Tedesco Bounces Back from Super Gas Crash to Score Second TA/D Win of 2015

Courtesy of Tedesco Racing



Indianapolis, IN: Mia Tedesco’s weekend at the NHRA Lucas Oil Series Division 3 opener at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis did not start well. Saturday morning, during the final Super Gas time trial session, the 21-year-old driver suffered a violent crash behind the wheel of her C.A.R.S. Protection Plus / WeFindParts.com Chevrolet Cavalier, careening off of both retaining walls shortly after reaching a speed in excess of 170 miles per hour.

“After you’ve done this for awhile, I think it’s easy to take things for granted,” Tedesco explained. “We went up for a time trial. It wasn’t an elimination round, and the track conditions were perfect. The last thing on anyone’s mind is an accident.”

Nearing the finish line in what appeared to be a routine Super Gas run, like hundreds Tedesco has made in recent years, something went horribly wrong.

“The oil filter came loose, spraying 100+ psi of warm oil under the car moving at 170 miles per hour,” Tedesco explained. “I saw some smoke, but there was literally nothing I could do. I was completely out of control before I had time to react.”

Tedesco’s Cavalier spun completely around, first contacting the right hand wall with the left rear of the car, then spinning again to catch the left wall with the left front.

“I’ve been through one prior incident; I crashed a dragster several years ago, just after I’d started racing full size cars,” Tedesco said. “That one was completely driver error. I made a mistake, and I knew I was going to crash before it happened – it was like everything was in slow motion. This accident wasn’t like that; it was so sudden. Thank God I was able to walk away uninjured.”

Thanks to the safety equipment in place and the quality of her RJ Race Cars built Cavalier, Tedesco was unharmed in the accident. In fact, within hours she was strapped into the familiar confines of the Hirata Family Motorsports A/Fuel Dragster, ready to make a blast in excess of 270 miles per hour.

Undeterred from the incident, Tedesco and her C.A.R.S. Protection Plus / WeFindParts.com / Aamco Transmissions team put forth a dominating performance that included top qualifying honors in the Top Alcohol Dragster category, and culminated in an event victory – their second win of the young season.

Tedesco paced a strong field of TAD entrants with a 5.294 ET at 276 miles per hour, and backed up that performance with the second quickest run in qualifying: a 5.302 at 270. She then defeated Brandon Greco in the opening round with a 5.379 ET, and knocked off John Finke with a 5.537 after pedaling to recover from early tire shake.

That set up a final round matchup with the unique automatic transmission entry of Brandon Booher.

“Greco and Finke had great cars, in fact the entire field at Indy was really strong. We were concerned with every opponent; but the Booher matchup really had our attention,” said Tedesco. “They’re very consistent. They’re fast. And the automatic gives them an edge in terms of reaction time. Plus Brandon is an excellent driver. Coming into the round, we knew we’d have to be on our game to compete.”

Tedesco and her team were up to the task. As expected, Booher took a slight lead on the starting line: .039 to .061, but Tedesco was able to power past with a 5.356 run to best Booher’s slightly off pace 5.414.

“It’s such a treat to drive this car and work with the Hirata family and this team,” exclaimed Tedesco. “We won the national event in Charlotte earlier this season, but we didn’t have a great combination. We shook on several runs, and when we didn’t shake we ate up parts. But these guys have just kept working. In testing we really began to turn the corner. I don’t feel like we were dominant this weekend; it’s not like we were low E.T. of every round, but we had a fast, consistent car throughout the event. I’m really proud of our guys.”

For her part, Tedesco was extremely solid behind the wheel, varying just .003 in reaction time over her three competition rounds.

“I’m proud of that too,” said the young racer who has staged for as many competition rounds as anyone in the country in recent years. “With my sportsman background, I obviously take a lot of pride in my reaction times. But these cars are slow to react; being a good driver is really as much about being quick as it is being consistent. I’ve put in a lot of work in our practice simulator to improve my reflexes and release. Where I used to be consistently .080, I’m down to .05’s and .06’s. I keep getting more and more comfortable in the car. I’m just happy to be able to do my job – the rest of the team works so hard to do theirs!”

The event victory marked Tedesco’s second win in just four TAD appearances in 2015, and back-to-back North Central Region victories, as she won the 2014 finale in Bowling Green, KY. The win also vaulted her into 4th position in the national points chase.

In addition to C.A.R.S. Protection Plus, WeFindParts.com, and Aamco Transmissions, Mia Tedesco’s Top Alcohol Dragster efforts are backed by Hirata Motorsports, NGK Spark Plugs, Schepel Motors, and Lucas Oil. The Tedesco Racing team also depends on Renegade Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Abruzzi Transmissions & Converters, Quick Fuel Technologies and Wilkerson Racing Engines. Mia Tedesco thanked God, her family, and her team: Jason, Krusty, Josh, Kenny, Dave Hirata, Grayson, Chiyo, Molly, and LouLou.

Mia and the C.A.R.S. Protection Plus team will be back on the track May 15-17 at Summit Motorsports Park for the next NHRA North Central Region event. There, Tedesco plans to wheel the Hirata Motorsports TAD entry, and resume competition in the 9.90 category behind the wheel of her team’s ’66 Chevy II. To keep up to date with the latest news on Mia Tedesco and the Tedesco Racing Team, follow Miss Mia on Facebook and Twitter.

Tedesco Scores Charlotte Top Alcohol Dragster Victory

Courtesy of Tedesco Racing

On the surface, it appears as though Mia Tedesco and her Hirata Family Racing team dominated the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals with their C.A.R.S. Protection Plus / WeFindParts.com backed A/Fuel entry. The team qualified on the pole with a staggering 5.22 ET, and went on to win the event; marking the first national event victory in Tedesco’s short but decorated driving career. Domination, however, was not the word the 21-year-old driver used to describe her outing. Instead, the descriptions that she provided repeatedly included words like “lucky,” and “blessed.”

“We were really good in qualifying,” she admitted. “We came into the race with a lot of confidence, and that certainly was reinforced on our first two runs.”

Tedesco came out of the trailer with a strong 5.28 ET in the first qualifying session, then backed it up with a 5.22, the quickest pass of her career. That number paced the field, as she earned top qualifier honors for the first time in national event competition.

Come eliminations, things got a little bit dicey. The team was forced to change engines prior to round one, where the C.A.R.S. Protection Plus / WeFindParts.com machine shook the tires. But Tedesco did a masterful job of pedaling the car to regain traction, and easily defeated Mike Lewis despite an off pace 5.54 ET. That cost Tedesco lane choice in a second round matchup with Marty Thacker.

“We were very concerned coming into round two,” Tedesco explained. “We kept hurting engine parts and we were fighting the shake issues, so we were focused on making a good run on our side of the track. But at the same time, we know how good Marty Thacker is. We expected him to be good on the tree, like he always is, and to run a mid-5.30. We knew that round would be a huge challenge.”

Just off the starting line, Tedesco’s machine again briefly shook the tires, and she once again worked the throttle to recover and post a solid 5.47 ET. She caught a break when Thacker’s normally consistent machine slowed with mechanical trouble.

In the semi-final round Tedesco got an even bigger break, and she didn’t even know it.

“We were paired with Randy Meyer, whose driving and team is just amazing,” said Tedesco. “We knew we’d have to be nearly perfect to get past him. When I left, the car shook hard. I pedaled it, but I watched him drive away from me. In the shut down area I was telling myself, ‘A semi-final finish is a good outing,’ and I was already turning my mental focus back to the Super Gas car, because I was still in that category. When I turned off the track, the TV cameras were coming to my car, not his. I still didn’t put it together until they told me he had fouled, I never saw the red light.”

With new life, Tedesco entered the final round opposite Jake Allen, conceding lane choice for the third consecutive round after posting a 5.72 ET in the semi-final round. In the final, the C.A.R.S. Protection Plus / WeFindParts.com machine hooked up and got off the starting line with no tire shake, but began losing cylinders down track. Once again, Tedesco could see her opponent and figured she was in for defeat.

“He was ahead of me the whole way, then as we neared the finish line, his car just shut off and he disappeared. What a feeling.”

Tedesco got the victory with a 5.50 ET at 263 mph, upending the 5.66 / 227 mph effort of Allen.

Despite earning the biggest win of her driving career, Tedesco’s day was not done. In addition to handling the driving chores of the Hirata Family A/Fuel dragster, Mia was also behind the wheel of her familiar C.A.R.S. Protection Plus backed Cavalier Super Gas entry, which she also drove into the late rounds of competition. After earning the victory in Top Alcohol Dragster, Tedesco advanced to the semi-final round of Super Gas, falling to eventual champion Jim Perry.

“I feel as good about our Super Gas performance as I do the TAD win,” Tedesco expressed. “I had been struggling lately in that car, and it was great to get some confidence back. I just screwed up in the semi-finals, it was completely driver error – our car was really good. But we had a lot of fun, and I feel like our entire program is on the upswing. Running two cars deep into eliminations was hectic, but I really enjoyed the pace. We’ve bracket raced for several years, so I’m used to hopping from one car to another and making back-to-back runs in a matter of minutes. I live for it.”

The win was both gratifying and emotional for Tedesco. She and her A/Fuel team struggled in preseason testing and at their opening event, the Amalie Oil Gatornationals. Even in the course of victory, they faced adversity throughout the weekend; the car broke one motor and the team went through six cylinder heads. Tedesco also had family on hand to witness her victory. While family has always been important to her, it’s taken even more precedence in recent months.

“Our team is amazing, what can I say?” She smiled and continued, “I knew we could do this. After all we’ve been through our guys are always upbeat and always ready for the next challenge. To win in front of my family was just surreal. I don’t think my mother has ever seen me win, and she was there. My aunt and cousins drove down from Pittsburg, so being able to share that moment with them was just incredible. A month ago, my uncle Carmen passed away unexpectedly. We’ve all been grieving and trying to cope, so this win is for him. And my little sister Natalie is serving our country in the armed forces. I told her when she left for basic training that I’d dedicate my first win to her. So we won one for Natalie, and after the way things played out – with all the good fortune we had – I have to think uncle Carmen was looking over us.”

Mia Tedesco thanked God, her family, and her team: Jason, Krusty, Josh, Kenny, Dave Hirata, Grayson, Chiyo, Molly, and LouLou. In addition to C.A.R.S. Protection Plus, WeFindParts.com, and AAMCO, the Tedesco Racing team relies on quality products from Renegade Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Abruzzi Transmissions & Converters, Quick Fuel Technologies and Wilkerson Racing Engines. To keep up to date with the latest news on Mia Tedesco and the Tedesco Racing Team, follow Miss Mia on Facebook and Twitter.

Driver Profile - Dave Hirata

Steve Neumann photo

Driver: Dave Hirata

Car: NGK/Schepel Auto Group A/Fuel Dragster

Hometown: Lowell, IN

Occupation: Collision/service/restoration/custom shop owner

Family: Parents – Kenny and Chiyo, girlfriend - Molly

Accomplishments: 5x national event winner, multi-time divisional event winner, 2x U.S. Nationals runner-up

First race car: A/Fuel car

Favorite movies: Bloodsport

Favorite music: Anything violent

Favorite TV shows: ESPN and the Food Network

Favorite sports teams: New York Yankees

When I'm away from the racetrack I: Work 24/7, try to go to as many concerts as I can, and find different places to eat.

Top accomplishments: Working at the family business since 1982, working with my family, and being able to win national and divisional events.

Toughest opponent: Whoever is in the other lane, because no one is not tough.

Favorite opponent: Bill Reichert; I consider him to be one of the best ever, and we want to race the best.

Favorite drivers outside TAD: Sean Bellemeur

Personal heroes: My parents and Roland Leong

I race because: genetically I didn't have a chance; my dad always raced. Also, I like the challenge of it and the people that we've met.

I race TAD because: when I started racing I wanted to run nitro. That was right at the time when they [A/Fuel cars] would run really fast or really slow. You had 100% nitro, and it seemed like there was a whole lot more you could do. The biggest reason was because I wanted to run something on nitromethane.

Pre-race rituals or superstitions: I tend to wear the same clothes at every race. If I'm driving there's a couple things in the car that I try to do every time. I have a Saint Christopher's medal on my steering wheel. When we start the car I put my finger on it. If my girlfriend is there we do this thing that I call belly bumps so we have a goofy ritual there.

Nobody knows: my age – most people don't get it. I guess it's a compliment, or compliment to my parents.

If I didn't race I would: look to work on someone else's race car, just to be out there. I would spend more time working on my personal cars. I'd probably keep my lawn a little more groomed.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hirata-Motorsports/128855993831990
Twitter username: @davehirata
Instagram username: davehirata
Website: www.hiratamotorsports.com

Steve Neumann photo
 

Mia Tedesco to Compete in TAD with Hirata Motorsports

Courtesy of Luke Bogacki

Pittsburg, PA: As Mia Tedesco continues her ascent through the NHRA Lucas Oil Series ranks, she’ll add a new category to her resume in 2014. Tedesco, a 20-year-old driver of the recognizable C.A.R.S. Protection Plus backed machines, has earned valuable experience and achieved immense success in Super Comp, Super Gas, Top Dragster, and a multitude of bracket classes and machines. This season, she’ll take her talents to the quickest and fastest NHRA sportsman category: Top Alcohol Dragster.

Tedesco will team with the Hirata family, wheeling their A/Fuel dragster at a limited schedule of 7 NHRA Mello Yello Series events in 2014.

“We’re really excited for Mia to take the next step in her racing career,” expressed Mia’s father and team owner Michael Tedesco. “We’re excited not only about the opportunity to compete in Top Alcohol Dragster, but to do so with quality people like the Hirata family. We’re proud to be a part of their team and we look forward to a great future together.”

While Tedesco, who earned her A/Fuel license last season, is excited about the opportunity, she is also adamant about remaining true to her roots. She will continue to compete in the Super Comp and Super Gas categories throughout the season, and the team will also attend as many big dollar bracket events as possible.

“The Hirata’s have provided me and my family with an incredible opportunity,” expressed Tedesco. “I feel extremely blessed to take the next step in my racing career and to be surrounded with such professional and talented people. At the same time, I’ve had a lot of fun and I’ve learned so much in the ‘super’ and bracket classes over the past few seasons. I feel like I’ve come a long way as a driver, but there is still so much to learn. I don’t want to give that up.”

As a result, Tedesco will drive either her C.A.R.S. Protection Plus backed Super Comp dragster or Super Gas Cavalier in addition to the A/Fuel machine at the NHRA Mello Yello series stops in Gainesville, FL; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Norwalk, OH; the prestigious US Nationals in Indianapolis; NHRA’s second stop in Charlotte, NC; and Reading, PA. At this point, the team has no plans to compete in the TAD category on the regional level, which will allow her to pursue her dream of a Lucas Oil Division Series championship in both Super Comp and Super Gas alongside teammate Jason Lynch.

“Last season I finished 2nd in the NHRA Division 2 points standings with the Super Gas car,” she explained. “My teammate and mentor, Jason Lynch won the championship; so it was pretty cool to finish 1-2 and there is certainly no one that I’d rather come in second to. But getting close down the stretch was a great experience, and it just made me more hungry and determined to accomplish that goal. With our schedule this season, I’ll have another opportunity to chase that dream in both of the ‘super’ classes, so I’m very happy and excited about that.”

While Tedesco has quickly earned a reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the sportsman ranks, she’s also caught the watchful eye of several professional teams, drivers, and owners. Among them, Schumacher Racing owner and NHRA legend Don Schumacher, whose team is also backed by C.A.R.S. Protection Plus:

“We’re not only thrilled to be affiliated with C.A.R.S. and Michael Tedesco again in 2014 but we also are excited to see how Mia progresses this year in her A Fuel Dragster. That’s a giant step toward getting her into a Top Fuel Dragster and I know that’s hers and her father’s goal.

“She’s proven to be a very good racer. It will be a big adjustment going from Super Comp to A Fuel but I’ve been very impressed with how well she has patiently moved up the ladder. I am definitely looking at her for the future.”

In addition to C.A.R.S. Protection Plus, the Tedesco Racing team will feature backing from We Find Parts, a company that Mia Tedesco started with the help of her father Michael. We Find Parts sells used and aftermarket parts to dealers, service shops, or individual consumers. We Find Parts offers their customers no hassle purchases, as they do all of the research to find the best available part, and offers all parts (including engines, transmission, etc.) with free shipping and a warranty.

Mia Tedesco and Jason Lynch will kick off their 2014 campaign this weekend with the NHRA Division 2 opener in Orlando, FL. Tedesco will make her Top Alcohol Dragster competition debut at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL March 13-16.

TAN Driver Blog - Dave Hirata - TAD

Summer Vacation

So what does a Top Alcohol Dragster owner/driver do during a 4.5 week layoff? Work on Top Alcohol Dragster? That’s what I should be doing. But reality is I have a real job. Hirata's Lowell Body Shop, Lowell Automotive and Hammer'd restos and customs is what fuels my life fire. It’s why I have opportunities in life. Racing is in my blood. Genetically I didn’t have a choice. But our business is my real life. Lowell body shop was established in 1956 by my parents. It’s all I know and do. It’s the only job I’ve ever had. I just heard this saying, "if you love what you do, it is NOT a job" So true.

What really gives me the opportunities I have are my FANTASTIC EMPLOYEES. They make it happen...and to them, THANK YOU. I leave and the place does not miss a beat. I could probably work from home, but I was sternly told by my office manager, Nicole, that will NOT happen.

With that, the race car got put on the back burner to catch up on some real work. I also got a phone call from Route 66 Raceway a few weeks ago.  They chose my mom and dad to be their "LEGENDS" for that evening. It was a very thoughtful thing to do from them. Not a bad year for my parents - Garlits Hall of Fame, got a Norwalk nationals win, and a Legends award. In turn, we also did a little testing at Joliet that night, too. So I did get some race car action in.

Now starts our second Midwestern swing. We start at Bowling Green, move on to the U.S. Nationals and then off to Iowa. Three weeks of misery/fun coming up.  Now, what I really have to look forward to after the Iowa race is 3 days of punk rock at Riotfest in Chicago. Now there is a reason to go to work…Remember, opportunities?

 

Dave Hirata is the driver of the Hirata Motorsports/Schepel Auto Group A/Fuel Dragster. For more information on Hirata Motorsports, visit www.HirataMotorsports.com or like 'Hirata Motorsports' on Facebook.

TAN Thirty Under 30 #1 - Cam Brady

Written by Nate Van Wagnen
Photos courtesy of David Smith, Steve Fuhrman, and Kon Rodz Racing


One of the original goals of TAN was to highlight anyone and everyone from the alcohol pits - drivers, crew chiefs, crew members, sponsors, etc. In a new series of articles, we'll feature some of the younger personalities that can be found in the alcohol pits. Thirty alcohol insiders under the age of 30. If you have a suggestion for a Thirty Under 30 feature, email us, post on our Facebook page, or tweet it to @TopAlcoholNews.

 

Age: 21

Hometown: Lowell, IN

Residence: Indianapolis

Occupation: College Student

Racing Job: Clutch Tech on the Cassie Simonton-driven Kon Rodz Racing TAFC

Personal race car: Ex-Brandon Booher Super Comp Dragster

Best ET/MPH: 8.2s at 165

Favorite Sports (outside of racing): Wrestling and football

First Race Car: 1983 Firebird

What’s on your iPod? All different types of music, but mostly punk rock and hip hop

What’s in your fridge/pantry? Cookies, junk food, Dunkin Donuts coffee, Gatorade, Monster, cereal

Favorite Pro drivers: Leah Pruett, Matt Hagan, Jeg Coughlin, and Michael Phillips

Where do you go to celebrate a win? Home to hang out with friends – nothing too crazy

Proudest Accomplishment? Becoming a NCAA D2 All-American wrestler this year

Goals: Winning the D2 wrestling national championship, winning Wallys with Kon Rodz

At just twenty one years old, Cam Brady has already put in multiple seasons doing the clutch on two of the strongest alcohol cars in the Midwest. The lifelong Indiana resident can currently be found in the Kon Rodz Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car pits, working with respected tuner and former driver Randy Anderson and driver Cassie Simonton.

Before going to work for the Spiro Kontos-owned Kon Rodz team at the beginning of the 2013 season, Cam serviced the clutch on Dave Hirata’s A/Fuel Dragster. He was just fourteen when he attended his first race with the Hirata family team. Brady would walk around the pits and watch the races while his dad, Pete, did the bottom end on what was at the time one of the most feared A/Fuel cars in the country. As he got older and gained more experience, Cam picked up more tasks in the pit.

“I remember the first time he asked me to slide the Pro Jack under the car – I thought that was a big deal. Things progressed from there. I started working on the bottom end with my dad and made it to the point where Dave was showing me the clutch. I want to thank Dave for what he did. He was the one who made me start living the dream. Spending time and learning from him is a big reason why I’m doing what I’m doing now.”

Cam also credits his early start as a critical part of his path towards working on top-notch race teams.

“Starting young and getting that hands-on experience was a big advantage,” Cam claimed. “Instead of coming in and having to learn that stuff in my twenties, I already know half of the deal. Like I said, I’m still young and I still have a lot to learn about the cars. There are other jobs on the car that I need to learn. I’ve been hands-on with the clutch and I’ve watched as the motor is serviced but there’s still so much there that I want to learn.”

Cam was given the opportunity to join Kon Rodz over the winter. Though hesitant about leaving his team of seven years, he jumped at the chance to work with a rising star driver and a veteran tuner. Learning from Anderson, the 1993 and 1994 Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion, has been one of Cam’s favorite parts of his new gig.

“It’s so cool. I knew who Randy Anderson was but I didn’t know much because he was racing before I was really into the sport. Starting to talk to him at the races and hearing about everything that he’s done…it’s amazing. He’s a role model to me. He shows me a lot and we get along well. We have our fun but when we’re serious, we’re serious. He’s a great guy.”

Working under storied personalities of the sport is nothing new to Brady. During his time at Hirata’s, he spent time with the patriarch of the Hirata racing family, Kenny, whose Bobby Vodnik-driven Top Eliminator entry beat Don Garlits in the 1963 U.S. Nationals finals.

“Working with Kenny Hirata was great as well. I learned a lot about from Kenny and Dave. It’s a privilege to work with such great people – people who have done great things in our sport.”

On top of the challenge of leaving the people he worked with for the first seven years of his racing career, Cam had to learn a completely different set-up. Hirata’s nitro-injected A/Fuel Dragster used a direct drive system while Simonton’s blown alcohol funny car uses a three-speed transmission, among other differences. It was a smooth transition, though.

“I knew and loved the dragsters after working with Hiratas for so long so I thought I would be lost. I thought it would be helpful in the future to understand both cars. Going from doing the clutch in Dave’s car to doing the clutch in the Kon Rodz alcohol funny car was a little different. I’ve gotten used to it after doing the same job every weekend,” said Brady, who took over the full clutch duties at just his second race with the Canadian team. His other duties include strapping Simonton in the car, starting the car, guiding it back from the burnout and into the pre-stage beams. 

After a long season of crewing on the Kon Rodz Racing TAFC and driving his own Super Comp dragster on off-weekends, Cam Brady will spend this winter wrestling for the University of Indianapolis. He’ll take his competitive drive from the drag strip to the wrestling mat for his final season in college wrestling. His last season resulted in a trip to the NCAA Division 2 finals where he captured All-American honors for the first time. His next goal – the national championship.

As Cam explains, his time wrestling has led to his positive demeanor in drag racing.

“Wrestling is a hard sport. People who aren’t into it don’t realize the time and effort that it takes. I think being in wrestling gives me my attitude towards racing. I have the sport of wrestling to thank for showing me that putting in hard work and time will pay off down the road. When I’m at the race track, I have that mindset.”

  

His goals carry over into drag racing. A dedicated fan of the sport since a young age, Brady wants to make a serious career out of his passion.

“I love the sport so much so I’m just trying to make a career out of it. Hopefully I can take the next step up to a Pro team in the next few years; more races, making it everyday life, and working at the shop every day. I still have a lot to learn, though. There’s so much more I want to do with Cassie and the Kon Rodz team. Obviously I want to make another step up in my driving career, too. It probably won’t be a Pro car but I want to get in an alcohol seat someday. Hopefully after a few years of working with a team I’ll be able to have a little fun in the driver’s seat on my own,” Cam said of his plans for the coming years.

When asked about his favorite personalities in the sport, Brady didn’t hesitate when he said, “I’m a big fan of the alcohol drivers after being around them for so many years and making friends in the pits. I’d rather sit down and talk to an alcohol driver than any other Pro guy. I like Marty Thacker, Dave Hirata and his team, Brandon Booher, and Cassie. Seeing her put in the hard work and the late nights drives me as a crew member. They’ve all done so much for me; taking the time to talk and teach me things. They’re all role models to me.”

Brady helped Thacker at the 2012 Columbus race, a Division 3 event that Hirata hasn’t attended for years. He’ll also help Booher’s team when Kon Rodz isn’t racing, joining Pete Brady, who has been doing the bottom end on Brandon’s torque converter-equipped dragster since the 2011 season.

As one could imagine, Cam was proud of his former team when Dave Hirata won his first race in thirteen years at the recent Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk.

“Congratulations to Dave and his team on their success last weekend. Working with them for seven years, I saw how hard they worked. Their drive to stick with it after struggling the past couple years is impressive. I want to congratulate them and thank Dave for everything he’s taught me over the past seven years,” Brady said.

He added, “I also want to thank the Kon Rodz team for giving me the opportunity to work with them this season. Collectively I want to thank the Hiratas, Kon Rodz, and my parents, Pete and Kim, for everything they’ve done for me, giving me the opportunity to do what I love.”

TAN Q&A with Dave Hirata

Written by Nate Van Wagnen
Photos by Steve Fuhrman/Cyclops Photography 

We ask Dave Hirata a series of questions, including TAN fan questions, ranging from his recent Norwalk win to his favorite music acts. 

Top Alcohol News: What was it like winning after thirteen years of trying since your last national event win?

Dave Hirata: It felt just like the first win. I was probably more excited overall for my crew guys and partners because none of them were with me for a win. Obviously it’s been a long time for me, but I was probably more excited for them. I didn’t realize that I had won the last two rounds so that made it that much more exciting. 

TAN: You struggled with DNQs and first round losses the past two seasons. What kept you going through those struggles?

DH: Probably the success that we had previously and knowing that we had all of the best parts and pieces. I was scared to quit. There were times where it was like, ‘what am I doing?’ I wasn’t about to give up, not getting this car to run. Basically having a great crew – people that stuck with me. No one gave up. Once you start turning it around and seeing results, everyone walks a little faster and your chest is out a little puffier. It makes all the hard work not work anymore. We definitely have a taste of it. Not that we’re going to be dissatisfied with anything less, but we have some high expectations now, performance-wise. All of that combined is what keeps us going. 

TAN: Will the Norwalk win add any races to the planned schedule this season?

DH: Yeah. We haven’t been to Columbus in years, so we might go there next weekend. Past that, it will depend on how we do at the next few races. We probably won’t race until Bowling Green after Columbus. We have the Bowling Green-Indy-Earlville threesome there. We were thinking about going to Brainerd but that makes it four in a row and that’s tough on us. We talked about going to Maple Grove because we would have until October off after Earlville. Columbus is probably the next race we’re serious about. The car shook in the final round and that broke some parts so we’ll have to fix that before Columbus. We’ll always race as long as the car is running good. We’ll go out to California if the car is running good – we’ve done that before. 

TAN: What will you do to build on your performance at Norwalk?

DH: I think the biggest turnaround was being smart about our decisions. The car went off the trailer and ran a thirty-three at Gainesville then we went to the next three regionals and just lost it all. We made some bad decisions. It’s crazy how you sit down and look at things and go, ‘Jeez, we’re so far away. We need to get back to our baseline,” and we started off like we never ran the car. We went to Cordova and went, “Okay, this is the track. This is the weather. Let’s tune it for that,” and it went down the track. We just need to make better decisions, being really logical, not knee-jerk reactions. The other thing is we tune by crew. Before every run, we have a little meeting and find out what everyone thinks. The guys threw out some great ideas and we went with them. I think that’s been an important thing, too. 

 Crew member Brian Inouye and Kenny Hirata

TAN: What did you change to go from smoking the tires to getting the car down the track?

DH: We went back to a combination that was about two years old to start with. We basically just started over. Last year I hired who I still think is one of the best tuners in drag racing (Steve Boggs). It just didn’t work out, so we had to go back to what we knew. We had to change some things around to how they were a few years ago. Now we feel like we have something to work with. 

TAN: Which band or singer do you want to see in concert?

DH: Seriously? (laughs) Actually the old-school punk bands from the eighties – Black Flag, Circle Jerks. We’re going to try to see this concert in the fall called Riotfest – it’s like a three-day deal. One of the biggest surprises for some people would be Allison Krauss, the bluegrass singer. Right now, those are my goals.

TAN: The Hirata name is legendary in drag racing, whether it’s your dad’s car winning Indy '63 or you racing A/Fuel. Do you think that adds pressure?

DH: Yeah, but he doesn’t add any pressure. I pressure myself. You just don’t want to disappoint and I never felt like that was an issue from my family. It doesn’t come from them – it comes from within. You just want to do as well and be as successful. That’s with our business, too. My dad started a business (Hirata’s Body Shop) and I’m at a point to make sure it doesn’t fail. A lot of second or third generation things fail. So to answer the question, I do feel the pressure but you just gotta work hard and make good decisions. Probably ‘work hard’ is the biggest thing. Treat people right. Hopefully it’s all been successful. I feel like we’ve been successful in business, in racing, and with people in general. 

 Kenny Hirata watches as Dave makes a run at the 2012 Norwalk regional.

TAN: Which round did you feel was the critical round of the weekend? 

DH: Round one, trying to get past Reichert just because he’s Reichert. Round two, we got some performance back and we felt like we were running with everyone. We didn’t have good performance against Reichert. Even though the semifinals and the finals weren’t great, you get some confidence that you’ve made the right decisions and hopefully the other teams see that. I think we could’ve been taken for granted the last couple of years. Hopefully that’s not the case anymore. I think round two was the most important because of the performance. We really won one round; that’s how I look at it. The other people lost the other three because we really shouldn’t have won. 

TAN: Did you see qualifying in the bottom of the field as a disadvantage?

DH: The biggest thing about that is if the people win who should, the quicker cars, you just never get a break. Unless there are upsets, and there were. Joliet is a great example. We qualified eighth and who do we end up running? The guy who just ran 5.22. We need to qualify better, and that’s one of our goals, to qualify in the top six. It’s murder if you qualify in the back half and win because you’re facing the quicker cars every round. I probably shouldn’t say that because we showed that every car can win. Psychologically you’re just not getting a break. I just proved that because we shouldn’t have been there. Maybe it was the psychological thing that worked for me because we qualified 15^th then ran a forty that wasn’t a fluke. 

Grayson Biehn sends Dave down the Norwalk quarter-mile

 

TAN: You faced blown cars in the final two rounds. What are your thoughts on the parity between blown cars and A/Fuel cars this season?

DH: The parity is as close as it’s ever been. I feel like the blown cars have a definite advantage in the weather. But you’ve still got one or two A/Fuel cars that will go out and run a number. It is what it is and that’s how we run it. It’s not going to change and I’m not trying to change it. We’ve gotta run our own deal. If we get it right, we’ll run with the blown cars, but man, the performance gain has been so huge with them over the past few years. It makes it equal and now you’ve really gotta be on your game. Look at the way those guys are running –the Demkes, the Whiteleys, and Brandon Booher . It seems like it’s a consistency thing. I look at that as, ‘well, I need to be more consistent.’ I need to run with them. I want to run with the best car out there and that’s always been one of my goals. It’s motivation to me. 

TAN: Do you have anyone you want to thank?

DH: My crew and my partners. What was cool about this win was it was the first time my crew had to go rounds since they were with me. It was flawless. Every round we had time to stop and take a break before they called us up. The crew is Grayson Biehn, Chris Wells, Brian and Byron Inouye, my girlfriend Molly, and my mom and dad obviously. My partners are NGK, Lucas Oil, Schepel Motor Group, Napa Service Auto Parts, Impact, and R&R Connecting Rods.