The Agent hears that an emergency procedure was performed after the race at the Janesville Tap in nearby Janesville, Iowa when Nicholson's helmet had to be cut off the swollen head of the formerly attractive driver. The Agent would remind Nicholson that in winning the first time out, there is nowhere to go but down!

ROLAND LEONG JOINS ETCHELLS RACING
Veteran tuner Roland Leong will be joining the Chuck Etchells Racing Team starting with the Pep Boys NHRA 50th Anniversary Nationals in Pomona, California. In his capacity as crew chief on Jim Epler's Racing Champions/Matco Tools Camaro, Leong will work alongside current Etchells brain trust members Terry Manzer and Larry Meyer.

"We're excited to welcome Roland Leong to the Etchells Racing Team," stated Etchells. "We knew that in order for our program to continue to grow and prosper, we would need to add another senior member. Unfortunately, due to our well-documented problems, we had been unable to do so until now. It was also very important to find someone who would work well with the people we already had in place, which should not be a problem with Roland.

Leong has been a fixture in the world of NHRA Winston Drag Racing virtually since the sport's inception, following a long and successful stint as the owner of the legendary "Hawaiian" race cars, with an equally productive tenure as a crew chief, most recently with Ron Capps. Despite these impressive credentials, however, Leong's primary concern prior to accepting this new assignment centered on an essential and often elusive component found in any winning effort.

"Team chemistry is very important to me," said Leong, "so before I decided to join Etchells Racing I spoke to Terry Manzer to make sure we were on the same page. I have always believed that two heads are better than one. We have a limited amount of time to make decisions, and sometimes time one person will catch what someone else might miss. However, those two heads must work together in order to be successful. Not everybody can, so it was important for me to find out where Chuck and Terry stood on things before taking the job.

"My theory about racing these cars is to take it one run at a time, learning what the car wants and likes. That's why (John) Force does so well, taking the experience and information from so many runs and using it to his advantage. Some people expect miracles overnight, and although that can happen, long-term success is often the result of hard work and time, and that is how I'll approach my job here."

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