HARRISON TWP, Mich. (November 25, 2015) – Todd Robertson and his Eaton Corporation team had little experience with flip-top Funny Cars when they entered NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car competition in 2012. The former Outlaw Pro Mod standout admits he still has a lot to learn, but Robertson has progressed significantly in four years of competition. He kicked off the 2015 season with his first TA/FC win and went on to win the season championship in the NHRA North Central Region.
Robertson started the year with high expectations after reaching the final round at the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in 2014. The Michigan native picked up his first-ever NHRA Wally when he drove his Eaton Monte Carlo to the winner's circle at the season-opening Lucas Oil Series North Central regional event in Indy.
“We left everything pretty much untouched from the year before since we did well at the U.S. Nationals in the fall. That strategy worked out for us. It was a crazy weekend because the parachutes kept going underneath the car, then I had no brakes or parachutes in the final so I ended up in the gravel. The winner's circle photos were taken after we towed the car back and dusted off the body,” Robertson remembers of the exciting weekend.
The Eaton/Aeroquip team continued their success at the next race at Norwalk. Racing in front of a sold-out Summit Motorsports Park crowd, Robertson again raced to the final round, this time falling to west coast sensation Doug Gordon because of an engine failure. Robertson struggled with early round losses at the next three races, but maintained his lead.
Robertson's season picked back up at the Bowling Green event, though. Despite the fact that the Beech Bend Raceway track was new to Todd and his team, led by crew chief Dennis Kolomyjec, the Eaton Top Alcohol Funny Car went on to another final round. Robertson clinched the championship at the Earlville race, where he qualified number two, a career-best qualifying position.
The 2015 NHRA Lucas Oil Series North Central Region championship is a coveted title for Robertson, not just because of the ultra-competitive nature of the class, but also because his team is so new to the class.
“This was our fourth year doing this. We came here with no prior background in alcohol Funny Car. Nobody knew us. We did it with no hired leadership. It's been a great learning experience. To go on and win the regional championship...I don't even dream that big.
“There are a lot of big racers that we race against, a lot of second-generation drivers. I had never even touched an alcohol Funny Car before I bought one four years ago. It's been a whole lot of learning. That's the challenge that I love, learning how to make everything work together. We pretty much do everything from one end of the car to the other; that's the only way to understand and successfully race these things. A lot of time and a lot of energy from a great bunch of people go into this.”
Todd Robertson and the Eaton Corporation/Aeroquip Top Alcohol Funny Car team will celebrate their first championship title at the NHRA North Central awards banquet, December 12, in Indianapolis.
ProPower Motorsports is a NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car team owned by driver Todd Robertson. Based in Harrison Township, Michigan, the team competes in NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series national events and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series regional events throughout the Midwest. The Eaton Corporation-backed driver also receives support from Aeroquip, DMPE, Lucas Oil Products, PAC Springs, Total Seal, CV Products, Safety Kleen, Clevite Bearings, Mike Nabor Fabrication, Line to Line Coatings, and Jax Wax.
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