Booher Reloaded for Another Regional Championship Chase

Courtesy of NVW Motorsports Promotion

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (April 28, 2016) – NHRA North Central Region Top Alcohol Dragster frontrunner Brandon Booher has his AB Construction dragster ready for another run at the regional championship. A simple $2 part forced the 2013 champion to lose a second title by a mere 10 points last fall, so Booher spent the long offseason going over every inch of his car in search of improvements to the consistency and performance.

“I toyed with a few things. We have a different drive unit and transmission that we’re going to be trying when we have time to test it. I changed a few little things in the motor but really just went over the car and improved in a few areas. We should have better parts longevity than last year. It seems like each year we have less and less to do, we just try to improve our package and put out the best possible car within our budget. The plan is to go out there with a quick, consistent race car,” Booher said.

The Champaign, Illinois-based team will run a schedule similar to that of their 2015 season, beginning with the NHRA Lucas Oil Series North Central region opener at Lucas Oil Raceway this weekend, April 29-May 1. 

“Hopefully we’ll do well within the region so we don’t have to hit Earlville and Noble like we did last year. There are a few nationals that I like to hit, like Joliet, Norwalk, Indy and the Charlotte fall race. If the car is on a string, can’t be beaten and we’re not hurting parts then maybe I’ll hit a few more races. We’re just doing this to get away and have fun. If the car sucks then we’ll run less or go test, but I’m confident that we’ll run mid-to-low 5.3s off the trailer,” Booher added.

 In addition to his personal racing schedule, Booher has a full slate of events he will attend to serve his Torque MGMT tuning clients. Even with a wide range of schedules, from MDIR Door Wars races with Mac McAdams to PDRA Pro Extreme dates with ProLine Racing, the schedules all work out.  

“I’m just fortunate enough to work with good people who understand that my gig is a family gig. At the same time, a lot of theirs are the same, whether it’s the sheikh of Kuwait or the father-son Tindle team. They get it and they’ve been understanding.”

Such a demanding schedule has its benefits for the driver/tuner. Though the tune-up decisions don’t transfer well from car to car, Booher is able to gather a wealth of knowledge and experience as he works with a range of tracks, combinations and tuners.

“Sometimes I second-guess myself because you’re taking stuff from a car with a suspension to a car without a suspension. There are so many variables – a screw blower to a non-screw blower, a C-rotor to a D-rotor. Anything I tune I try to put a consistent product out there that isn’t going to hurt parts. My whole philosophy is if you want to win you have to learn how to win. You have to learn how to be consistent.

“More time on the starting line is huge, being able to get a feel for what kind of track surface leads to a certain performance out of a particular combination. I think that’s what makes a guy like Steve Petty, who I have the privilege of working with on the ProLine team, what makes him so dangerous. He’s been doing this so long. He has seen every different kind of track surface, every temperature, every level of rubber build-up and he knows what to do. Working with somebody like that, I just try to keep my mouth shut and pay attention and learn. That makes me a better tuner by default.”

Booher’s trailer also received upgrades over the winter. Fellow TAD competitor Dean Dubbin and his DMP Awnings company reskinned the trailer and built a new state-of-the-art awning.  The AB Construction team also welcomes the support of B&J Transmission and Quick Drive, who join returning Booher Racing supporters MBE Cylinder Heads, MVM Motorsports Products, Spitzer Race Cars, and Goodson Tools.

Top Alcohol Dragster competition at the Ray Skillman Auto Group Spring Spectacle of Speed, April 29-May 1, begins with one qualifying session at 4 PM on Friday. Two more sessions are scheduled for Saturday, while eliminations will begin on Sunday. To view live video from the event, visit www.nhradiv3.com and click “D3TV”.

ABOUT BOOHER RACING

Booher Racing is a father-son NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster team led by owner/crew chief Aaron Booher and his son, driver/tuner Brandon Booher. The AB Construction team holds the title of quickest and fastest torque converter-equipped vehicle in the world. The 2013 NHRA North Central TAD Regional championship-winning Booher Racing team receives support from MVM Motorsports Products, MBE Cylinder Heads, Spitzer Race Cars, B&J Transmission, Goodson Tools, and Torque MGMT.

Follow Booher Racing on Facebook (www.facebook.com/booherracing), Twitter (www.twitter.com/booherracing), and Instagram (www.instagram.com/booherracing).