so, who?

    TM: “I get a lot of Oliver Gavins (Milner’s teammate),” Milner said. “I get some Jordan Taylors every now and then.

    SM: If you could relive a moment in your career, what moment would you choose to relive?

    TM: “I think if I could relieve the first Le Mans win now, I would appreciate it a little bit more but I think that’s what made that victory so special,” he said. “Just the way the race played out and everything. That was my first year with Corvette Racing.”

    SM: Your first race with Corvette Racing came in 2011 at Sebring. What do you remember about that race and how you came about with Corvette Racing?

    TM: “I have absolutely zero memory of that race to be honest with you,” Milner jokingly says. “Not because (the race) was bad or anything. My first real race was at Le Mans with the team and the test with Corvette at the end of 2010 at Sebring, those I remember very well. The race itself, I just don’t remember much.”

    SM: I am sure there are many achievements you would like to cross off well before you retire, however, is there a checklist or bucket list item that you want to complete before retirement?

    TM: “I would love to do a lot of different styles of racing in some way,” the Corvette Racing driver said. “I think it would be fun to do a little bit of off-road racing, some NASCAR, local short-tracks, etc. More than anything, the off-road stuff. It appeals to me more, but as far as accomplishments, I would l love to get a win at the 6 Hours of The Glen, which I thought was looking okay last weekend but that’s how it (racing) goes.”

    SM: For someone who doesn’t know what it’s like sitting in a GTLM car, can you describe what the feeling is like when you’re going at fast speeds on different tracks across the states?

    TM: “These days it feels like the cars are overachieving, considering where the cars started from 2006,” he said. “The class hasn’t changed much. Nowadays with the cars having so much more downforce, tires having a lot more grip, cars being more sophisticated, they are a lot faster.”

    “There are a couple of corners at a couple of racetracks, where the car and track combination nowadays is incredible. Mosport is one of them, Road Atlanta is one of them. The Glen here is pretty impressive. The cars are very fast these days and very fast to drive.”

    SM: Wrapping this interview up, let’s say someone were to play you in a racing movie. What would the title of the movie be and who is going to play Tommy Milner?

    TM: “Unfortunately, I don’t watch much TV or movies to have a favorite actor who I think would play me well in a Sports Car movie,” Milner said. “Perhaps one of my teammates would suit me well.”

    Fans of Tommy Milner can follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Additionally, you can follow Corvette Racing on Twitter and Instagram and visit their website here.

    Throughout Milner’s current IMSA career, he has scored eight career victories, 23 podium finishes and six pole positions. He won the championship back in 2016 and in 2012 in the former American Le Mans Series.

    Furthermore, he has four career wins in the NASCAR Rolex Grand-Am Series and six wins in the American Le Mans Series.

    Special thanks to Tommy Milner for taking time out of his busy schedule to conduct this interview and many thanks to Ryan Smith for coordinating the interview.

  • Exclusive: Interview with Tony Pedregon- The Force Years

    Exclusive: Interview with Tony Pedregon- The Force Years

    In this week’s interview, Speedway Media catches up with two-time Funny Car champion and current NHRA on FOX commentator, Tony Pedregon.

    We picked up with Pedregon as he discussed his years with John Force Racing, close finishes, racing with Force, making a name for himself and numerous other topics regarding his 1997 to 2002 years in NHRA Drag Racing.

    SM: In our last interview we talked about your 1996 season when you were hired by John Force to drive for his Funny Car team and how you got your first win that year at the Southern Nationals in Atlanta, out-racing Force in the final round. You recalled telling him after the win that he had “created another winner,” but also said that it created some awkwardness. When the 1997 season rolled around, had the awkwardness worn off enough that the two of you were comfortable having conversations about anything or was your relationship strictly racing related?

    TP: “No, I think after I won that first race (Atlanta, 1996), it (me winning) was a little bit of a shock (to John Force),” Pedregon said. “I don’t know if anyone would have anticipated the feeling when I won. The feeling for me was great. That was the opportunity of a lifetime for me. For John (Force, Pedregon’s former Team Owner), it was a matter of him just having a better understanding of what he was building, adding another driver, etc. The idea was to build an R&D program to help him win and be more successful.”

    “I don’t know if he (Force) understood all the things that came with it. After the ego fell off, he was able to leverage that. He was able to go back and say ‘Look, I built another program, this is a winner.” I was younger, somewhat marketable. I just wish he would have known that at dinner that night.”

    SM: Did you think it was hard for Force to realize that he had something with you that he could build on?

    TP: “Yeah, I don’t think it had set in,” he added. “It was not the most pleasant dinner, to be honest with you. (The) dinner was in Atlanta and there used to be this steakhouse called BT Bones. There were so many of us and I kept looking over, his close friend he grew up with, I was sitting next to him and he said ‘Boy, he’s not happy.’ I was young and I was thinking at least I won the race. Those are the things you go through. It was the start of something good, kind of broke the ice.”

    SM: Entering the 1997 season, I recall us talking about you finishing second in points in 1996. As you entered the ’97 season, were there any discussions with your team about how to finish one spot better? I assume that a championship was the goal for you in ’97.

    TP: “Not really,” Pedregon said. “It (winning the championship) took a few years. I think I understood my role with John. To be honest with you, John had the stronger car. We grew into a team that could win two to three races. John’s car was just more consistent. When we would race, they would set John’s car up to win under any circumstance.”

    “I remember in those early years, that was the kind of position I accepted when I worked for him. I think I was a good teammate, good player. I understood my role, but what happens over time is that changes. Just like anything else, people change. John would tell me if you guys get out there, I’m going to let you go. Whether he really meant it or was telling me to keep me mentally in the game, I think it was a little bit of both.”

    SM: Do you think him saying that was an intimidation factor?

    TP: “No, I don’t think so,” he said. “John always wanted to get to know people and one of the ways he would do that is going to bars. When we would race, we would always stay at a motel with a bar where we raced. I was a little frustrated with John, because if he hired someone to work on the car, he wanted to get to know him and hang out with him.” 

    “It was frustrating for him because I wouldn’t drink. He asked ‘Can I at least get you some milk?’ I said ‘John, what you see is what you get. I’m quiet and put the work in, I’m here and committed. I don’t think he ever thought it was that simple.” 

    SM: You opened that season up hot racing to a final round at the Winternationals against Force. Unfortunately, you came up a bit short after smoking the tires and moving toward the guardrail. When you look back on that, how tough was it losing in the Winternationals? Was it more disappointing to lose to Force than another competitor or did you look at it as a great finish for the team?

    TP: “I used to play it off, like at least I lost to John,” Pedregon said. “To be honest, the feeling of (losing to John) wasn’t any different. It (losing to him) was a bummer. I almost never looked forward to racing John, because we were teammates. I thought if there is a built-in advantage, then he has it (the advantage).” 

    “I intentionally didn’t really ask questions. I’m just going to get in the car and do what I can. I would always do things I wouldn’t typically do. I thought well, if they’re going to make my car lose traction. We tried that a couple of times, but it didn’t happen. That was always the funny part, if we tried to pull something like that.” 

    SM: The Slick 50 Nationals was the site of your first win that season and under special circumstances. You defeated your brother Cruz in what was the first ever round between brothers in NHRA history. What were the days like leading up to that event and what transpired afterward? You almost got the win yourself as you got close to the wall.

    TP: “I’ll never forget that race,” he said. “I’ll always remember we had a good car. I remember in the semi-finals and watching Cruz (Pedregon’s brother) win and thought that it would be cool if we could race each other in the final and I’ll never forget the feeling.” 

    “When the race was over, for me, it felt like a mission accomplished. Whatever happened after that was icing on the cake. Cruz and I come from humble beginnings, we were at the right place and right time. I didn’t really feel a lot of pressure racing in the finals. Whatever I do is going to be fine, whether I win or lose.” 

    “I remember at half track, the car started to drift toward the right. I had the steering wheel cranked to the left. Just before I got to the finish line, I thought if I don’t get off the throttle, I’m going to hit the wall. I was looking over to see if Cruz would blow by me and he never did, so that was a pleasant surprise.” 

    “It was emotional to me, not necessarily after getting out of the car but Rick Stewart (former NHRA starter) walked to me and he had raced with my dad (Frank Pedregon Sr.) in the 60s and told me when you guys were backing up, he looked up, and that was emotional to me.” 

    SM: 1997 was definitely a stepping stone for you as you earned two victories. Were you by that point more comfortable with the car and horsepower of the Funny Car and not on a learning curve anymore?

    TP: “Not as much,” Pedregon said about the learning curve. “I remember after the first win, John was in the parking lot and he pulled up and I saw him. He was on the phone with someone, and said, you’ll be happy to hear, I got a full-year (1997) for you. I thought wow, that’s pretty good. That took a lot of questions out of it.” 

    SM: In 1998, you and Force ran similar cars. Force ran the famous Castrol GTX while you drove the Castrol Syntec machine. Talk about how the sponsorship from Castrol came about and were there ever any moments where there was confusion since you both had the same sponsor? 

    TP: “When the Syntec sponsorship rolled around, it gave me my own identity,” he said. “I was no longer in the shadow of John. Just because the car was black, we had our own identity. As far as the mentality of the driver being able to be successful, from that perspective, it (sponsorship) was a good thing.”

    SM: During that year, you met Force in the second round of eliminations for the first time in a match-up between the Castrol cars at the Gatornationals. You had the jump on him but unfortunately you lost traction and Force went by you for the win. How tough was that since it was the first match-up between the Castrol schemes?

    TP: “It’s definitely not the preferred match-up,” Pedregon said about the Force-Pedregon race. “It doesn’t make for the most pleasant Saturday afterward. I remember thinking if we were on the ladder in the second round, he’ll (John) get beat. Maybe, I won’t have to race him. At least we lost to him. At times, I had to force myself to stay positive. I had to make an effort to do it because competitively, it wasn’t the best feeling.”

    SM: Just a few races later at the Fram Nationals, you were in a first-round match-up with Ron Capps. Your reaction time was .02 but Capps rocked it to the finish line for the round one win. It seemed as though in 1998, you and the team were on fire and gelling really well but losing in close races. Was that starting to get frustrating for you? 

    TP: “It always was frustrating,” he said about losing close races. “I remember most of those losses because you never get over it. I never kept track of reaction times and how many holeshots I won, lost. I do know anytime I lost in a close race, I told myself ‘don’t forget that.’ If you race long enough, you’re going to get beat. I just always knew that wasn’t going to happen. I thought, ‘I can’t give them that (win) next time.” 

    SM: Jumping ahead to 1999, you recorded what was at that time, the quickest Funny Car pass in history, with a pass of 4.799 seconds. Can you remember what it was like going that fast? What were your feelings afterward?

    TP: “I remember breaking into the 70s mark,” Pedregon said. “I remember getting off the throttle in those quick runs, because the body started to move around. I just remember I would get out of the car, I was glad to stay on the throttle. There again, we continued to get better as a team as the season wore on.” 

    SM: 1999 seemed to be a breakout year for you. You finished second in the standings once again. In addition, you earned three wins with seven final-round appearances, qualified for all the races and had four No. 1 qualifiers. What made 1999 so special for you and the team?

    TP: “Just chemistry,” he said. “I got better as a driver and more consistent. I think John Medlen (Pedregon’s former Crew Chief) would always tell me the most important part of the car is the fuel pump and the other was a supercharger. If we had a good one or two (supercharger), John’s team would take it. There again, we were the R&D car.” 

    “After a while, I could see things change. We became more competitive. He would have to pick and choose which supercharger to put on because we had the best. Out of those superchargers, John (Force) would pick the best and we would get leftovers, but we would make it work.”

    SM: In 2000, you won your first ever career race at Topeka defeating none other than John Force. In the post-race interview, you said “If you have to beat John to make a living, you’re not going to do very well.” How special was that first win at Topeka? Was it a bucket list item?

    TP: “Topeka, if the conditions were right, the track would be known for quick and fast,” Pedregon said. “I remember some of the post-race interviews, especially if John was in the final and thought ‘oh. They want both of us, it’s not just me having the freedom to say what I want.’ However, I had that respect for John.” 

    “John and I’s relationship was good. Things could get a little tough, I think we were always really solid as far as our relationship goes.” 

    SM: After the runner-up finish at the Winternationals, you were victorious at the Englishtown Nationals when you were the No. 1 qualifier for the first time in your career and you won against Force. What do you remember about that win and the event? I’m sure Englishtown remains very special in your career.

    TP: “Englishtown always was (for me),” he said. “In ‘01, things started to change. The competition was really good. It was just Englishtown. The good races were Gatornationals, Winternationals, and Englishtown. Englishtown is one of those (tracks) that has so much history. I go ‘Wow, we won Englishtown.’ If you could win those A races, those are the best ones.” 

    SM: 2002 was another breakout year for you. You won six races out of eight final rounds and once again finished second in the standings in two consecutive years to Force and for the fourth time in your career.  Was not winning a championship started to get frustrating for you? 

    TP: “I wouldn’t say frustrating,” Pedregon said. “In 2002, that’s when the game changed for me, because I don’t remember specifically what races we won but I do remember we won two in a row, they were past the halfway point in the season. When we won two in a row, he (Force) missed a couple of beats and we got close to him in the points.” 

    “When we got close to him in the points, that’s where it really came for me. I think we got close to 11 points. And when I got close, they (Force’s team) would call me back into the shop and it was Force, Austin (Coil, Force’s former crew chief) and Medlen and Bernie. They sat me down in Bernie’s office before California. It was Bernie who was always talking.” 

    “I’ll give you the short version. I know John told you, you had the chance, but you don’t have a chance (of winning the championship).” That to me was when it all changed for me. I didn’t say anything in the meeting, because I just listened to everything they said and I thought we were done in those meetings and John asked if I had anything to say and I said ‘anything I say will not change the outcome.’ If you’re asking me if I like it, I said ‘no.’ 

    “I said ‘John you gotta understand. When I wake up in the morning, what drives me to be good is if you think you had a chance.’ I would have been better off if you guys didn’t tell me. I walked out of that meeting and thought there’s nothing more I could do. We raced in the finals at Pomona and he beat me on a holeshot. I remember thinking if I beat him, they’re going to make my car smoke the tires, because the caveat for John that year was (winning) 10 championships in a row. Everyone was prepared for that, so therefore, I was never going to win if I made it to the final. I remember leaving the track that day, I just have to deal with it.” 

    SM: Obviously, winning the Gatornationals was special for you. A few days earlier, your grandma had died and you mentioned her in victory lane. I’m sure Gatornationals 2002 was a very emotional day for you.

    TP: “Yeah, yeah,” Pedregon said about the emotional win. “We weren’t as close to some of our family members as we would have liked, because we were racing. We spend so much time on the road. I think back on it and say ‘Why couldn’t we have carved out a little more time?’ I think they knew this is the path we chose.” 

    SM: Wrapping part two up, what would you say are your favorite memories from 1997 to 2002 as you began to come into your own? 

    TP: “We had some good times,” the two-time Funny Car champion said. “We had some not-so-good times that we haven’t talked about yet. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I think there are periods of time where guys that drive race cars live like rockstars. Not particularly at that level, but for us it was. You know, the circus comes to town, you roll in with these big trailers with names on them, suit up and put a helmet on, it’s almost like you’re different. I really enjoyed being around John (Force). The challenging times are far overshadowed from the good times he and I had. I could never blame him for wanting the control that he had because the business was his. I always understood that. That part of our relationship was good.” 

    Special thanks to Tony Pedregon for taking time out of his busy schedule to conduct this interview.

    Fans of Tony Pedregon can follow him on Twitter here.

  • ‘Controlled Chaos’ with Ron Capps

    ‘Controlled Chaos’ with Ron Capps

    In this week’s interview, Speedway Media caught up with Funny Car veteran and Don Schumacher Racing driver, Ron Capps.

    During the interview, the San Luis Obispo, California native discussed what he thinks his best season was, his favorite Countdown to the Championship win, his “Welcome to NHRA moment” and if someone were to play him in a movie, who would that person be?

    SM: You’ve competed in 571 races since 1995. During your 26 years of racing, which season did you feel was your best and why?

    RC: “I would say my best season would definitely have to be, 2016 (the year Capps won the 2016 Funny Car championship,” Capps said. “Looking back, I had some great seasons and memories with different teams such as the Copenhagen team with Don Prudhomme and the years we’ve come close to winning a championship. I would have to say the consistency and the grittiness we had to win the 2016 Championship is the best season I can remember.”

    SM: An additional follow-up to that question, since 2007 when the countdown started, you’ve gained six wins and six runner-up finishes. Out of those six wins in the countdown, what’s the most special win you’ve achieved?

    RC: “I’m not even sure. It’s funny you ask about those six wins in Countdown (NHRA’s version of a playoff championship). “Honestly, I don’t really remember (those victories). It’s funny because I only remember the races that we lost and the ones we lost I really thought we should have won were close races, to be honest with you.”

    SM: At one moment during a driver’s career, they usually experience an explosion in the car whether it’s the body flying off or the motor blowing up, etc. What would you say is the most violent or wildest crash you’ve experienced?

    RC: “The SKOAL explosion in Dallas (in 2002) the car body imploded on me, was probably one of the scariest explosions. The explosion trapped my arms in the car,” Capps said. “For sure, not an explosion, but the time (my car) went into the sand traps at Indy upside down and into the net, NHRA’s people (Safety Safari) could not get the net undone. They could not get me out of the car and that was probably two and a half minutes the scariest I’ve been in a Funny Car, just because the only way out of these things are the roof hatch and I couldn’t get out of that or the side windows. A lot of thoughts go through your head when you’re laying upside down with fuel, oil, and all the other stuff making weird noises.”

    SM: Has there ever been a moment where you’ve gotten lost at the track? If so, where did you get lost and how did you get back to the right destination?

    RC: “There’s been plenty of times where I have almost gotten into the wrong tow vehicle where we run special paint schemes and different colored cars and different things for NAPA, especially with cars you’re not used to,” he said. “I’m used to the original color. There’s been cars where I’ve seen change their color and other times like that where I’ve gotten a little bit lost at the track.”

    SM: Most drivers have their “Welcome to NHRA moment.” For you, when did you have that moment and how did you take that learning lesson moving forward?

    RC: “The first time I felt like I made it was in Topeka, Kansas with (the late) Al Hoffman (NHRA drag racer and team owner),” Capps said. Al Hoffman invited me to go back and hang out at the bar and offered to buy me a beer. I sat and had beers with Al Hoffman, which was one of those cool moments.”

    SM: If your driving career was over tomorrow, but you had the option to stay in the sport whether it’s as a crew chief, engineer, specialist, in marketing, etc., what would your other career choice be if you stuck around in motorsports, but were not racing in the Funny Car?

    RC: “If I stuck around the sport and had another job of sorts, eventually I would love to be a team owner and that’s my goal,” he said. “If I had another job at the track, I would love to work with younger drivers or be some sort of coach or maybe a team manager type of thing.”

    SM: Sometimes people get mistaken for other people and that especially happens in racing a lot. Have you ever been mistaken for someone while at the drag strip and if so, who?

    RC: “The funniest thing is and it happened to him, I would get called Jimmie Johnson,” Capps said. “I would be walking out of a Supercross race in Anaheim or at another event or something and I had people yell out Jimmie Johnson! He (Johnson) has had it done as well to him. My wife always laughs about it because she always sees the comparison between us.”

    SM: If you could relive a moment in your career, what moment are you choosing to relive?

    RC: “Some of those wins at the races when the kids were young and I have plenty of pictures around the house that we’ve been going through,” he said. “You take it for granted, especially when the kids are that young. Gosh, Sonoma with the kids in my arms in the winner circle. The first double with Don Prudhomme against Larry Dixon. I had my kids in my arms during the interview area, which was 1998.”

    SM: You have 26 No. 1 qualifiers with your first coming in ‘97 at Seattle. Favorite No. 1 qualifier?

    RC: “Honestly, this year in Gainesville,” Capps said. “We had John Medlen (veteran tuner who works for Don Schumacher Racing) and a lot of new stuff and getting used to new things. It was a lot like starting over. That was a big moment to come out with a brand new team and win the pole at the very first Camping World race.”

    SM: I am sure there are many achievements that you would like to cross off the list before you retire, however, is there a checklist or bucket list item that you want to complete before retirement?

    RC: “I’ve talked about it before, but going back to Top Fuel, would be one of them,” he said. “Going back to where I started as a professional, I someday would love to go back there (Top Fuel) and get to race with some of these drivers and teams who I don’t get to compete against in Funny Car. Teammate Antron Brown, Leah (Pruett), of course, (Billy and Steve) Torrence, Doug Kalitta. It would be fun to do that before I get out of the car completely. I know a lot of drivers in the past have done that and went back and forth (between classes). That (going back to Top Fuel) would be a big thing I would like to check off the list.”

    SM: For someone who doesn’t know what it is like sitting in a Funny Car, can you describe the feeling of going 330 mph in a matter of seconds?

    RC: “Luckily, I wore those glasses and posted the view on my social media pages inside a Funny Car,” Capps said. “It’s an amazing thing to go back and watch that (Funny Car runs during a camera view). Trying to describe it, the time you step on the gas in a Funny Car, it’s complete and utter controlled chaos. It’s like the world is flying apart for 3.8 seconds and you’re doing everything you can to keep it in the middle of the track, knowing you have everybody behind you. Controlled chaos is the best description I have.”

    SM: Wrapping this interview up, let’s say someone is going to play you in a racing movie. What would the title of the movie be and who is going to play Ron Capps?

    RC: “Shoot, I think Controlled Chaos like I said earlier, kind of a catchy thing,” he said. “I think it would be cool for somebody to have a breakout role, somebody that is up and coming that nobody really knows and their career takes off for some small movie about me.”

    Throughout Capps’s career, the Don Schumacher Racing driver has 571 starts, 66 career wins (second on the all-time win list to John Force), 61 runner-up finishes, 104 semi-final round appearances, 124 quarter round and 200 first-round appearances. He has 26 No. 1 qualifiers and 19 DNQs with a win-loss record of 772 to 486.

    Fans of Ron Capps can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

    Additionally, you can follow Don Schumacher Racing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out their website here.

  • Interview – Q&A with Truck Series driver Ryan Truex

    Interview – Q&A with Truck Series driver Ryan Truex

    In this week’s interview, Speedway Media catches up with Niece Motorsports newcomer, Ryan Truex. Truex recently joined the team for a full-season and will contend for the 2021 Truck Series championship. During the interview, the Mayetta, New Jersey native discusses what he considers his best season, if he has any superstitions about racing and his “Welcome to NASCAR” moment, among other topics.

    SM: You’ve run 52 races in your Truck Series career over the past seven years and have come close to winning multiple times. In your opinion, what’s the best you’ve ever run? 

    RT: “I’d say my best season was 2017 with HRE (Hattori Racing Enterprises),” Truex said. “We were starting to build new trucks during that year and really started performing well and coming close to winning races. I knew the team was on the verge of winning races at the end of the year. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to put something together for the following season and the rest is history.”

    SM: Following up on that question, you finished second twice in the series, once in 2016 at Daytona and then three years ago in 2017 at Loudon. Both times you had strong trucks. What do you think you could have done differently to score the victory or were those races just not meant to be? Is Daytona still a heartbreaker as you reflect back or is there a different race that you wish you had back?

    RT: “Daytona was a tough one because I felt like we were in the right position to race back to the checkered flag and have a great shot at the win. The caution just came out at the worst time when I was trying to build a run to take the lead back,” he said. “2017 Loudon was another tough one. We took the lead on a late restart and I did everything I could to hold (Christopher) Bell off, he just had a stronger truck than me at the end of the day. I believe things happen for a reason and that my time will come. I just have to keep working at it.”

    SM: Has there ever been a moment where you’ve gotten lost at a racetrack? If so, where did you get lost, and how did you get back to the right spot?

    RT: Road America 2018, it took me quite a while to find the garage area,” Truex said. “I ended up in a random corner like two miles from where I was supposed to be and had to open up maps on my phone and turn on satellite view to figure out where I was and where I needed to be.”

    SM: Most drivers have their ‘Welcome to NASCAR moment that’s happened during a race. When did you have that moment and how did you take that learning lesson moving forward? 

    RT: “One that sticks out to me is Talladega, 2012,” Truex said. “I was running an Xfinity car for JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) in a limited schedule. Back then we were still allowed to tandem draft at the superspeedways. I was running mid-pack, just riding, and none other than Dale Jr. latched to my bumper and pushed me all the way to the front. As soon as we got there, he left me out by myself and took the lead and I got pushed right to the back again. I like to imagine he was smirking behind that visor when he did that.”

    SM: In racing, many drivers are skeptical of myths or urban legends, things like the No. 13, no peanut vendors at the racetracks, etc. In your mind, what’s the craziest superstition you’ve ever heard as a racecar driver and do you believe in that superstition? 

    RT: “I don’t believe in superstitions but I’ve heard them all,” he said. “MTJ (Martin Truex Jr., Ryan’s brother) with the rabbit’s foot for Homestead in 2017 that Darrell Gwynn (former NHRA Driver) gave him is probably the craziest one that I’ve heard, but it obviously worked out pretty well.”

    SM: The Truck Series has really evolved from its beginnings in 1995 and has had a lot of storied drivers and unique races. If you could go back in time to race in a certain event, which event would you choose and why?

    RT: “I think the first year of the series would be cool to be a part of,” Truex said. “Lots of unique tracks and drivers and the atmosphere around the new series seemed like a really exciting thing to be involved with.”

    SM: Who is one race car driver that you believe will always have your back no matter what happens on the racetrack?

    RT: “I think the obvious answer is my brother (Martin Truex Jr.), but there are a few others out there that I have a lot of respect for and feel like that feeling is mutual,” he said. “Brett (Moffitt) and I have known each other for a long time and we’re teammates which makes it a great combo for us. I feel like (Matt) Crafton and (Johnny) Sauter have always been two drivers that I’ve always had a great relationship with on and off the track as well.” 

    SM: Sometimes people get mistaken for different people in real life and being on the grid. Has there been an instance where you were mistaken for somebody else?

    RT: “If I had a nickel for every time someone thought I was Kyle Larson, I could start my own truck team.”

    SM: As in most cases in racing, there are more bad days than good. Whenever you have a bad day at the tack, how do you pick yourself up and not let it ruin the rest of the day or the weekend?  

    RT: “I just have to remind myself that quitters never win and the bad days will always pass,” Truex said. “You can’t let yourself dwell too much on them.”

    SM: Rain delays are never fun during racing. How do you pass the time during a rain delay?

    RT: “Eat all the food.”

    SM: There are several new tracks on the Truck Series schedule, such as Bristol Dirt, Circuit of the Americus, Nashville returning to the schedule, Knoxville and Watkins Glen. Which of these tracks are you looking forward to the most and why?

    RT: “I have Watkins Glen circled on my calendar,” he said. “I’ve always run well there, and its a track I’ve been going to for a long time – since Martin was racing there in the Busch North Series. I feel like we will have a good shot at a win there.”

    SM: Wrapping this up, what’s one goal or expectation that you would like to achieve before the end of the year? 

    RT: “I’ve been around the national series level for a long time,” Truex said. “I’ve been very close to winning races multiple times and feel like I’ve proven I can get the job done, but I know I need to win. Bottom line. I think I have a team capable of doing it and my plan is to finally get some trophies this year.”

    Truex has made 53 Truck Series starts to date over a span of seven years, with 11 top-fives and 20 top-10 finishes with two poles along with 151 laps led. Additionally, the New Jersey native has made various starts in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series and won back-to-back NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Series Championships in 2009 and 2010.

    Fans of Ryan Truex can follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Additionally, you can check out his website here.

    Fans of Niece Motorsports can like them on Facebook, “follow” them on Twitter and Instagram. You can also visit their website here.

    Special thanks to Michelle Brachowski for coordinating this interview and many thanks to Ryan Truex for taking the time out of his busy schedule for the interview.

  • Interview: First Seasons – Ricky Taylor

    Interview: First Seasons – Ricky Taylor

    In continuation of our feature series, “First-Seasons,” Speedway Media takes a look back at a driver’s first year or rookie year(s) of racing. This week we catch up with 2020 Daytona Prototype International Rolex 24 winner and Wayne Taylor Racing driver, Ricky Taylor.

    In this interview, Taylor talks about growing up in a racing family, his first Rolex 24 start, how he prepared for his rookie season in 2008, his first victory at Lime Rock Park, how he handed expectations throughout his early years and so much more.

    SM: You entered Grand-Am Sports Car Racing at the age of 18-years-old back in 2008,  driving on a partial schedule of eight races. What it was like making your debut back then and did you feel like that age was the right time for you to start racing  professionally?  

    RT: “I have been very lucky to grow up in a racing family,” Taylor said. “To have my dad (Wayne Taylor, Team Owner of Wayne Taylor Racing) in the position he has been in, gave me many opportunities while I was growing up that I would not have had without him. In 2008, I was definitely underprepared to be competing in the Rolex 24, but it was a great opportunity to learn at a fast rate. And those opportunities to compete in major events with star drivers gave me the best schooling possible in what it  takes to compete at the highest level.”   

    SM: Obviously, you’ve grown up with the Taylor name which has been a household name in racing for many years now. When you first started Sports Car racing, was there a lot of pressure for you to perform well, or did that not bother you knowing you could go to your dad for advice?  

    RT: “It was a mental challenge for me,” he said. “I am a self-critical person, so it was natural for me to question why I was in a position that I was in. So, I always felt like I didn’t deserve what I was getting through my dad. But, at the same time, it would be silly to pass the opportunities up. It was great to be surrounded by such knowledgeable people and to have my dad play such a big role in my career helped me to learn in a way that most drivers do not have the opportunity to do. I always felt like I wanted to prove myself as a driver, first, to earn my position on merit and not because I was placed there, so that was always a struggle I had with myself to try to look at my career and performance impartially.” 

    SM: As you entered the 2008 season, you ran part-time, competing in eight races of the 15-race schedule. Why the part-time schedule and was it hard to keep expectations realistic as the season wore on? Talk us through what your general expectations were for that year?  

    RT: “A part-time season was a good opportunity to keep expectations in check and to learn as much as possible,” the two-time Rolex 24 winner said. “It was mixed together with a few different cars and tracks that were new to me so the pressure was high to prove myself but they were mostly with smaller teams where I could focus on learning with my teammates. 

    SM: Your first IMSA start came at the famous Rolex 24 driving for your dad’s team, in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing machine. You started fourth but finished fifth, eight laps off the pace. Can you discuss how excited you were for your first Rolex 24 and racing for your dad’s team in your first Grand-Am start? I’m sure that had to be something special.

    RT: “This was definitely an intimidating event and I felt very underprepared to be in a top team at the Rolex 24,” Taylor said. “But, (it) was very special to drive for dad for the first time and share the car with my mentor, Max Angelelli.”

    SM: As you look back on the Rolex 24 in your first year in 2008, how anxious or nervous were you as the race came closer and closer on your radar? Or were you ready to go by the time the green flag flew? Is there anything in your mind you could have done differently for a  higher finish?  

    RT: “I was extremely anxious and nervous before the race and it took me some time to settle into a rhythm in the race but did not drive much during the race.”

    SM: After Daytona, you competed for Beyer Racing and then Doran Racing, before switching to Beyer Racing in 2009 to run the full schedule. How did you get connected with Beyer Racing to give you a full-time shot?  

    RT: “Beyer Racing came about after meeting the Beyer family through Steven Charlesly who now works for Multimatic,” he said. “Steven was bringing the Beyer family into sportscar racing after they had been competing in their home state of Texas. We connected very well with the Beyer family. Jeff, who was the father, and Jared, the son/driver, and I had a great relationship in the first few races and it was a lot of fun to race together. Jared and I were a similar age and we both wanted to make a career of racing. We connected with the Cape Brothers to run the car for 2009 and it was a great group of people to compete together for the full season.” 

    SM: For the rest of 2008, you had some respectable finishes such as fifth at Birmingham and seventh at Mid-Ohio. Were you starting to get more comfortable with the car or was there still a learning curve for you?  

    RT: “It (my rookie year) was all a learning curve,” Taylor said. “Getting to race against people at a higher level than I was, made it to where I felt like I was constantly learning and while trying to remain confident in my own ability, trying to take in as much as possible to get to their level as fast as  possible, but it just took time.” 

    SM: After a brief year with Beyer Racing in 09, you returned to your dad’s team in 2010 and eventually earned your first podium finish at VIR where you finished third after starting fifth. Looking back, did you think you had a shot to win that race as you look at the results and how satisfying was your first podium finish?  

    RT: “2010 was a good year, where we fought for poles and wins throughout the year and, after a good year with Beyer, rejoining WTR (Wayne Taylor Racing) raised the expectations again.”

    SM: Eventually, one race later at Lime Rock, you won your first Grand-Am race after leading 95 laps. What does that first victory still mean to you and have you ever had a chance to watch that race back?  

    RT: “That (winning Lime Rock) was a great experience. It meant so much to win with Max and the WTR team,” he said. “Our car was extremely strong in Lime Rock and it was fantastic to break the seal of winning a race in the Grand-Am Rolex Series.”

    SM: Looking back on your early years as a rookie driver, are there any races that stand out  where you thought, ‘I think we could have had this one won had we done this part  perfectly?’ If so, what race sticks out?  

    RT: “There were many instances where we left the racetrack feeling that we could’ve done a better job,” Taylor said. “The most regular piece that I would take out of those early days was, with how limited the track time is, how we could make the most of the practice sessions and getting up to speed as fast as possible. Also, not being intimidated of the other competitors, but it mainly just took time to overcome that.”

    SM: Some racers collect their own merchandise and some don’t. Are you a driver that collects your own memorabilia and if so, what do you have in your collection that  reminds you of your rookie season?  

    RT: “I do keep hats and trophies from race wins,” he said. “But as far as my rookie season, mainly just  photos, videos and notes from the weekends.”

    SM: Obviously, you’ve won the Rolex 24 twice in your career. However, aside from those two wins, what is your favorite trophy out of your collection and why?  

    RT: “That (my favorite trophy) would have to be Watkins Glen 6 Hour from 2011 which was my first race win as the finishing driver.”

    SM: Wrapping this interview up, it’s hard to believe your debut came 13 years ago already.  However, if time travel were available, what would a 31-year-old Ricky Taylor tell an 18-year-old Ricky Taylor? Is there anything you would do differently?  

    RT: “It’s so hard to believe,” Taylor said. “I think the main thing would be to not be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone and to trust that the experience just comes with time. If I had to do anything differently, it would be to not care as much about what people think and maybe  not join social media.”

    Throughout Taylor’s career, the  Apopka, Florida native has earned seven career victories in the old NASCAR Grand-Am Series along with 20 podiums, 12 poles and 1,267 laps led. In today’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship career, Taylor currently has 71 career starts, 18 wins, 38 podiums, 17 poles and 3,431 laps led. The Wayne Taylor Racing driver also collected two championships (2017, 2020).

    Fans can follow Ricky Taylor on Social Media, by checking out his Twitter and Instagram accounts and liking his Facebook page.

    Additionally, fans of Wayne Taylor Racing can follow them on Twitter and Instagram and like their Facebook. Fans can also visit their website here.

    Special thanks to Liz Van Oostenburg for coordinating this interview and many thanks to Ricky Taylor for taking the time out of his busy schedule for the interview.

  • Interview: First Seasons with Antron Brown

    Interview: First Seasons with Antron Brown

    In continuation of our feature titled “First-Seasons” Speedway Media takes a look back at a driver’s first year or rookie year in racing. In this edition, we caught up with three-time Top Fuel Champion Antron Brown who discussed his rookie year in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

    In the interview, Brown reflects on his first start, not qualifying for the Gatornationals, his first victory at the Dallas Nationals in 1999, redemption one year later at the Gatornationals and many other special moments throughout his rookie years in NHRA.

    SM: You began racing in NHRA by competing in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class during your rookie year in 1998 at the young age of 22. Why did you choose Pro Stock Motorcycle and what it was like entering the Pro Stock Motorcycle class and coming up through the ranks?

    AB: “I chose Pro Stock (Motorcycle) because it (PSM) was what I grew up around,” Brown said. “I grew up as a kid racing motorcycles, from Motorcross to street bikes. That was my first start into it (PSM). That’s all I wanted to do to get in there and do that.” 

    SM: Before you started competing in Pro Stock Motorcycle, you connected with Team 23 Racing run by NFL star Troy Vincent which ultimately give you the chance to race. Can you explain how that connection came about?

    AB: “So, how that came about was, I was racing street bikes in Atco, New Jersey where there is a little small drag strip there and we were out there racing and I met Troy (Vincent),” the 3x Top Fuel NHRA Champion said. “That’s how the whole connection came together. At the time, Troy was married to my cousin. Troy wanted to get into the Motorcycle NHRA world and my cousin says ‘you know, I have a cousin that races dirt bikes.’ From that point on, he reached out to my family and got me on a bike and that’s how it all started.” 

    SM: When you entered the ‘98 season, you ran 14 races, a full-time schedule. What were your expectations? Were race wins or championships on your radar or did you take it one race at a time?

    AB: “We took the season race by race,” Brown said. “At the end of the day, I was a rookie. We had some good expectations and things of that nature. We came out to win and we wanted to win. Troy brought the best of everything. I remember everything like it was yesterday; that was the coolest part about it. Just being able to have the opportunity at the end of the day.” 

    SM: Your first career start came at the famous Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida but unfortunately, you did not qualify for the show. How did you prepare for the race and were you more nervous or just excited to get to the track? How did you handle not qualifying and do you think you could have done anything differently?

    AB: “That was hard,” he said about not qualifying for the Gatornationals. “We would qualify, but it was just an incident where we had a fuel jug mix-up. We actually qualified sixth, but we didn’t pass fuel inspection. Basically, we had regular unleaded gas in our motorcycle which wasn’t supposed to be in there. That was a rookie mistake, you know what I mean? It was a new team, new everything, just accidentally poured the fuel into the wrong jug. 

    “It was so funny, because everybody thought this new team was coming out here and trying to use cheap race fuel. We were like ‘are you kidding me?’ The bad part of it was, we were slower that lap. It’s not like we picked up from the lap we were trying to qualify with. That being said, we took our bumps and bruises, and then we qualified the very next race in the top five and had numerous semi-final appearances. 1999 was our breakout year winning three races in our sophomore season. We made the switch to Vincent-Hines race engines and that’s where I got tied in with the crew chief at the time, Mark Peiser. That’s where the whole narrative started to change. We learned, we studied and just became very competitive. The next year (1999), we finished third in points after finishing seventh in my rookie year (1998).”

    SM: Just a few races later at the Pennzoil Nationals, you would have first-round wins at the Pennzoil Nationals against Dave Schultz and John Smith in Round 2 and made the semi-finals for the first time in your career racing against Angelle Sampey. What did those first two round victories mean to you especially after you did not qualify for the Gatornationals? 

    AB: “It felt awesome to us as a whole team,” Brown said. “It was basically a moment like okay, we’re here. We are where we are supposed to be, all the hard work that took to get there. The whole team came together at a really fast pace of time and we were all new to the game. We were making some noise on the scene. We had a lot of people looking at you and a lot of people who didn’t want you to succeed also. It was refreshing to us to make that happen.” 

    SM: Is there anything in particular that you will always remember from the Pennzoil Nationals in 1998? 

    AB: “I will always remember everything from that weekend,” he said. “From the start of the year, I remembered it was awesome just to be there, to say this was a kid who grew up in Chesterfield, New Jersey and racing against the people I saw on TV. I was racing against John Smith, John Myers, Dave Schultz, who were the superstars of their career. It (making my debut) was a very eye-opening experience for me. I was very happy to be out there, let alone be competitive.” 

    SM: As the season wore on, you made three more semi-final appearances in your rookie season and finished a respectable seventh in the standings, just 811 points behind eventual champion Matt Hines. Would you call your rookie season a success all these years later?

    AB: “Oh, absolutely,” Brown said about his rookie season. “I would definitely call (1998) a success. With everything that happened, we learned all the right ways and we didn’t win right off the bat because the competition was so stout, but we just didn’t have the power to win. We were really getting out run. We finished where we should have finished. That made us open our minds, do our homework where we set ourselves up the following year to make a change. We made that change and making that change paid dividends.” 

    SM: One year later, you achieved your first runner-up finish at the Gatornationals, the site where you did not qualify one year prior. Did you feel as though that finish was somewhat of a redemption?

    AB: “Yes, I did,” the Don Schumacher Racing driver said about qualifying at the Gatornationals one-year later. “I came out there, we hit it hard and qualified well. We struggled a little bit after our first race with the new engine program. I remember my bike wasn’t shifting at a test. We would shift second gear and the gear would pop out. We had some transmission issues and we had to work through that. We definitely were on point after that.”

    SM: Finally, the next race at Dallas, you would get your first ever NHRA win. Have you ever gone back to watch that race and what does that win still mean to you to this day?

    AB: “That win right there, I tell you what, the victory felt like I’ve done something,” Brown said. “The victory was very heartfelt for sure. I can’t complain about it. Winning that first race will always be special to me. I always look at that victory to where I am now. Winning was like ‘Wow., we did it. We made it here.’ I think (winning) was the biggest thing for me.” 

    SM: With that in mind, what will be your fondest memory from your first two years in racing or your rookie season? Was it your first start, round victory, runner up, win, or something else?

    AB: “Actually, I raced in AMA Pro Star that year and I won my first race at Atlanta,” he said. “I raced against Paul Gast and that (in Pro Stock Motorcycle) was the start of it. That’s when we knew if we had our power, we could run with people and win races. We weren’t as fast as Paul, but we were within two-hundredths of him every lap. 

    “I took him (Paul Gast) out in the final round and I was cutting good lights, while Paul pushed the tree and got two red lights and we won that race. That’s when we knew, we have to get power to where we can be faster. In my rookie year, the front runners would be quicker than us running eight-hundredths faster. We could only qualify fifth through eighth it seemed like. If we qualified the first race, we could have finished fourth or fifth that first year.”

    SM: Some racers collect their own memorabilia and some don’t. Do you collect your own merchandise and if so, do you have anything that reminds you of your rookie season from Pro Stock Motorcycle?

    AB: “I still have the majority of 80% of all my stuff (from my rookie season in PSM or Top Fuel)” Brown said. “I definitely have saved a lot of my merchandise from over the years.” 

    SM: I’ve been asking drivers what their favorite Wally is in their collection out of all the years they competed. What is your favorite Wally and why?

    AB: “I would say my favorite Wally in my collection is my 2008 Top Fuel trophy (where Brown won against Tony Schumacher at Atlanta),” he said. “The reason being is that was the wildest dream I ever had of getting there (racing in Top Fuel). My dream was to become a Top Fuel racer and I never could have imagined in a million years of making it there. (Winning in 2008) was definitely a dream come true.” 

    SM: Wrapping this interview up, it’s hard to believe your first start was 23 years ago. However, if time travel were available, what would a 44-year-old Antron Brown tell 22-year-old Antron Brown? Is there anything you would do differently? 

    AB: “I would literally tell my younger self to not doubt myself and not to settle,” Brown said. “I had a few times in my career where I stayed poised, not plateaued. I stayed in the same spot because I got comfortable sitting in the same position for four years. That’s what I would tell my younger self is to progress faster and not sit idle.” 

    In Antron’s career, the Pittsboro, Indiana native has a total of 67 career wins, 16 victories in Pro Stock Motorcycle and 51 victories in Top Fuel including winning the championship three times in his career (2012, 2015, 2016). Overall, Brown has collected 57 runner-up finishes, 93 semi-finals, 119 quarter-finals and 102 first-round appearances which include Pro Stock Motorcycle and Top Fuel. In addition, Brown has a total of 49. No. 1 qualifiers with his first No. 1 qualifier occurring at Gainesville in 2001. His win-loss record stands out 741-371.

    Brown has made the playoffs for 11 years in a row with the exception of 2020 where there was no Countdown to the Championship. Throughout the playoffs, the Indiana native won 14 races, earned six runner-up finishes and had five No. 1 qualifiers.

    Fans of Antron Brown can follow him on social media on Twitter and Instagram and “like” him on Facebook. You can also visit his website here.

    Additionally, fans of Don Schumacher Racing can follow them on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook. Fans can also visit Don Schumacher’s Racing website here.

    Special thanks to Allison McCormick for coordinating this interview and many thanks to Antron Brown for taking the time out of his busy schedule for this interview.