NHRA
Chuck Etchells Richmond Preview
ETCHELLS POISED TO DUPLICATE LAST YEAR'S RICHMOND WIN Putnam, Conn., April 17, 1998 - There is one component that can be critical to a team's success. This item cannot be purchased, ordered or fabricated, yet veteran crews and drivers ...
Edited: May 8, 2001, 12:19 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
ETCHELLS POISED TO DUPLICATE LAST YEAR'S RICHMOND WIN
Putnam, Conn., April 17, 1998 - There is one component that can be critical to a team's success. This item cannot be purchased, ordered or fabricated, yet veteran crews and drivers acknowledge its significance, and strive to have it at all times. This elusive ingredient is confidence. Although it adds no extra horsepower or any other mechanical advantage, a confident team is more likely to perform at the level necessary to succeed. Chuck Etchells and his Kendall Oil/MaMa Rosa's Pizza/Superwinch Racing team will have a slight edge in this department when they unload their Camaro Z28 Funny Car this week at Virginia Motorsports Park, for it was one year ago that they left as the winners of the Pennzoil Nationals. Secure in the knowledge that they were able to master the track and their fellow racers then, they return with their focus firmly on repeating the feat.
"With the competition as close as it is, you take any advantage you can get," said Etchells. "Returning as the defending event champions gives our team a little boost that no one else can claim. When you add that to the other improvements we've made since last year, I think we'll be right in thick of things throughout the weekend."
This year's NHRA Winston Drag Racing schedule places this event in the middle of a grueling stretch of races on three consecutive weekends. With less time than normal to prepare their cars, teams will have to rely on notes made during prior runs when installing their initial set-ups. With only four qualifying attempts in which to gather crucial information, there is no time to chase a problem. Each pass must be used to fine tune their Funny Car and obtain maximum performance. This assignment will be made slightly easier by the fact that conditions at Virginia Motorsports Park, such as the air density and coarse racing surface, are similar to those found at the Atlanta Dragway, where they raced less than five days before. Although it therefore stands to reason that those who make a strong showing in Georgia will do well in Richmond, one cannot discount a veteran crew chief's ability to learn and adapt. Mistakes can and will be corrected, with a resulting improvement in performance. With elapsed times dropping and top speeds soaring, constant improvement is a necessity to remain competitive.
There is one other incentive that pushes the competitors. With the impending arrival of warmer weather, the capacity for record-setting performances, common occurrences over the last three events in all the professional categories, will start to diminish. The Richmond race is often seen as one of the final opportunities to post a big number before the summer, one last chance to make a statement to your rivals, and gain valuable points should you succeed.
"Every race on the schedule is crucial towards winning the championship, and although it's still early, these three weeks could tell a lot about a team" explained Etchells. "This Kendall Oil/MaMa Rosa's Pizza/Superwinch team's goal is to take our results from Atlanta and build upon them at this race. Naturally, that would mean scoring back-to-back wins at the Pennzoil Nationals, and I know we have the means to do it!"
ETCHELLS EXCERPTS: As we head into Atlanta, Etchells stands second in the Winston points standings, and is only two behind current leader Cruz Pedregon.....Chuck is looking duplicate his win at this event from a year ago.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article CHAMPCAR/CART: Rio Team Kool Green Friday Practice Report
Next article BUSCH: Loudon Post Race Notes
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Chuck Etchells
Blake Alexander Living the Dream at Bristol
NHRA
NHRA
Blake Alexander Living the Dream at Bristol
Dom Lagana's Top Fuel dragster set up for success at home in Englishtown
NHRA
NHRA
Dom Lagana's Top Fuel dragster set up for success at home in Englishtown
Brown, Nobile and Lagana are hometown favorites at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
NHRA
NHRA
Brown, Nobile and Lagana are hometown favorites at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
Latest news
MotoGP Qatar GP: Marco Bezzecchi wins as Marc Marquez has title triumph delayed
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
3 min
MotoGP Qatar GP: Marco Bezzecchi wins as Marc Marquez has title triumph delayed
LIVE: F1 Brazilian GP - Kimi Antonelli leads Lando Norris, Max Verstappen on a charge
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
53 min
LIVE: F1 Brazilian GP - Kimi Antonelli leads Lando Norris, Max Verstappen on a charge
WEC Monza: Cadillac wins chaotic finale, #8 Toyota seals drivers’ title
WEC
WEC WEC
Monza
1 h
WEC Monza: Cadillac wins chaotic finale, #8 Toyota seals drivers’ title
Justin Allgaier is a Hall of Fame asset, nearing a Hall of Fame resume
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Homestead-Miami
1 h
Justin Allgaier is a Hall of Fame asset, nearing a Hall of Fame resume
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe