Dave Heitzman Richmond preview

Dyno Dave looking for national win in Virginia

DINWIDDIE, Va. - On the heels of two-straight divisional wins, NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster rookie "Dyno" Dave Heitzman and the Skull Shine/Torco Race Fuels team will be looking for their first national win at their sponsor's event, this weekend's Torco Race Fuels Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park outside of Richmond. Heitzman enters the event hot off a win in Earlville, Ia., last weekend and hopes to do well at his sponsor's race.

Heitzman, an employee of Torco Race Fuels in Decatur, Mich., is excited about taking the company's colors into battle at their event.

"This is our first chance to run at a Torco sponsored national event," said Heitzman. "Hopefully, Tom and Shane Conway give me a rocket this weekend. Other than the rain forecasted, the conditions look pretty good for an A/Fuel car, so it should be a fast weekend. We've done good on the divisional level, and it has just made this Skull Shine/Torco Race Fuels team hungry for a national win."

With four other Torco sponsored entries in the field to contend with, Heitzman realizes he's not the only one trying to make a good showing for his sponsor.

"We're not the only Torco car here trying to do well," commented Heitzman. "There's five of us here, so the best we can hope for is four of us in the semifinals. We're also teammates with Lee Callaway, so we're pulling for him to do well too. Lee and I always joke back and forth lines from that Talladega Nights movie. He gives me a hard time, so hopefully I can take him out in the final and tell him 'silver's good' like he always tells me."

Qualifying begins on Friday for the alcohol cars, with one final qualifying shot Saturday morning. Eliminations begin Saturday afternoon, with final eliminations concluding the event on Sunday.

-credit: lor