FOR WILK, NEXT STOP IS NEXT STEP
Posted by: Team Manager Bob Wilber
PHOENIX (February 17, 2014) -- The NHRA Mello Yello schedule clearly shows Phoenix to be the second stop on the 2014 campaign, with newly renamed Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park hosting the Carquest Nationals this weekend. For Tim Wilkerson, owner/tuner/driver of the Levi, Ray & Shoup Shelby Mustang Funny Car, the next stop is also the next step, as he looks to improve upon both his qualifying and eliminations results from the season opener in Pomona.
Without any preseason testing to work out the kinks or learn the nuances of a new chassis, Wilk and his LRS crew hit the ground running in Pomona, and they not-surprisingly found themselves scuffling to make the show, sliding in 15th on a run in which the driver saved the day by expertly pedaling out of tire shake. A first-round loss to a hard-charging Robert Hight then ended the weekend on Sunday morning. Wilk aims to take those lessons learned and turn them into better performance in the desert.
"We knew going in that we were going to be a bit behind the curve, so maybe it's better to look at the bright side and be happy we got in and were able to race on Sunday," Wilk said. "We learned something on every lap, and if you're trying to learn it's almost better to have some trouble because those are the laps that teach you the most. If you can't learn from failure, you shouldn't be in this sport.
"So now it's not the first weekend anymore, and it's not a new season either. It's just the next race, so we'll get after it on Friday and Saturday and try to keep the learning curve going in the right direction. We're not that far off anyway, so I don't see why we can't come out firing and do some good. Plus, it'll be nice to get out of the snow and get out to Arizona, I know that."
One year ago it seemed as if the track formerly known as Firebird Raceway would not be long for the circuit, or the world. The previous management team's lease had not been renewed, and the Gila River Indian Community needed to decide the future direction of the multi-purpose facility. The tribe chose to proceed aggressively, and has hired a new management group while investing in refurbishments which have included newly paved portions of the drag strip. Wilk is excited to get to work at the facility.
"To be honest, the place hasn't really been up to par with most of the rest of the modern facilities we have on the tour, so something needed to be done and we were mostly worried that they might just close the place," Wilk said. "It was great to hear that they decided to not only keep it going but improve it, and even though it will be a process and it will probably take a few years to get it where the new group wants it, I'm all for it.
"The fans in Phoenix have always been great, and they've packed the place year after year despite the fact it was pretty rundown. If we put on the type of show, on the track, that we usually do and if they can spruce the place up a little and bring it up to the standards those fans deserve, it will be one of our marquee events someday. This year will be the first step toward that, and we're looking forward to it."
It's the first step in the second life of the facility, now known as Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, and it's the next step in the 2014 season for Wilk and the entire Mello Yello tour. This may be a "one step at a time" process, but Wilk aims to make this next stop one very big step. A giant leap wouldn't be out of the question.
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