Wilk Bringing Rottler To The Seattle Party
Posted by: Team Manager Bob Wilber
SEATTLE (July 29, 2014) -- Seeing Tim Wilkerson drive his Levi, Ray & Shoup Mustang to round wins and to the Winner's Circle is something Seattle NHRA fans have perhaps come to expect, and after some strong performances at the first two stops on the Western Swing it wouldn't be a surprise. What might throw the avid Puget Sound fans for a loop is the look of Wilk's car this weekend, at the O'Reilly Auto Parts Northwest Nationals, where a special-edition body will be in play, featuring Rottler Manufacturing. Wilk will take his Rottler/LRS car to the line for one weekend only.
Rottler, a leading manufacturer of heavy machines used in engine building and servicing, is based in Seattle. Their technology partnership with Team Wilkerson will be on display via the new Shelby Mustang, which features images of three of their machines on the sides and hood. In addition, Rottler will be hosting a series of Demo Days, for racers and engine builders, this week leading up to the race, keeping their facility open and the machines running from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Between the staff at Rottler, the members of Team Wilk, and the diehard Seattle fan base, there will be plenty of support as Wilk tries to win at Pacific Raceways for the fourth time.
"We're really thrilled to bring the Rottler folks out to the track with us and run this car for them," Wilk said. "They've been great to work with and we own three of their machines, which we rely on every day. Our goal is to spread the word about their products to all the racers and engine builders, so we're hoping a number of the teams that are heading up to Seattle from Sonoma will stop by their headquarters when they get into town, and check out the neat stuff they make.
"With all that said, the main thing we're focused on is qualifying well and winning rounds. Right now, we've only got three races left to settle the Countdown playoff field and to us it's all about either holding onto this tenth spot or moving up a little higher. We're pretty much always looking to sew this thing up late, and we've done it every year, so we're staring at another tight one in 2014 and hopefully we're on the right track to do that again."
After a bit of a stumble into 11th place with three consecutive first-round losses at Epping, Chicago, and Norwalk, Wilk bounced back with a strong semifinal finish in Denver, and in the process he defeated Jack Beckman in the second round to move around Fast Jack and back into 10th. Beckman managed to squeeze back into the 10th spot with qualifying points in Sonoma, but Wilk stunned many by blistering the hot Sonoma track with his best run of the weekend in round one, once again defeating Beckman and once again moving back into 10th.
"It's tight, and you're talking about a former World Champion and a championship-caliber team we're battling with, so every trip down the track becomes critical right now. The key for us is that we hold our own destiny in our hands. If we keep winning rounds we don't have to hope for someone else to lose and we don't have to root for someone else to help us out. It's all about winning rounds.
"We won in Seattle for three straight years, in '09, '10, and '11 and that one in 2011 is the last race we won. Three long years without a trophy, and it feels longer than that. Breaking that string in Seattle would be pretty neat, but frankly I'm only thinking about qualifying right now. Once we do that, I'll start worrying about the first round. There's no 'big picture' left right now, it's all the little things and each round is really important."
The Seattle fans may do a double-take when they see a black, white, and red Shelby Mustang pull to the line with a large Rottler logo on the sides, but it shouldn't surprise them if Wilk and that Rottler car go rounds on Sunday. This is, after all, the Seattle race and it's also the stretch drive to a playoff spot. Been there, done that.