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2010 News •2010 News •2010 News•2010 News •2010 News •2010 News
Great Weather and Response Greets Capitol Car at PVA Outdoor Display
It's not often that the Capitol Auto Group Dragster is displayed anywhere other than an indoor show prior to the month of March. In fact, this was the first time that the car has ever been displayed outdoors with a month of winter left to go. The dragster was on display for a Paralyzed Veterans of America event held this past Saturday at the Kroc Center in North Salem.
With most of the PVA event being held inside, the Capitol car was parked right outside the main entrance of the beautiful new recreation center where a lot of people stopped to look at the car throughout the morning and much of the afternoon. The spring like weather made the event worth while and it was the first time the dragster has ever been displayed at the popular new facility which served as a great back drop (above) for a photo op.
The Capitol Team Supports Paralyzed Veterans of America
The Capitol team will be displaying the Paralyzed Veterans of America logo throughout the 2010 season. The servicemen that now belong to the PVA have paid a big price to keep this country free and it's a privilege to help them out any way we can.
What's New? So Long "Big Blue"
For the Capitol Team, the most noticeable change this year is the absence of "Big Blue" our big old 1471 blower. In its place this year will be a smaller 871 Littlefield supercharger. Gary Eickman made a few modifications that included a spacer that rises the injector hat over the rollbar.
The engine will also have a new crank support system for the new Bow Tie block already in the car. The mag will also need to be moved behind the blower for clearnce. Ah, the ol' domino effect - change one thing and then have to change three more. Other than some changes in the engine department, most everything else will stay the same.
Editorial: Our Take
AHRA Could Save the Sport and Give New Life to Independent Racers forced to ParkBy Rich Bailey
Let's face it drag racing is expensive. Always has been and always will be. But when pro nitro racing costs $35,000 per race it gets to the point where it boarders on insanity that in the long run is not sustainable. It will only go as far as the sponsors allow it to as racing can't keep burning rubber down dragstrips paved with gold. We have all seen the door open to the regional independent racer now that there are less teams racing full time and that's good. But still, how can the independent racer afford it when you are talking about that kind of money per event?
Eastern Washington's Gary Omlin, driving Dean Alexander's Top Fuel Dragster would have a fighting chance to run a few races per year under the new AHRA. Currently driving their car in NHRA is cost prohibitive. There are a lot of racers like Omlin and Alexander looking for a place to race.
Earlier this month we saw the Snake reluctantly throw in the towel. Sadly, he's not the only one as each season there is another round of musical chairs where three more driver seats are pulled out and more teams are parked.
Last weekend I talked to Troy Moe of the newly reformed AHRA and while I can't discus all that was said I'm convinced that between the nostalgia movement and the new AHRA, independent nitro teams will have a home which means there will be more places to run other than the 24 event "big show". In fact AHRA won't book any NHRA top ten car which ensures the independent teams a place at the table.
To a much lesser degree, the same problem that independent pro teams have faced have also hit their blown alcohol counterparts. It use to be that a dragster similar to ours could run in a top alcohol class which we have done before in Spokane. Granted, we were not fast enough to win in Spokane but we qualified each time and held our own on the track. Now, running a Top Alcohol car is cost prohibitive and other than the former Spokane Raceway Park there are only a limited number of match races for cars like ours. So we don't really have a home either other than the Top Eliminator West Series.
Once again, Troy and his crew will come to the rescue with a wide open blown alcohol dragster class that doesn't require a high dollar top alcohol configuration. In fact, as I understand it, anything from a Top Eliminator West car to a current Top Alcohol car can compete. That's music to my ears. In addition, those tired of the super classes will be glad to know that many of the AHRA classes will forbid throttle stops and other electronic devices that have made a mockery out of some sportsman racing classes.Mr. Moe is looking for tracks in the Northwest and my guess is that if his current "AHRA Reunion Tour" is successful, tracks with expired contracts will be looking to join the Spokane based alternative. But first AHRA has to prove itself this season and I believe that it can. There was a full house for IHRA's opener in Florida which should give other venues some hope that they don't need John Force to be able to pull in a large spectator count.
A prescription of independent top fuel cars, nitro funny cars, blown alcohol dragsters and no electronic classes worked well at Spokane Raceway Park before it became an NHRA facility and it will work well at other Northwest tracks too. If NHRA wants to keep heading in the direction they already are, thats fine as long as there are sponsors to make that happen but the rest of us need an alternative before the sport sucks itself financially dry.
The Capitol Car will be Displayed in Eugene Roadster Show, March 20-21
The Capitol Auto Group Dragster will make its first ever appearance in the Eugene Roadster Show. The big show is coming up on March 20-21 at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene. Dennis Burri wanted to let racers know they are welcome and there is room for more entries. Dennis can be reached at 541-521-9007. Or you can download an entry form by going to the show's website at http://www.roadstershows.com/
Sponorship 101 is Back
We often get asked (and google searched) about how to find a sponsor. More sponsors equal a stronger sport. In these lean times it's tough for everyone looking for a marketing partner. As a service to everyone that has googled the subject or was affraid to ask here you go: Sponsorship 101
Great Review on the Twig Zeigler Film
There is a must read review on the new Twig Ziegler documentary on Go2Geiger.com. We are real proud of our own Chuck Stenberg who made another great racing film. Read the review here
Filmmaker Chuck Stenberg has sent a note to let everyone know that you can now watch his Twig Ziegler film on YouTube. This is a great film and those that have seen it have raved about it.
See it here
NGK Spark Plugs Renews with Capitol Team
NGK Spark Plugs USA has once again renewed for another season with Rich Bailey and the Capitol Auto Group Race Team. Like Royal Purple and King Bearings that also sponsors the Capitol team, NGK S
park Plugs are the best product available for the application and Bailey has been using them exclusively throughout his racing career. "It's always great to have a product sponsor and it's even better when it's a product you would use regardless. NGK is simply the best plug there is for any racing application. I can't think of a time when we have ever ran into a problem involving an NGK Spark Plug - They are just that good. We appreciate NGK's continued involvement with our team and their sponsorship of the recent Winter Rod and Speed Show" Bailey said. Check out NGK's hot website at www.artoffast.com
Royal Purple Synthetic Oil Renews with Rich Bailey for 14th Consecutive Year
For the 14th consecutive year Royal Purple Synthetic Motor Oil has renewed it's product sponsorship with Rich Bailey driver of the Capitol Auto Group dragster making it the longest sponsorship in the companies history. The company credits the sponsorship on Bailey's strong marketing program in the Northwest. Besides racing, the car is also seen at a lot of indoor shows and outdoor displays seen by a wide, diverse demographic which generate a lot of exposure for the Royal Purple brand.
Bailey has used Royal Purple for 13 years in his blown alcohol and injected alcohol dragster and credits Royal Purple for very minimal bearing wear thanks to Synerlec, a molecular component in the product that bonds to internal engine parts and guards the engine from wear caused by the extreme demands of the engine's performance of going close to 200 MPH in six seconds.
Royal Purple is available at most auto part stores including Schucks, Baxter's, Stuart's, NAPA, Pep Boys and Kenechts.
Capitol KYKN Car Shines at Home Show
The Capitol car shined like a diamond at the Mid Valley Home Show over the weekend thanks to team member Brian Walburn who got the car looking better than we have never seen it. The dragster looked so good that some thought it had never been down the dragstrip before. The car was a BIG hit as over 200 coupons for next weekend's Winter Rod and Speed Show was handed out. A lot of kids got to sit in it and a lot of questions about the car were asked. Thanks to 1430 KYKN for providing the space and even some radio air time on Saturday morning.
Racer Tommy Johnson Sr. Defeated Cancer With Alternative Medicine
MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Ten years after Tommy Johnson Sr.'s oncologist told him to prepare to die because the chemotherapy treatments weren't working on his colon cancer, the Iowa native is enjoying life with his family and his grandchildren.
How did he beat the odds? Through exhaustive research that led him to an alternative medicinal regime currently shunned by government regulating agencies.
In Johnson's just released, self-published book “The True Story of How I Survived Absolute Terminal Cancer”, the former drag racer describes the emotional roller-coaster he faced while desperately trying to find a cure after being told he had only three months to live. In his 80-page, paper-back book, Johnson details the daily regime he uses to keep the cancer at bay, shares his medical records and talks about how the life altering event changed him personally. He also candidly expresses his opinion regarding a cure for cancer and why he believes the medical industry doesn't want to find one.
In this emotional rendition of his battle with colon cancer, Johnson encourages people fighting the dreaded disease to never lose hope and to take control of their destiny by researching alternative treatments. Written in the first person, Johnson honestly reveals every emotion he faced and the various thoughts that raced through his mind after being given his “death sentence.”
For more information on the $19.95 book, “The True Story of How I Survived Absolute Terminal Cancer” or to schedule an interview with author and cancer survivor Tommy Johnson Sr., call (704) 576-6971 or e-mail him at tjsr5757@msn.com.
Prudhomme Unable to Secure Funding Will Retire and Sell Off Team Assets
Word out of Indianapolis is that one of drag racing's greatest icons, Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, has announced his retirement after being unable to secure funding for his Top Fuel team. Prudhomme lost his major backer US Tobacco at the end of last season after the company was aquired by Phillip Morris and the Skoal and Cope brands can no longer be advertised other than the companies parent name (US Tobacco) in accordance to the tobacco settlement.
Prudhomme retired from drag racing as a driver in 1994 but continued on as an equally successful team owner. In the 70's it was the best of both worlds for Prudhomme, his rival Tom "the Mongoose" McEwen and others as revenue from both sponsors, match racing and personal appearances was enough to continue racing. But over the last twenty years the dynamics had changed as winning at all costs literally meant just that and fuel racing without a major sponsor became completely unsustainable.
Through 2007 the good times managed to continue in spite of spiraling costs as enough companies had big enough revenue streams to fund most teams in need of sponsors. Then the Evon Knoll - Torco Fuels bubble burst that fully funded or partially funded nearly half of NHRA and IHRA's professional teams. Prudhomme among others recieved partial Torco funding before the colapse. Then in 2008 the economy began showing signs of weakness which began to eliminate even more pro teams from competition.
In 2009, some independent teams saved the day and helped fill fields at events close to home with the chance of qualifying. But by most accounts nitro racing as we once knew it was in trouble as few sponsors or teams could keep pace with the rising costs. Now, in 2010 the year begins with the exit of what seemed to be one of NHRA's most untouchable teams.
At the US Nationals, Prudhomme made it be known that if a sponsor was not found for the 2010 season then he would retire from the sport for good and sell or liquidate his operation. At one point this Fall Prudhomme was optimistic he would be back as a sponsor would be found.
When asked at the California Hot Rod Reunion in October if he had found a sponsor for 2010, a somewhat cynical Prudhomme referred all questions to the people running his display and t-shirt trailer. Their response when asked if any progress had been made was that an announcement would come just as soon as they had something important to announce.
As both a driver and team owner, Prudhomme has won a combination of six National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) World Championships and 112 National Event victories in both Top Fuel and Funny car. Prudhomme's most successful years were from 1975 through 1979 when he captured national recognition by dominating drag racing a the wheel of his Army sponsored funny cars (pictured).
Below is a story written after Prudhomme's announcement in September that he might quit if a sponsor wasn't found for 2010.
A Look back at 2009
Perseverance and dedication kept the Capitol team on the right track ensuring good exposure in 2009, even in the face of adversity. With the heartbreaking death of Capitol crew chief Jeff Lauener, 2009 was not one of the team's best years. But inspite of some hard and difficult times, the team still managed to land on its feet at the end of the day.
In January, Rich Bailey and the Capitol team promoted the Winter Rod and Speed Show and displayed the dragster inside the Linn County Expo Center. The event was a giant success and raised close to $10,000 for a Corvallis girl named Cricket who has been battling cancer.
In February and March, the Capitol Auto Group car was down for maintenance and an engine rebuild which allowed enough time for the race team to put together Jeff Lauener's front engine dragster as it had been a part. This was at the request of his wife Kimberly, who wanted Jeff to see the car together after it had been repainted. The team then display the car at the Eugene Roadster show for their close friend and mentor.
In April, the Capitol car was on display for the first time at the Performance Jobber Trade Show at Portland Expo Center for Baxter Auto Parts and Performance Warehouse. Next, the team returned to the track and ran one of its best runs ever, a 6.79 in testing at the Tulip Festival Drags. In May the team did five events in just 10 days including appearances at Pringle School, the Salem Relay, the Keizer Fire Department, Show Biz and the Woodburn Season Opener. It was at the Season Opener where a connecting rod exited the block and destroyed the engine, but even against all odds, the race team would soon claw back and restore the performance they were accustom too over the last two seasons.
In June, the team traveled to Spokane for a NAPA Auto Parts event hosted by Jim Rugg and Royal Purple Synthetic Oil as a new engine for the car was being built by Art Mendoza. Besides the unexpected down time, June was a difficult month for everyone as Jeff Lauener the crew chief for the last three years had sadly passed away from the stroke he had a year prior.
In July, the team was back in the saddle starting with the Western Days parade on the fourth and then right after the parade the car was displayed at the fireworks show on the Salem Waterfront that same evening. Between the two events, tens of thousands of people saw the dragster in just one day.
The following weekend, the Capitol team entered the NHRA event in Woodburn but broke a lifter on the first run with the new engine and chose to withdraw from the race rather than chance debris in the form of needle bearings from the lifter doing any additonal damage. The new engine was rebuild again. The next event on the schedule was a motorsports seminar that driver Rich Bailey conducted for a group of kids at the Victory Racing Camp in Portland. The Victory Racing Camp event went very well. July wrapped up with a fairly high profile display at the Dallas Summerfest in Dallas OR.In August, the team went to the Nitro Summer Fest race in Medford as a featured car but a freak thunder and hailstone storm ended the race before the first round ever began. It was reported that the storm caused thousands of dollars in damage and hail close to the size of golf balls even knocked a Medford race official to his knees and destroyed a Capitol crewman's tent. During the day the temps were over 100 degrees and nobody ever thought the race would end up raining out. But that was not all, on the way to the race two tires on the truck blew out, cracking the left back fender.
Back in Salem, the car was displayed at a pair community events including the National Night Out and a display and presentation at Schirley School. The car was then displayed for two straight days at the Summer in the City event held in downtown Salem. The following weekend the car was at the Night of Fire, the summer benefit car show that Bailey, Jim Billings, Mike Adams and Lee Morgan promotes. This successful event raised over $6.000 for a young girl with cancer. The team then did three more displays at Capitol Chevrolet and the Stereo Store in Corvallis.
At the end of August, team owner Rich Bailey announced that Chris Wollertsen would become a crew member replacing Jerry Abbott who chose to leave the team in July. Bailey also announced that Brent Sanford was officially the new crew chief replacing Jeff Lauener, who had passed away in June. Sanford was in the crew chief role much of the year but not officially out of respect for Lauener. Bailey made the decision based on Sanford's solid commitment to the team and his ability to focus and get the work done quickly. This lead to a favorable story about Sanford in the Keizer Times.
In September, the team with an official new crew chief returned to racing in a big way by qualifying no. 1 and going to the semi final round at the Fall Classic at Woodburn Dragstrip. The team then returned to Medford and raced at the Final NHRA event of the year qualifying 5th out of 34 cars but lost in the first round. After participating in an RV show at the Oregon State Fairgrounds and doing a display at the Albany Stereo Store, the team rolled through the Festival of Lights Parade in Downtown Salem and won the "Best Auto Entry" for the first time in ten years of being in the parade.
To end the year, Bailey announced that long time title sponsor Capitol Auto Group who would be back for an eleventh year and also announced the return of KYKN1430 as a major associate sponsor. One of the brite spots of 2009 was the team's web site which saw a dramatic increase in traffic thanks to promotions like 64 Funny cars, a feature story on Cristan Powell and an interview with "240 Gordie" Bonin. Traffic has doubled over 2008 and is now close to one million hits for the year.
