7/28/08

Thank you, Robert! Oh thank you, thank you, and thank you!

That was just about the best medicine anyone could have prescribed for JFR as the winless stretch that dates back to Topeka at the beginning of June is finally Finito Benito. And this isn’t the first time Robert has stepped up and won a national event when things have been in a total funk.

Beating Gary Densham did contribute to some mixed emotions since Gary and John go back a vvveeerrrrryyyyy long way and ever since Gary left the team at the end of 2004, he has been fighting with every ounce of his energy to stay in the sport despite the enormous financial obstacles. Still, a runner-up finish against so many bigger-budgeted teams with an outfit that isn’t exactly swimming in cash may help him pick up some new sponsorship interest.

Ashley’s No. 1 qualifying spot added yet another impressive milestone to her sensational racing resume. I emailed her Saturday night to offer her my congratulations since I wasn’t able to make the West Coast races this year and I could tell from her response that she was really jazzed. Unfortunately, Tim Wilkerson ended her day in the second round on Sunday, but in all fairness, he’s been doing THAT to a lot of drivers this season. And if it’s any consolation (and it’s feeble consolation at best) Ashley did advance one round further than sister Courtney, who bowed out in the first round of Top Alcohol Dragster.

But Robert saved the day with his first win since Pomona in February. If anyone had said back then that it would take another five months and 14 national events for Robert to win another race, would we have believed them? I doubt it. Of course, who would have anticipated that John would have only one win this late in 2008, Ashley would only have a single victory by now, and Mike would still be after his first career win—with no fewer than three runner-ups?

Robert slipped back into second place in the points with his win on Sunday but when you talk to the drivers who are safely in the top ten in points with three races to go in the Countdown to 10, you really don’t hear a lot of feedback regarding their points positions. The Countdown has changed all that and it matters little where in the top ten a driver finishes with the only real benefit at stake is the 20 bonus points the No. 1 driver will take with him into the Countdown to 1. Right now, all four of the JFR drivers are in the top ten, with Mike in ninth and still 96 points ahead of Bob Tasca III, who remains in eleventh.

Somehow, Don Schumacher’s four cars are two-for-four in the top ten. Ron Capps and Jack Beckman are in; Gary Scelzi and Jerry Toliver are out. The Schumacher headquarters are living large in Top Fuel with Tony Schumacher rolling over everyone, but the Funny Car story is entirely different. Tim Wilkerson is defying gravity with his run this year with JFR and DSR hoping they can put an end to this year’s runaway Cinderella story. No matter what happens, Tim is a guy you would have a hard time rooting against. He’s a hard-working, hard-racing workaholic who has earned everyone’s respect and would be the first guy in line to help another racer who was in a bind. Tim’s cool.

Well, the Western Swing is over, there’s a week off between now and the next race up in Brainerd, MN, and everyone gets a little breather before the stretch run into the Countdown to 1. Some down time is exactly what we all could use, so enjoy the peace and quiet before things get rowdy and unruly again in two weeks. I’ll spin some more of my meanderings your way after the Lucas Oil Nationals so I’ll catch up with you then.

In the meantime, buckle up, keep right except when passing slower traffic, and drive safely.

Thanks!