Wilk Ready For Liftoff In Houston
Posted by: Team Manager Bob Wilber
HOUSTON (April 21, 2014) -- Tim Wilkerson was the runner-up last year at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Spring Nationals contested at Royal Purple Raceway near Houston. That, in itself, is not exactly noteworthy, considering Wilk has 15 runner-up finishes on his record, to go with his 17 career race victories. But, the 2013 final round is one he still remembers as vividly as any he has ever been a part of. This weekend, he hopes to get back to that ultimate round of racing in order to take it one step further.
It was a hot and humid afternoon a year ago in Baytown, which is not unusual on any day of the year in the Houston metro area. The key difference was the fact ESPN and NHRA were taking their first step toward finding a way to put the semifinal and final rounds on "live" television, and to do so they tightened the service time between the rounds. Wilk's young crew was young and inexperienced at this time last year, and his comment "I guess that pretty much guarantees that we'll be in the final round, because I don't think we can do that" was quickly circulated as being comically prophetic. Indeed, he and his young team advanced with wins over Del Worsham, John Force, and Ron Capps to earn a berth in the final, against Cruz Pedregon.
With help from Bob Tasca's team, the young Levi, Ray & Shoup crew did make it in time, and it was actually Pedregon and his team who were late for the call, but both teams made it to the line with seconds to spare. The vivid ESPN images of the exhausted crews made for compelling television, while also making Team Wilkerson clutch specialist Travis Wirth a bit of a star, but Pedregon streaked away for the win and the LRS team came up frustratingly short after such a brilliant day of racing.
"It was tough, because I really felt deep down inside that we were destined to win that race," Wilk said. "Some days are just like that. From the first round on you get that feeling that this is the day, and we let it slip away. The real win for us, though, was just making it to the final. My guys were still coming together as a team, and nothing can make you grow and get better in a hurry than a thrash like that. They had to learn how to work fast, but still do all the little things to make it right. It did help that most of Tasca's guys were waiting for us when we got back after winning the semifinal, but it was great learning experience for my guys.
"This year, we're coming off the final round at Charlotte and the car is running great, so we feel pretty good about our chances. The same guys that were so green and a little overwhelmed last year are a tight group now, and I have no doubts about their ability to turn the car around. We just heard that there will be three races this year where we go 'live' again, and even though Houston isn't one of them I'm sure we're not the only team in the pits that will be practicing as if it is. What you want is for those live races to be routine for your guys, not a mad thrash, so I'm sure every crew out there is plotting out how they're going to be ready for Epping, Chicago, and Denver when we'll be on live TV again."
First things first, however, and Wilk knows he has a chance to finally break free of a winless streak that dates back to Seattle in 2011, making it 60 consecutive races without a trip to the Winner's Circle. For a guy who has 17 Wally trophies at home, who has made the Countdown for six straight years, and who is commonly considered a contender every time he pulls up to the starting line, it's a mind-boggling streak.
"We've been to four finals since we won in Seattle, and that's not counting the three times we've been in the final round at the 4-Wide race in Charlotte because we actually ended up as semifinalists there. Since we could've won those three Charlotte races, I guess you could make a case for it being seven finals, and that's a lot of rounds to come up short in all of them," Wilk said.
"Some bad luck along the way for sure, and sometimes we just flat got beat, but we really have been snake-bit for far too long. It's been so long that I don't even use the term bridesmaid anymore, because it was getting worn out. I'm ready to break this streak and I know my guys are. I have three guys on my crew who have never once been to the Winner's Circle after a race, and I'm not exaggerating when I say they truly deserve to experience that. They really do."
Wilk won the Houston event in 2004. He runner-upped in 2013. In 2014, just a few miles north of NASA headquarters, he's ready for liftoff.
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