Hello everyone! It's been two months since our last blog and a lot has happened both on and off the track.
MBR started the 2014 racing season strong at the 5th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina. With Corey driving and Randy and Jared Dreher making the tuneup calls, we were able to take the Champion Spark Plugs/Dreher Motorsports A/fuel dragster all the way to the winner's circle! This win was extra special because it was the first NHRA national event victory for both MBR and Dreher Motorsports.
After about a month off, we returned to our home track, Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH, for the 8th annual Mickey Mart Rewards Cavalcade of Stars regional where I took over the driving duties for the weekend. This event is the premier regional event on the NHRA Lucas Oil Series tour, and I was the runner-up at this race in 2013 during my Top Alcohol Dragster debut.
Our plans coming into the event were to take it one step further than last year to hopefully win the race this time around, but it just wasn't meant to be. Severely cold temperatures on Friday night led to tire-shake and an aborted run during Q1. Huge crowds packed the place all day on Saturday, but unfortunately Mother Nature wouldn't give us a break and there wasn't a single car that went down the track the entire day. That left us with one last-ditch attempt to qualify for the field on Sunday morning and a broken clutch linkage after the burnout sent us home early.
Despite the cold and rainy weather, and a DNQ, we still viewed the event as a success. This race marked the debut of MBR's partnership with the Kenan Advantage Group (KAG) who served as the team's primary sponsor during the event. We really enjoyed interacting with the KAG employees and their families at the track. It was fun showing KAG what we do, and why we are so passionate about NHRA drag racing. We really appreciate KAG supporting our team and believing in us.
KAG was also able to interact with race fans throughout the weekend as they actively recruited new mechanics and CDL truck drivers. For more information about great job opportunities with KAG nationwide, you can browse and apply for available positions here (https://intelliapp2.driverapponline.com/c/kenan?r=raceRacecar).
Things have been equally busy away from the race track as well. I finished grad school, accepted a promotion, and began a new job in Houston that I'm currently in the process of relocating to from Ohio. It has been crazy the past two months and there's never a dull a moment!
Looking ahead, we'll be back on-track July 4-6 at the 8th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, OH. Corey will jump back in the driver's seat for this race and it will be his first time competing at the Bader's famed facility. The remainder of the 2014 season after the Norwalk event is yet to be determined, but it is safe to say it has been an eventful year so far!
Nitro or nothin’.
Kyle Michalek
Kyle and Corey Michalek drive the Dreher Motorsports-prepared Champion Spark Plugs/Kenan Advantage Group A/Fuel Dragster. The brothers were the first winners of Champion's "Search for a Champion" contest. For additional MBR information and updates, please “like” the Michalek Brothers Racing Facebook page and follow @MichalekRacing on Twitter and Instagram.
Courtesy of Michalek Brothers Racing Photos courtesy of David Smith
Corey Michalek eyes rookie debut in 270 MPH A/Fuel Dragster
Michalek Brothers Racing’s (MBR) 2013 season behind the wheel of the Dreher Motorsports A/fuel dragster, albeit brief, was one to remember. Coming out of nowhere, then rookie driver Kyle Michalek qualified #2 and finished runner-up at the team’s very first NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in an A/fuel dragster; the NHRA’s fastest form of semi-professional competition. Fast forward to July and Kyle went on to make a splash in MBR’s NHRA national event debut by successfully qualifying for the field of 16 and gaining the team’s first national exposure on the ESPN2 race broadcast. The season wrapped up with test sessions in August and October at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis when Corey Michalek upgraded his competition license to A/fuel, and closed out 2013 with a 5.55 second blast at over 261mph to set himself up for a 2014 debut.
MBR kicks off its 2014 campaign in two short weeks at Bruton Smith’s “Bellagio of Dragstrips,” ZMAX Dragway, in Charlotte, North Carolina at the 5th Annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals April 11-13. This event marks the rookie competition debut for MBR driver Corey Michalek behind the wheel of a 270MPH A/fuel dragster. Just over one month later MBR will head back to their home track, Summit Motorsports Park, in Norwalk, Ohio where Kyle Michalek hopes to avenge his 2013 runner-up finish at the 8th Annual Mickey Mart Rewards Cavalcade of Stars May 16-18. Corey will then close out the third race on MBR’s 2014 tour celebrating the July 4th weekend in style, once again in Norwalk, at the 8th Annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals July 4-6.
After observing one season of competition from outside of the cockpit, Corey looks forward to getting his shot at the best top alcohol dragster drivers in the world.
“Last season was one that we’ll never forget. Kyle did a spectacular job making the transition from Super Comp to the A/fuel dragster class, and I learned so much from observing him as well as working with Randy and Jared Dreher, our partners from Dreher Motorsports,” said Corey. “I enjoyed helping out on the car and soaking up as much knowledge as I could, but my true desire has always been to be competing behind the wheel. The first race of 2014 that we’re running in Charlotte is the biggest moment in my racing career to date, and I have high expectations for myself. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead now that I’ve completed my license upgrade.”
Kyle and Corey will once again be returning to the track with assistance from second-year partners, Dreher Motorsports. The Dreher’s wealth of knowledge in all facets of preparing and handling the 3,500 horsepower dragster was vital in MBR’s success last year, and Kyle looks forward to building upon what has already been a wildly successful partnership.
“Randy and Jared have been great mentors, and that provides confidence knowing they are willing to help Corey and me develop into A/fuel dragster competitors. We appreciate their support, and are greatful for the opportunity to work with their team,” said Kyle.
MBR will continue their successful partnership with Federal Mogul brands in 2014 with support from Champion, Fel-Pro, Sealed Power, and Speed-Pro. Federal-Mogul is a leading global vehicle components manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of quality products, trusted brands and creative solutions to the automotive aftermarket. To learn more about Champion Spark Plugs and other “Performance Driven™” Champion products, visit AlwaysAChampion.com for more information.
For additional MBR information and updates, please “like” the Michalek Brothers Racing Facebook page and follow @MichalekRacing on Twitter and Instagram.
Written by Nate Van Wagnen Photos courtesy of David Smith, Steve Fuhrman, Michalek Brothers 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.
Ohio-born brothers Corey and Kyle Michalek joined the alcohol ranks as drivers in 2013 after several years working as crew members or drivers of their Super Comp dragster. They most recently worked for Pat Dakin's Top Fuel Dragster team after winning two IHRA world championships with Mark Thomas' popular Ethanol Alcohol Funny Car team. The brothers stepped up to run the Dreher Motorsports A/Fuel dragster at select races in 2013 with continued funding from Champion Spark Plugs, which they originally acquired through their winning 'Search for a Champion' contest campaign. We caught up with Corey and Kyle before the holidays to discuss their past, the future, and how they use social media to benefit their racing efforts.
Corey Michalek
Age: 25
Hometown: Louisville, OH
Residence: New York City
Occupation: Art Director at
Wondersauce, a digital ad agency
Racing Job: Co-owner/co-driver,
Michalek Brothers Racing
Race Car: Dreher Motorsports A/Fuel
Dragster
Best ET/MPH: 5.55/261
Favorite Drivers: Clay Millican, Mark
Thomas, Pat Dakin, and Jared Dreher
Favorite sports: football – Cleveland
Browns and Ohio State, basketball – Cleveland Cavaliers
Favorite TV shows: NHRA ESPN2
broadcasts, The Big Bang Theory, and Moonshiners
Favorite movies: Inception, Dumb and
Dumber, the classics
What's on your iPod: A wide range of
music; anything to fit my mood
What's in your fridge: I live in New
York so I usually eat while I'm out.
Hobbies: Basketball, running – I try
to stay in shape when I'm away from the track.
Proudest Accomplishments: Winning an
IHRA world championship with Mark Thomas, watching Kyle reach the
finals at his debut race (Norwalk regional), and getting my A/Fuel
license.
Goals: Qualify at each race we attend
in 2014
Kyle Michalek
Age: 28
Hometown: Louisville, OH
Residence: Louisville, OH
Occupation: Production supervisor at
Ariel Corporation
Racing Job: Co-owner/co-driver,
Michalek Brothers Racing
Race Car: Dreher Motorsports A/Fuel
Dragster
Best ET/MPH: 5.398/263
Favorite Drivers: Mark Thomas, Pat
Dakin, Clay Millican, and Jared Dreher
Favorite sports: College sports –
Ohio University Bobcats, high school football
Favorite TV shows: Boardwalk Empire and
Eastbound and Down
Favorite movies: Spinal Tap,
Caddyshack, Best in Show and Ghostbusters
What's on your iPod: All metal –
classic metal, new metal – it's all on there
What's in your fridge: Anything my wife
buys – I haven't been grocery shopping since 2009 (laughs)
Hobbies: Running, water-skiing, and
tubing. Working on my Masters degree takes up most of my time.
Proudest Accomplishments: Winning the
Search for a Champion contest, winning the 2005 world championship
with Mark Thomas, and going to the final at the Norwalk regional
event earlier this year.
Goals: Establishing ourselves within
the class, gaining more seat time, and continuing to progress within
the sport, ultimately Top Fuel.
Tell us about your crew background with
Mark Thomas.
Kyle Michalek - I started with Mark directly after
graduating high school. What's unique about our situation is we grew
up playing football, basketball, and swimming. We never turned a
wrench on any type of race car at any time before graduating high
school. Drag racing was just something we watched on TV or maybe went
to a race or two, but never participated. Mark was a family friend
and he asked us to come out to his shop and check out the race car,
which we thought was really cool. Shortly after that, I went to my
first national event as an “honorary crew member” - I cleaned oil
pans, wiped off the car, and basically did anything to stay out of
the way while still feeling special, that I was out there. That ended
up working out very well. I kept going to races with Mark and my
responsibilities increased. I ended up working on the bottom end for
him all the way through college. During my last year with him, 2006,
we won the championship.
Corey came along after he graduated
high school. He worked with me and then he took over my duties after
I graduated from college.
How did your crew experience help
prepare you for running your own program?
KM - As we were working with Mark as
crew members, we both decided that we wanted to drive. I bought my
first race car, an old Woody Gilmore Top Fuel car that had been
converted into a Super Comp car. We rebuilt that and raced it for a
couple of seasons while racing simultaneously with Mark.
Corey and I can say that everything we
learned about racing, from the mechanical standpoint, came from
working with Mark Thomas. We really had no idea what to do
mechanically before that point. We were very ambitious and wanted to
learn. Fortunately he was a good teacher and along with his crew gave
us that opportunity to learn.
Corey Michalek - Mark was
actually the one who got us hooked up with Pat Dakin a few years down
the line. Kyle started doing the clutch on Pat's Top Fuel car. I
started assisting him a few races in. That was our first foray into
anything competitive within the NHRA side of things. Pat showed us
the process of running a Top Fuel car at the highest level of the
sport, and how much more attention to detail was required. It's like
ten thousand times more work than the alcohol car.
Corey, how did you get into the multimedia
side of things?
CM I had no mechanical knowledge when
Kyle started working with Mark. I wasn't really interested in
anything motorsports. My dad had taken us to a few races, but I just
didn't have the bug yet. He actually had to bribe me to go to the
IHRA World Nationals at Norwalk that year, promising a trip to Cedar
Point after the race. I took my video camera to keep me occupied
while Kyle worked on the car. I recorded everything from the run to
the maintenance in the pits. I enjoyed the storytelling aspect of
working with the camera. I started making videos for Mark to use for
sponsorship proposals or speaking engagements. At that point, that
was how I felt I was a part of the team, by helping out with the
marketing side of things.
I later worked on brochures and hero
cards for Mark. It ended up being something that I was passionate
about, so I went to school for it. Multimedia and design are parts of
my job at Michalek Brothers Racing, but it's also what I do for my
legitimate, full-time job.
What role did social media and multimedia play in your Search for a Champion win?
CM - The basic premise behind the
Search for a Champion contest is you need a two-minute video that
best depicts why you're a 'champion' – it's all about your
character, the way you present yourself, and your efforts on and off
of the track. The base part of our campaign was showing what we do
best through our video. 33% of the judging for the contest is voting,
so social media became a vital part of winning. We used Facebook,
Twitter, and Instagram – we did everything we possibly could to get
our name out there in front of family, friends, and drag racing fans.
Through social media, we connected with WFO Radio, other racers,
Competition Plus, and various other different web domains within the
drag racing world in order to get our name out there. For the first
year of the Champion contest, we not only won over the Champion
judges, but we also had the most active fan base. That was really
cool to see everyone get behind us.
KM - When it comes to social media,
Corey solely handles that aspect of our operation and does a good job
of using social media creatively, but also effectively. Most of the
content we release is purposeful. We try to make it worthwhile for
anyone who is following us. I think that's been helpful over the last
few years, as we are seeing more followers liking what we post. It's
beginning to pick up steam in that area.
Can you talk about your relationship
with Champion and how it's grown since winning the contest?
CM - We just released our announcement
that we're heading into our third year with Champion Spark Plugs. To
get involved with Champion in the first place was an accomplishment,
but we're very proud that we were able to continue that relationship
over the last two years. We're looking forward to another year with
them this year.
Going back to where it all began, the
opportunity to go from being an unsponsored, unknown race team to a
team who is involved with a Fortune 500 company, that was about as
big of a shot in the arm as you could ask for. That has opened up so
many more avenues for us as we pursue additional partners. We're able
to have that on our resume – it adds a lot of legitimacy to our
team. The group at Federal-Mogul has been great to work with. They're
very supportive of anything that we want to do. As far as what you
look for in a sponsor, we're very fortunate to be affiliated with the
group of Federal-Mogul brands.
The Search for a Champion contest is in
it's third round. We still continue to play an active role in helping
to promote that contest as an attest to all of the great things that
can come about from being involved in the contest. Champion has shown
that they're a group who is willing to take care of racers,
especially grassroots guys who are just getting started, such as
ourselves.
When did you decide that A/Fuel was the
next step?
CM - It would've been the late summer of
2012. We were wrapping up our first season with Champion while we
were racing our Super Comp car. We both knew that we ultimately
wanted to grow in the sport. We were kind of at a crossroads as far
as what we wanted to do next. We had the funding to put together a
great Super Comp car and have a lot of fun with that, or we had the
opportunity to go a different direction. We agreed that racing Super
Comp any further wasn't going to accomplish any of our future goals.
We both decided to put the Super Comp operation up for sale and begin
looking at opportunities in the Top Alcohol Dragster class.
We specifically chose A/Fuel because of
the similarities in the driving procedures to those of a Top Fuel
car. We both had aspirations to move up to that class, so we thought
this was the best option to help us prepare for that opportunity.
I don't think either one of us regret
that decision. We haven't been able to race as much, as it's more
expensive, but we're very happy with what we've done so far. Kyle
licensed with Anthony Dicero at the beginning of 2013. We were able
to hit the ground running when we began racing with the Drehers. We
had a successful year racing with them. Kyle went to the finals at
the Norwalk regional and qualified for his first national event (also
Norwalk), then I finished up the year by licensing at Indy in
October.
KM - It just came to a point where we
had to decide how to move forward. A/Fuel looked like it was the most
logical next step. We went all-in and so far so good.
Where do you see yourselves going
forward in the class?
CM – As of right now, the deal that
we have going with the Drehers is something that we're very pleased
with. Jared and Randy pretty much mentored us through everything that
we know about A/Fuel racing. We really like the family operation.
Everyone at Dreher Motorsports was very welcoming – Jared, Randy,
his wife Joyce, Jared's girlfriend Tracy, and Red, as well as the
rest of their crew and family. Their track record speaks for itself. We're
very fortunate to have the opportunity to drive their car. So right
now I feel like we're at a good spot. If it ever came down to the
point where they needed to run more races, we'd totally understand –
it's their car and we respect that. We would maybe look at running
with someone else only because of the fact that we need to get out
and run, but I think we're very happy with what we're doing now.
There aren't any plans to go out and
purchase our own operation just because of how well our current
situation is working out. With us living in different states and
having full-time jobs, it would be too difficult to maintain our own
operation.
The self-promotion of the alcohol
classes has been a big topic lately. As someone who has used social
media to grow your efforts, how do you see social media playing a
role in how alcohol teams promote themselves?
CM - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and now even Vine are all tools that I
believe the Top Alcohol community needs to really be serious about
embracing. Most of the teams have created profiles for each of the
networks, but they haven't fully taken advantage of what they have to
offer. Harnessing the power of these platforms can dramatically
increase their digital footprint and strengthen their case when
talking to future sponsors about how their online network away from
the racetrack can provide them a greater ROI.
The free press
and fan impressions that teams can get on these channels is something
that they can't afford to miss out on. On the computer or on the go
with mobile phones, fans are constantly consuming this information
and social media is the easiest way to keep teams and sponsors top of
mind.
One of the biggest things that I think teams need to
keep in mind is being conscious about posting meaningful content. A
thoroughly planned media strategy and testing multiple content themes
is crucial to having success on social networks. Throwing out 25
posts a day is more likely to lose you followers than anything else.
Look at what your favorite brands or sponsors are doing on Facebook
and Twitter...the posts that are the most successful are that way for
a reason. Modeling your content after theirs is a great starting
point. Well thought-out, to-the-point posts are what give your
followers something of value and that is what they're after...even if
it's only a few times a week. This is definitely a shining example
where quality is better than quantity.
Some of the
professional teams that do it really, really well are Force and
Schumacher. They're constantly doing giveaways, chats with their
drivers, and interacting with their fans. These are some of the most
well-established brands in drag racing and what they're doing on
social media should be viewed as the benchmark for all of us to model
our digital strategies off of.
The ability to interact with
some of their favorite teams/drivers is one of biggest draws of
social media for racing fans. Fan mail is no longer nearly as
relevant anymore because social media is so personable and it's real
time, on demand. Teams can easily communicate with and establish
relationships with their fans with a quick response to a tweet or by
responding to a video question. The fans are what make this sport
special and they are what allows us to race, so we can't afford to
not capitalize on every opportunity to interact with them.
At the track, I think the alcohol teams are doing great things. The
racing is phenomenal. The efforts of the Pro Sportsman Association,
with their autograph sessions, I think that's great. I was very
impressed with some of the regional races, like Norwalk's Cavalcade
of Stars. I think that race's attendance was greater than that of
their national event because of the way the Baders promote it. They
really put on a show, with a parade of the cars and the drivers; it's
phenomenal. However, I think there's a lot left to be gained away
from the track online.
KM - Just being able to put faces with the cars is important. The Pro
teams have been able to differentiate themselves from the alcohol
teams through their online presence, but also through their more
comprehensive television package, which isn't an option for the
alcohol guys. For fans who want to relate to the drivers or who want
more information about what's going on on-track, social media is the
best option.
To keep up with the Michalek brothers during the 2014 season, like Michalek Brothers Racing on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @MichalekRacing.
In late August of
the 2013 NHRA season, Corey Michalek began his A/fuel dragster
licensing process during the annual U.S. Nationals test session at
Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis. Behind the wheel of the
Dreher Motorsports dragster, and under the tutelage of Randy and
Jared Dreher, Corey made 5 runs and ran his first 5 second pass at
over 244 MPH to complete all but one of the required license upgrade
runs at this time.
"The first time
that it really hit me what I was doing was when I was backing up from
my burnout and I could smell nitromethane—and it was coming from
the car that I was driving. That was a surreal moment for me,"
said Corey. "My body was on autopilot at that point from all of
the preparation that I had done in the months beforehand, so when the
Drehers gave me the signal to stage the car, I was confident and I
bumped it right in as if I were driving our old Super Comp dragster.
Any similarities between the two cars ended at that point."
The experience
gained during the first session gave Corey valuable insight into what
it takes to command a 3,500 horsepower, injected-nitro dragster down
the quarter-mile.
"I made a
concentrated effort to have my head as far back as I could get it and
to have my body positioned the way that I wanted it to be before
mashing the throttle, but this type of car does not care whatsoever,"
said Corey. "It absolutely plants you in the seat from the
moment it launches until the moment you lift. The aggressiveness of
the acceleration is truly spectacular and everything happens at an
extremely rapid rate."
Following the first
licensing session, Corey anxiously waited 8 weeks for his opportunity
to complete his licensing procedures. Once the team returned to
Indianapolis in late October, Corey picked up right where he left off
and ran a career best pass of 5.55 seconds at over 261 MPH the first
time back in the car. This finalized the licensing process and put an
exclamation point on a wildly successful 2013 season for Michalek
Brothers Racing.
"By the time
that we returned to Indianapolis in October, I had probably made
5,000 practice runs in my head going over and over everything that I
had learned during my initial laps in the car," Corey said. "We
showed up with one goal in mind: to finish the licensing process
right then and there; first attempt at going down the track. The
Dreher’s put a safe tune-up in the car and it hooked up and hauled
the mail all the way through the finish line with no problems
whatsoever. I can't even begin to express how appreciative I am to
have had the opportunity to drive their car."
Kyle Michalek, MBR's
first licensed A/fuel dragster driver, also expressed his excitement
about having Corey licensed to compete in the NHRA's premier
semi-professional class.
“I am really proud
of the way Corey stepped up and handled the car,” said Kyle. “He
thoroughly prepared for this opportunity, and the results reflect his
commitment to being a successful competitor. Corey improved each time
he got behind the wheel and I look forward to watching him race in
2014.
Michalek Brothers
Racing would like to thank Randy and Jared Dreher and the rest of the
Dreher family for their support and guidance during the licensing
process. MBR also acknowledges that none of this would have been
possible without the generous support from our partners at Federal
Mogul: Champion Spark Plugs, Fel-Pro, Sealed Power, and Speed Pro.
At Tri-State Raceway in Earlville, Iowa,
Top Alcohol Dragster veteran Jared Dreher, who opened last season with a regional
victory at Indianapolis, and defending Central Region Top Alcohol Funny champ
Kirk Williams both scored for the first time this season.
Dreher picked up the fifth regional/division
event title of his career with a final-round decision over reigning Central
Region and event winner Gord Gingles, who had won his last two races – the Lucas
Oil Nationals in Brainerd and the Central Region race in Topeka. Gingles, who
has established himself as one of the best on the Tree in just his second year
in an A/Fueler, was second off the line this time and shook violently before shutting
off to a 6.31 at 179 mph.
"We both shook hard, but he shook
worse," said Dreher, who won with a 5.48. "His was so violent that it
broke the puke tank and had body panels hanging off the car when we got down
there. Mine shook pretty bad too, but not that bad."
Dreher’s win comes just days after he
was knocked out of the U.S. Nationals field in last-shot qualifying and missed
the cut by two-thousandths of a second. "This isn't Indy, but a win's a
win," he said. "This was exactly what we needed right now. Indy was a
pretty big disappointment, being so close to home. I don't think we've ever
gotten out of a track as fast as we got out of there."
On the all-concrete Earlville surface, Dreher
qualified in the middle of the field with a 5.48 and picked up dramatically in
the first round with a 5.38 against Jackie Fricke, who slipped from her 5.47
qualifying pace to a 5.55. Gingles followed one pair later with a 5.34 (low
e.t.) win over Dave Hirata's cylinder-dropping 5.70. North Central points
leader Brandon Booher, who qualified No. 1 with a 5.41, also ran in the 5.30s
in a win over Dean Dubbin, and Topeka winner Randy Meyer just missed with a
5.41 against Edwin Schmeeckle's close 5.45.
Gingles stayed consistent and emerged as
the clear favorite for the final with a 5.35 semifinal win over Meyer in a race
that had huge points implications. With one race to go, he holds a 32-point
edge over Meyer for the regional championship. Dreher won the other semi with a
5.45 against Booher, who had to lift near half-track when his steering shaft
broke, then negotiated the tricky conditions better than Gingles in the final
for the 5.48 win.
In Top Alcohol Funny Car, Williams beat
Van Hauen in the final in a battle of the first and last qualifiers, 5.73 to a
shutoff 8.58. "I've been here probably 12 or 13 times, and you really have
to know how to get down this track," said Williams, who won here for the
second year in a row and appeared in the final for a third straight year.
"The groove is narrow, but this place can be pretty fast if you have the
right setup."
Van Hauen, appearing in his first final
since last year's Noble event, was fifth of five cars in qualifying with a 5.95
but stepped up to a 5.79 in the first round, just a few thousandths of a second
from low e.t. at the time, to beat No. 2 qualifier Billy Davis' 5.86, then singled
in the semi's. The field was tight in qualifying – every driver but Van Hauen
ran between 5.79 and 5.83.
Williams paced the field in qualifying with
a 5.79, lowered low e.t. to a 5.77 in a semifinal win over Wayne Butler and
reset low e.t. again in the final with a 5.73 while Van Hauen strayed toward
the centerline and eventually had to lift.
"I really have to hand it to
Lance," Williams said. "What a guy. NHRA was telling him to head for
the lanes, and he could have had a single for the win, but he didn't take it.
He stayed right by our trailer until we were ready to go. That's the kind of
guy he is."
Courtesy of Michalek Brothers Racing Photos courtesy of Steve Fuhrman
KYLE
MICHALEK RACES THE CHAMPION SPARK PLUGS DRAGSTER TO RUNNER-UP FINISH IN NHRA
A/FUEL DRAGSTER DEBUT
Rookie
driver Kyle Michalek and the Dreher Motorsports team wasted no time in setting
the pace for a break out debut weekend. Kyle went to the top of the class on
Friday night during Q1 with a time of 5.398 seconds @ 259.86 MPH which was good
enough to put him in the #2 qualifying position. This strong performance was
indicative of what was to come for the remainder of the race weekend.
Qualifying
resumed Saturday afternoon and Kyle was able to make a solid run in the heat of
the day with a 5.469 second pass that would provide valuable tune up information
for race day conditions. Heading into the final qualifying session, Kyle was
safely qualified in the #2 position and the team had the privilege of running
in the last pair of Top Alcohol Dragsters.
"The
Summit Motorsports Park experience never disappoints and this was no
exception," said Kyle. "As the team pushed the car up to the starting
line for Q3 on Saturday night I looked up and saw a standing room only crowd of
close to 45,000 people, a single day track attendance record. That was a really
special feeling knowing that many people care about the sport that we are so
passionate about and it really got me pumped up to showcase the Champion Spark
Plugs A/fuel dragster in front of such a large audience."
Since
the team had nothing to lose, they chose to go after the #1 qualifying position
but overpowered the track in the process, resulting in tire smoke at the hit of
the throttle. The team was still able to hold on to the #2 qualifying position
and they were positioned to contend for the Wally on Sunday during
eliminations.
The old
adage stating, "it is better to be lucky than good" held true during
the first round of eliminations. Jeff Veale experienced mechanical problems
during Kyle's first round matchup giving Kyle a solo pass into the second
round. Jeff's bad luck turned out to be Kyle's good luck as Kyle's dragster
immediately went into tire smoke at the hit of the throttle forcing Kyle to
abort the run.
The team
went to work back in the pits between rounds and made the necessary tune up adjustments
to take on seasoned veteran Robin Samsel in the semi-finals. Kyle was first off
the starting line and never looked back as he got the win on a holeshot beating
Samsel's quicker, but losing, 5.47 to Kyle's 5.48. Just three weeks prior,
Samsel and his crewmember Dave Hill signed Kyle's Top Alcohol Dragster
competition license upgrade at the NHRA division 3 regional event at
Indianapolis. Going into the finals at his first race, Kyle was matched up
against the three-time NHRA North Central region champion, Marty Thacker. The
team gave a great effort but came up just a little bit short as Thacker ran low
elapsed of eliminations with a 5.40 to Kyle's 5.45 second pass.
"Going
into eliminations I had some pre-race jitters but they quickly disappeared once
I was strapped into the race car. I knew that I had to concentrate on running
my own race and not worry about the guy in the other lane. As we advanced
through each round my confidence continued to grow. All-in-all, this was a
dream weekend during my first race in the Top Alcohol Dragster class. My
expectations were far exceeded and I really appreciate the support that has
been offered to me by other competitors from within the sport. Congratulations
to Marty Thacker and his team on a great effort in the final round and also to
Chris Foster, who we used to race with in the IHRA Alcohol Funny Car ranks when
we worked on Mark Thomas's pit crew. Chris and his team have developed a strong
program and it is great to see them be successful," said Kyle.
"I
am truly humbled by the success that we experienced this weekend and could not
have done it without the support of family and friends, Champion Spark plugs
and the associated Federal Mogul brands, and the Dreher Family."
"The
Drehers immediately accepted us into their racing family. They made us feel
welcomed and they provided the support that enabled me to improve each pass as
a new A/fuel dragster driver. Make no mistake about it, this is Jared's car and
it was a privilege to have the opportunity to drive it. The team has a wealth
of experience and racing knowledge and they come to the racetrack to win, but
once racing is over for the day they are a genuinely nice group of individuals
who are great to spend time with."
Michalek
Brothers Racing looks to build upon the momentum gained from this past
weekend's successful outing and plans to be back on the track again in the near
future. Details concerning the team's next event will be announced in the
coming weeks once plans are finalized.
For additional MBR information and updates,
please visit MichalekBrothersRacing.com, “like” the Michalek Brothers Racing
Facebook page, and follow @MichalekRacing on Twitter.
