Taliaferro Hires Norm Grimes for 2014 Championship Run

Courtesy of Pro Race Communications
Photo courtesy of David Smith/PSA

 

ODESSA, Texas – After making the transition back to the blown alcohol combination last year, NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster driver Mark Taliaferro and his Markco Machine Works sponsored team have retained the services of seven-time national champion Crew Chief Norm Grimes for 2014. Grimes has most recently tuned Jim Whiteley to back-to-back national championships the past two years.

When Whiteley made the decision to step out of the seat of his Top Alcohol Dragster around the middle of last season, the wheels were set in motion to get Grimes hooked up with Taliaferro.

“I had a few talks with Jim, and he let me know that he planned to step out of the seat at the end of last season and that Norm would be available,” said Taliaferro (pronounced Tal-if-er). “It’s not every day that someone with Norm’s credentials becomes available. As a matter of fact, there are few with Norm’s credentials, period. We worked things out to where he would come to work with us for 2014. He helped us some towards the end of last year, but his main focus was winning the Championship for Jim.

“When we came back into the Top Alcohol Dragster class, it was with the intentions of being able to compete for a National Championship,” Taliaferro continued. “We made the switch back to the blown combination this past year because guys like Whiteley and Demke were having a lot of success with it. Now that we have Norm in our camp, we are looking forward to making a strong run for it this year.”

Despite having Grimes in his corner, Taliaferro is quick to point out a national title will be no easy task.

“Even with the best parts, people, everything, it is a tough job to try to win a championship,” commented Taliaferro. “There are some awful good racers out there gunning for the same title and it remains to be seen how the A/Fuel cars will run this year with 1% more nitro and colder fuel. I’m sure it will be a dog fight, but we’re going to do everything we can to be in the middle of it. We would really like to go make a good showing for our sponsors Markco Machine Works, W74 Oil Tools, Taurus Manufacturing and MCO Construction this year.”

Taliaferro and his Markco Machine Works team will kick the 2014 season off at the season-opening Circle K Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif., Feb. 6-9.

Markco Machine Works is an API Licensee for manufacture of new Blow Out Preventers, as well as re-manufacture and repair of blowout preventers. Markco also manufactures wellhead equipment and is a supplier of BOP replacement parts. Find out more at www.markcomachineworks.com

W74 Oil Tools is your one-stop resource for downhole fishing tools and oilfield support services. Located in the Permian Basin of West Texas, one of the largest oilfields in North America, we have over 35 years of fishing tool experience. Through decades of servicing national and independent companies, we have established a name representing quality and reliability. Find out more at www.W74.com

MCO Construction, leaders in oilfield fabrication and maintenance, was established in 1975. Along with fabrication and maintenance, MCO offers services in pipe cleaning, reclamation systems and CNC plasma cutting and machining. Find out more at www.MCOConstruction.com

 

Taliaferro to Return to Blown 'Roots' in Topeka

Courtesy of Will Hanna

TOPEKA, Kan. – Former two-time NHRA Division 5 Top Alcohol Dragster Champion Mark Taliaferro will return to his blown ‘roots’ with his Markco Machine Works sponsored team during next weekend’s Kansas Nationals at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan.  Taliaferro, who has campaigned an A/Fuel dragster for the past three seasons will be returning to a blown alcohol combination with a brand-new Chip Nielsen chassis tuned by Tom Conway.

Taliaferro, from Odessa, Texas, returned to the Top Alcohol Dragster class with a Conway tuned A/Fuel Dragster in 2010 after taking 12 years off to focus on his family and business.  He scored two divisional wins and two national event runner-ups since returning to competition.  He finished a career-best 8th nationally last season.

With the resurgence of the blown alcohol combination, Taliaferro felt the urge to go back to the combination he raced throughout the ‘90’s with, winning two Division 5 Championships and one national event.  He last drove a blown car in 1998.

“We did a lot of homework on the class when we looked at coming back in a couple years ago,” said Taliaferro.  “At the time, the A/Fuel combination was definitely the way to go.  Over the past few years, the blown cars have definitely become competitive with the A/Fuel cars.  I had a lot of fun driving my blown car back years ago.  After watching Whiteley and Demke last year, we decided to make the switch.”

Taliaferro cites that getting Conway on board to make the switch closed the deal.

“I have had Tom as my tuner going back years ago when we raced the blown car,” stated Taliaferro.  “We didn’t want to do it without him.  He has done a lot of homework over the winter studying what has changed since he last raced a blown car.”

The team had hoped to get the car in time to test before Topeka, but after encountering several setbacks getting the blown car completed, the first qualifier on Friday will be Mark’s first lap in a blown car in nearly 15 years.

“Obviously we would have liked to test,” explained Taliaferro.  “The reality is we are going to be working late nights just to get the car done for Topeka.  I have no doubt we have the right people and pieces on the car.  I may be the biggest variable in this deal.  It’s been a long time since I’ve driven a blown car.  Hopefully we can go make a respectable showing and get some good data to build on.  I really have to thank all the work my team has put into getting this car together along with the support of our sponsors Markco Machine Works, W74 Oil Tools and MCO Construction.  Without a good team and support from our sponsors this would not be possible.”

Qualifying begins next Friday and final eliminations will conclude the event on Sunday.

Markco Machine Works is an API Licensee for manufacture of new Blow Out Preventers, as well as re-manufacture and repair of blowout preventers.  Markco also manufactures wellhead equipment and is a supplier of BOP replacement parts.  Find out more at www.markcomachineworks.com

W74 Oil Tools is your one-stop resource for downhole fishing tools and oilfield support services.  Located in the Permian Basin of West Texas, one of the largest oilfields in North America, we have over 35 years of fishing tool experience.  Through decades of servicing national and independent companies, we have established a name representing quality and reliability.  Find out more at www.w74.com

MCO Construction, leaders in oilfield fabrication and maintenance, was established in 1975.  Along with fabrication and maintenance, MCO offers services in pipe cleaning, reclamation systems and CNC plasma cutting and machining.  Find out more at www.MCOConstruction.com