Neither did Dupuy, but he said he suspected he "was an outsider and I didn't fit in. I After 14 days at the shop, I thought (the silent treatment) would ease up."

An outsider no longer, Dupuy chose to be gracious when the former workers asked after Saturday qualifying if Amato would pay their way home. Not only did Dupuy tell them he'd speak to Amato, but -- against Amato's judgment -- he offered them their jobs back. They declined.

"They're good guys. They know what they're doing," Dupuy (above) said. "We didn't want them to leave. We wanted some change." (photo by Zak Hawthorne)

He said the problems didn't arise "because he's better than I am or because I'm better than he is. It was two totally different ways of thinking and (using) parts." He said he understood it was hard for Walsh to change his systems and strategies. But he also recognized that he couldn't be effective if Walsh didn't change.

"Jimmy is a great guy. It was a business decision," Russell said. "It was hard, no doubt about it. But Joe had to put his business hat on. This is a very big business. We weren't getting the TV time, and because this is such a dynamic sport, you don't have time to struggle."

Amato agreed. "We were floundering. We did a lot of testing, and we hadn't won a round in three races. How long do you flounder? Nobody had any answers, but everybody had the problem. The tail was wagging the dog," the team owner said. "The main point is that this is a business. Joe Amato and Joe Amato Racing have sponsors who expect us to carry on in a professional way."

He added that the situation put him "in culture shock. I've never not been in the top 10."

Dupuy said he intends to remedy that. Saying this job is a plum opportunity in terms of resources, commitment to winning and job security, and he plans to be around a long time.

Dupuy and his brother Jim helped Russell get through the SummitRacing.com Nationals. Helping, too, was Russell's brother, Chris, who for nine years was crew chief on the Hockley, Texas, driver's Top Alcohol Dragster.

"We're winging it," Russell said. "I've rolled up my sleeves and gotten in there and worked on the car. We obviously have some guys who are not going to be permanent members of this team."

Dupuy was candid: "We're not the most organized team in drag racing right now." Still, Russell qualified 12th, matching his season-best effort at Phoenix. He benefited from Yuichi Oyama's red light in the first round and lost in the second to Tony Schumacher.

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