IS BEARD TRIMMED?
The
Agent received a press release from the Don Schumacher team
responding to rumors of a change in the Matco Tools Dodge
Stratus Funny Car team.
Schumacher stated that crew chief Lee Beard continues to
be a member of the Don Schumacher Racing organization and
that Dan Olson, who has been co-crew chief on Ron Capps'
Brut Dodge Stratus Funny Car, will take over as crew chief
on the Matco Tools Dodge, beginning at this weekend's Englishtown,
NJ, event. Beard will take a break for a few days before
returning to work for DSR.
"Lee Beard is a very good friend of mine, not just
an employee, as are all of my employees," said Schumacher.
"However, both Lee and I agreed that, after four first-round
losses and a DNQ, it was best to take a look at the situation
through a different set of eyes.
"Beard is an extremely valuable asset to our organization
and he will continue to contribute to the success of our
teams at Don Schumacher Racing."
Uh-huh. (Jeff Burk photo)
[6-14-2005]
ALL MIKE ASHLEY, ALL THE
TIME
The
Agent hears that a new Fuel Funny Car and an NHRA Pro Stocker
aren't the only new additions to the Gotham City Racing
team. One of Agent 1320's operatives says that Annette Summer
will be having Ashley's Gotham City logo on the rear quarter
panel of her doorslammer. The Agent doesn't know just how
much funding or if Ashley's crew chief will be helping Summer
get her turbo-Vette running but the Mike Ashley/Gotham City
Racing empire just keeps growing.
Ashley, who has won a record 16 rounds of racing including
two or three final rounds in NHRA's AMS/TLR Pro Mod series,
tested today (June 13) in the Creasy/Torco Fuel Funny Car
that put John Force on the trailer at the just completed
NHRA Chicago event. Trying for his nitro license, Ashley
demonstrated once again that he is a very competent driver.
On his first lap in a Fuel Flopper he was supposed to do
a burnout and an eighth-mile squirt. The burnout and staging
went perfectly as did the lap to the eighth-mile but then
it got interesting.
According to the Agent's source in Chicago, the throttle
hung up on the body and Ashley had to hit the fuel shutoff.
He got the car stopped without any damage other than scrapping
a header. A tip of the Agent's yamaka to Mike Ashley for
a nice driving job. (Jeff Burk photo)
[6-13-2005]
FUNNY PAPERS, PT I
ADVERTISEMENT
 |
One of the Agent's operatives called to say that part of
the reason for the miserable performance (DNQ!) of the Whit
Bazemore Funny Car last weekend was a reported public ass-chewing
of tuner Lee Beard over the tire smoking lap in eliminations
at Columbus. According to the Agent's source, Beard was
told he'd better not to smoke the tires again. Evidently
he made sure that didn't happen at Chicago.
Rumor has it that Beard will be getting a baseline tune-up
similar to what McCulloch got and will begin over from there.
Oh, and the Agent would bet a large number that Beard has
a contract and that firing him would cost Mr. Schumacher
serious cash. Ooohhh it must be fun working in that camp.
[6-13-2005]
FUNNY PAPERS, PT 2
An NHRA VP and Member of the Board of Directors told a
few Pro owners at the recently completed Chicago race, as
reported here months ago by the Agent, that NHRA would be
increasing Professional purses by a cool $1,000,000.
Let's see if the Agent's old abacus is working, that figures
out to an increase of $5,000 to $10,000 per Pro winner.
Are those moths in the old NHRA wallet? [6-13-2005]
