RICKIE SMITH RETURNS TO YATES TEAM

Jim Yates has re-hired veteran crew chief and former driver Rickie Smith to assist him and his son/crew chief Jamie Yates for the rest of the season. That addition, plus the discovery of a weak spot in the primary engine in Yates' SplitFire/PEAK Pontiac, provided a spike in enthusiasm as preparations began for the Lucas Oil Nationals, Aug. 15-17, at Brainerd International Raceway.

"Bob Ingles, our engine builder, fixed our race motor so it's back to where it's supposed to be," Yates said, "and he's finishing up our backup motor. Bob found water in a cylinder, discovered leaks in cylinder, fixed it and the performance came right back up when the engine was on the dyno. That should help us run some good numbers in Brainerd.

"We broke a rocker arm on the second qualifying run at Seattle and that jarred the cylinder head and opened a crack in the port. It was leaking water into the motor when the throttle was wide open. There weren't any indications what was happening." (photo by Jeff Burk) [8-15-2003]

CRITCHLEY CRASHES; JEFFERS TO THE RESCUE

Agent 1320 has learned that AMS Staff Leasing's engine builder/tuner/driver, Troy Critchley, had a minor accident August 14 driving the team's supercharged 'Vette in testing at Houston. According the Agent's source in the Houston area, Critchley banged up the front and back of the car bad enough that it needed some serious repair. The original builder of the 'Vette, Tommy Mauney, couldn't repair the car because his shop was maxed out with customer cars. The AMS team then contacted Larry Jeffers Race Cars in Missouri, who had just delivered a '53 Vette for fellow AMS driver Bill Hill after Critchley made a half-dozen squirts in Hill's 'Vette. Jeffers is going to fix the 'Vette and have it ready for Indy in just two weeks. The Agent contacted Critchley, who said that he wasn't hurt in the incident other than hurt feelings and a sore neck. [8-15-2003]

NO CHEATING IN NHRA DRAG RACING!

The Agent couldn't make this stuff up. While at a recent Pro Stock test session, a prominent Pro Stock crew chief told this story. Seems like at a meeting of the Pro classes

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at Sonoma, Ray Alley (NHRA Director of Top Fuel & Funny Car Racing) gave a little talk in which he told the assembled Pro Stock competitors that, "There is no cheating in NHRA racing including Pro Stock," and he didn't want any more calls on the subject.

The only question the Agent has for the highly respected Mr. Alley and the rest of the NHRA tech department is, have they forgotten the exploding nitrous bottle in Jerry Eckmann's Pro Stocker or Billy Glidden's nitrous system, or "Big" Bill Barney's Top Alky dragster or, most of all, the Wayne County debacle when NHRA forgot to make nitrous oxide injection an illegal deal in the rule book? No cheating? Give the Agent a break, please!
[8-15-2003]