JP began his driving career at age 8, like many of the young guns in the pro class today, in the Jr. Dragster class. His interest was sparked by helping Jack Ostrander's IHRA Top Fuel team with his father. Phil and the rest of the family supported JP and his efforts in the juniors until he outgrew the car at 15. He continued working with Jack Ostrander, working towards becoming car chief on the 8,000 horsepower nitro rail. In 2005, JP and Phil began building a Top Dragster. During this time the brothers both worked full-time on Top Fuel teams; JP with Ostrander and Phil with Doug Kalitta.
Upon completion in 2007, Phil took a job closer to home in order to run the car competitively. JP's stint in Top Dragster lasted until late 2009, when they decided to move up to something faster. The original plan was to outfit the car for a supercharged motor to compete in Summit Motorsports Park's Outlaw Dragster program. The existing chassis would need extensive upgrades and the heads-up Outlaw class at the Norwalk track was slowly disintegrating, so the Michigan-based brothers set their sites on a Top Alcohol Dragster. The Top Dragster was sold in 2010 and one of Ostrander's 300-inch Top Fuel cars was acquired.
The brothers' resume of working on competitive nitro teams (including an invitation to work on Rod Fuller's car in Abu Dhabi last spring) will certainly help in the transition to Top Alcohol Dragster, explains JP.
"There are a few similarities between the two motors, but a great deal more differences. The parts all have the same general purpose and function the same way, but the nitro motors see more RPM's and more loading than the alcohol motors. The high RPM's of the alcohol motor makes the parts selection unique. The most helpful thing that we learned from our nitro experience is the efficiency that is needed to service the motor in between rounds. We also know what to check for after a run, along with the general system function, like the electronics, fuel and oil. Because of what we learned working with Jack Ostrander, Jim Head, and the Kalittas, we will be able to keep a close eye on the parts while we work on a solid tune-up," said JP.
The Gutierrez Brothers Racing car isn't just a car that was picked up from a car builder. JP and Phil spent countless hours adjusting the car for alcohol dragster competition. Billet CNC-machined parts weren't in the budget, so the two fabricated many pieces to put in to the puzzle. This continuous work has taken over 18 months and it's still a work in progress. All of the hard work and time spent was realized last weekend when the car made its public debut at the hugely popular Detroit Autorama at the Cobo Center.
"The debut at the Autorama was monumental for us. We wanted to show all of our family and friends what we've been working away at, that our dream hadn't slipped into obscurity. From a media standpoint, the show is a perfect place to debut any car because of the strong attendance and coverage from the local media outlets. Our local sponsors (Italia Collision, Champion Performance, Diamond Pistons, All American Embroidery, Fischer Honda, CAR-N-ART, and Mac Tools) were able to show their employees and family the project that they had contributed to. Additionally, our out-of-state sponsor, DJ Safety, was excited about having a prominent display at the show, reaching new potential customers. On top of that, the Autorama has been a tradition for our new cars, from the Jr. Dragster all the way up to this," explained JP.
JP works at Champion Performance, one of the top custom engine shops in Michigan. Champion has been a go-to source for engine machine work. The company will continue and increase its support of the brothers once the car hits the track for the first time. Champion isn't the only company that has helped JP and Phil realize their dream. The paint was completed by family friend Johnny Cassar at Italia Collision in Detroit. Team uniforms were made by All American Embroidery of Livonia, Michigan with logos designed by Keven Carter of Car-N-Art. Rick Fischer and Ypsilanti-based Fischer Honda, associate sponsor of Kalitta Motorsports, will also provide support. Tools to help tear down the car will come from Mac Tools, with support from Karla Hauck of the Stanley Works Motorsports Division. In addition to all of these supporters, the Gutierrez brothers are extremely thankful for the support from Kevin Cantrell (supercharger/injector supplier), Ty Baumgartner (chassis builder), Brad Hadman (chassis parts supplier), Jim Becker at the Kalitta machine shop, Dave Leahy at Electrimotion (electronics supplier), Tom Stiel (Safety Critical welder), Howard Masales at Moroso (valve covers/oil pan), Mike Panetta at Diamond Pistons (pistons supplier), Mike Strasburg of B&J Transmission, Bob Molinari of Molinari Clutches, and Bill Walker of QC Coatings (powder coating/header coating specialist). Ben Conant of DJ Safety also went above and beyond in supplying the team with safety equipment, including supercharger restraints, blower bag, transmission blanket, parachutes, seatbelts, and an engine diaper.
The car is a 300-inch Ty Baumgartner ex-Top Fuel chassis that contains an original Al Swindahl life cage. The front and back halves of the car were completed in 2007 for Jack Ostrander, but was never built into a complete Top Fuel car. The power will come from a 463 TFX aluminum block with Total Flow Cylinder Heads and Diamond Racing Pistons. To put that power to the ground, the car has a Molinari clutch, B&J-prepared transmission, and Chrisman rear end. A set of American Racing double beadlocks and Goodyear racing tires will keep the car rolling.
Sounds like everything is ready to go, right? Not so, says JP.
"The car is now back at the shop to get it race-ready. We will finish routing the all of the electronic systems, fuel and oil systems and confirm they are corresponding correctly with one another, in addition to final motor assembly and the top half of the motor parts selection (rocker stands, push rods, lifters, valve springs and valves). Our maing goal is to have the car ready to run with all necessary support equipment by the end of summer and begin licensing procedures at our hometown track, Milan. There are still some motor specific checks that we need to go over to insure that we have a competitive tune-up. The big hurdle that we're facing now is obtaining all of the support equipment that's required to run a car in a class of this caliber. This includes the starter, battery packs, clutch machine, battery guns, impact guns, and tool trays. We also need a find a way to put it all in our trailer so everything is safe and efficient so everything is easy to work on at the track," said JP.
The Gutierrez brothers might not be competing in 2012, but they are definitely not taking a break from the grind. JP will work on earning his TAD license while the group continues to get comfortable with the starting line routine so the team can come out swinging in 2013. They'll also be beefing up their sponsorship package to present to companies once the license is obtained.
Gutierrez is proud of the work that's gone into the car, along with those who contributed.
"It has been a long drive for us to get to this point and we still have a while to go, but we never would have gone this far without the support of our parents, David and Laura. Our friends at Kalitta Motorsports, Head Racing and Jack Ostrander have also been integral," Gutierrez continued. "Sometimes you don't realize how much everyone's little contributions matter to the big picture. For us, getting to the Autorama was that moment when we realized how many people had a part in this project. That gives us the extra inspiration we need to push on and get to the track as soon as possible so we can become a consistent, competitive race car."
When JP, Phil and the rest of the Gutierrez Brothers Racing team pull through the gates for the first time, you can be sure that they're prepared. Their blown Top Alcohol Dragster doesn't just run on methanol, it runs on the dedication and support that's gone into it since Day 1.
Text property of Top Alcohol News 2012. All photos courtesy of Cole Rokosky, Nitro Works Photography.
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