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Gainesville: Doug Foley preview
'Giant Killer' Foley ready to resume mayhem in Gainesville GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 10) -- Top Fuel driver Doug Foley returns to the drag racing world for this weekend's 39th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals with every intention of resurrecting ...
Edited: Mar 12, 2008, 3:34 AM
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'Giant Killer' Foley ready to resume mayhem in Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 10) -- Top Fuel driver Doug Foley returns to the drag racing world for this weekend's 39th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals with every intention of resurrecting his status as the POWERade tour's "Giant Killer."
After finding much success on the IHRA tour, Foley made the move to the top level of the sport in 2007 and immediately became a thorn in the side of many of the top racers in the NHRA's premier category. His reign of terror was so noticeable that after beating the likes of five-time champion Tony Schumacher, Brandon Bernstein, "Hot Rod" Fuller, Cory McClenathan, and J.R. Todd, among others, in five impressive semifinal finishes, the media covering the series dubbed him "Giant Killer."
"We had confidence coming over to NHRA that we could run with anyone," Foley said. "Of course, you don't expect to come out and have the kind of success we had against those big-time teams, but that's the way it worked out for us. The 'Giant Killer' deal really took off and the fans seemed to enjoy it so we just had some fun with it."
After losing his primary sponsor less than a month before the start of the 2008 season, Foley was forced to change his plans from figuring out the best way to continue his streak to how to keep his team intact. The answer was simple; all of the crewmen on his team dropped their wrenches and started dialing up potential sponsors, refusing to give up without a fight. It was the same tenacity they showed on the racetrack.
Foley, who runs Doug Foley's Drag Racing School at Atco Dragway near Philadelphia, soon inked a deal with FX Caprara Kia of Watertown, N.Y., for this weekend's race in Florida and possibly the upcoming 21st annual O'Reilly Spring NHRA Nationals in Houston.
"We need to use this time as wisely as possible," said Foley, who co-owns his team with retired publishing executive Tim Lewis. "I need to work the room, per se, at this race, trust that the guys can get things done in the pit, and make myself a lot more visible. I have such a talented crew chief in Doug Kuch. He's the reason for our success last season and he'll be the one making it all happen on the racetrack this year as well.
"I think we showed we have a great team last year. We weren't the quickest or the fastest car but we were quick enough and more importantly, consistent enough, to go rounds every race. That hasn't changed. The thing to do now is find a marketing partner that's ready to benefit from the hardest working group in the sport."
-credit: f&lr
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