News and Notes from the Phoenix Pits

WHEELIE BARS ARE GOOD!

Morgan Lucas might have been the first beneficiary of  the new mandatory wheelie bar rule for Top Fuel cars. According to one DRO staffer who witnessed his giant wheelie on Sunday at around half track, the wheelie bars may have been the only thing that kept him from having a blowover.

MAD DOG FINDS 40?

The big buzz in the Schumacher pits was that the Shoe’s off-again, on-again Pro Stock crew chief and engine builder, Bob Glidden, has found an additional 40 hp over what his best engines were making last season. Forty?

FUNNY CAR TEAMS NON-COMMITTAL ABOUT ATTENDING IHRA EVENTS

DRO spoke with several of the larger Funny Car team owners and none would commit to attending IHRA national events in 2006. We talked to both Don Schumacher and Chuck Worsham, who said that at present they had no plans to attend IHRA races, although Worsham said that his “black” car -- the third of his team -- might (and he stressed the word might) attend some IHRA events. So far the only teams who have said they would race at IHRA events are Bob Gilbertson and Mike Ashley. Thirty-four races for both the NHRA and IHRA schedules is a lot for any kind of racing team requiring a lot of funding. Even well funded NASCAR teams that race over 30 times a year have two complete crews to get through the season.

BLOWOUT HATCHES A PROBLEM?

Both John Force and Scott Kalitta seemed to have some sort of problem with their “blowout” hood hatches that are supposed to relieve internal air pressure when a supercharger or engine lets go. On the only lap that Force made with his new Mustang body, the hatch come off when he stepped on the throttle. When Kalitta blew his off, it wedged between the hat and the body and supposedly caused the throttle to stick open.