“ Just as any parent, watching my kids win is much more gratifying than winning myself.”
How did finishin g second twice drive you to really fight for that first championship in 2016?
I honestly thought it would never happen. I thought it was just not meant to be. In 2014, Jason Harris pretty much dominated in the PDRA. We were in second, but we were a distant second. Then in 2015, we were actually racing against Rickie Smith for the championship. It came down to the final race and I had an opportunity to win, but I just kind of left that one sitting on the table. That gives you the drive to go back and continue.
I think what drives me the most is to be able to race guys like Rickie. You race these guys who are legends, guys who do this for a living. We try to race like we’ re professionals and doing it for a living, but in all honesty, it’ s a hobby for us. To be able to race against the caliber of teams that we are, that’ s what drives me to do it. As a kid, you grow up dreaming of exactly that – setting world records, winning races and winning championships. To get that close, it really gives you a taste of it. It felt really good when we got it last year, almost like a relief. But then as the year started going on, you start having that desire to get back there. I think the worst thing is thinking that you might have to peel the number one off the window. I don’ t want that. It all just drives you to step up your game and make it happen.
How rewarding has it been to win two championships during a time when Pro Nitrous has been at its best?
Not taking away from any win at any point, but when you see the level of competition that’ s so close, I think that says a lot for the PDRA and what it’ s become. When you go out and win a round going 3.65 like we did at Virginia to finish the year, you didn’ t just win the championship, you raised the bar to another level. I think that’ s what’ s more rewarding to me, to know that we’ re winning championships at a time when the class is the most competitive that it’ s ever been, I believe. I say that because you have parity between not only 16 cars, but really, probably 20-22 cars that show up and have an opportunity to win every single round.
Amber won the Pro Junior Dragster championship and Ashley won Rookie of the Year honors. How exciting is it for you to see your daughters reach levels of success alongside you like that?
For all of us to be able to go out and race together at a high level means a lot. Growing up, my parents did the same thing with me – we did a lot of things together. There was never a time where I got left behind and they went and did the fun stuff. I think that probably kept me out of a lot of trouble at times. I’ ve done the same thing with my family. Luckily, my kids enjoy it still and they enjoy being here with us. I recognize that that might not always be the case, but I’ m trying to make sure it is always the case if possible.
Some people might say that it’ s only Jr. Dragster racing, but the competition in the PDRA’ s Jr. Dragster classes isn’ t easy.
I think the Jr. classes can be tougher than the rest of the classes. Those kids out there are amazing. Ashley was in her first year of competition, really green to it. To see her come around from where she started the year off, she qualified for every single race. Top Jr. Dragster qualifies based on reaction time, so that says a lot for her. I believe she was No. 1 qualifier two or three times. I was really proud when they voted her Rookie of the Year. The last thing I would want is for my kids to get something they didn’ t deserve, but she
“ Just as any parent, watching my kids win is much more gratifying than winning myself.”
raced hard, qualified for every race, had a few No. 1 qualifiers and even a couple perfect lights, so she definitely deserved it.
With Amber, she’ s ate up with racing... bad. It’ s delighting to see, by all means. She’ s very focused. It’ s a learning time, so as the years started going by she would get her reaction times down, then we would talk about driving the finish line. As a parent, sometimes you think it should be easier for them to learn it. We came out this year and all of a sudden Amber is tightening up the finish line to a hundredth or so and I’ m like,“ That’ s a little bit tight,” and she’ s like,“ Oh no, Dad, I got it.” Her confidence level is really high, and I think any form of racing requires that. You have to be able to go in and be confident and know that you have a chance to win.
They’ ve definitely impressed me more than I’ ve ever impressed myself, that’ s for sure. Being able to travel around with my family, including Judy and any of my other family members who come to the races, it’ s just enjoyable. It’ s memories that I hope they’ ll recognize for the rest of their lives.
You and Amber made history when you become the first father-daughter champions of a national drag racing series. How did you two work together to accomplish that?
All year long, we were in three or four finals together. The PDRA typically runs the Jr. Dragsters before Pro Nitrous, so she would win her rounds long before I won my rounds and put the pressure back on me and I let it down. We didn’ t get to share the winner’ s circle all year. It felt like another one of those things that wasn’ t meant to be, but then the championships came along. Amber made a speech at the PDRA banquet that really summed it up: There were bigger things planned. To win the championship together, that’ s much more memorable than one race would be. It’ s exciting. Just as any parent, watching my kids win is much more gratifying than winning myself.
Amber is approaching the age when she’ ll have to move out of Jr. Dragsters. What’ s the next step for her?
Eventually we’ re going to put her in the car I drove for the past few seasons. I’ ve got a new car for 2018. I’ m going to keep my old car for now for two reasons: it’ s too good to race against, but also because there’ s no sense in selling that car and buying another car for Amber. We don’ t know exactly what the process will look like. She’ ll get her license later this year, but I don’ t plan on putting her in anything real fast real soon. We’ re going to see what happens. She has a big interest in the Outlaw 632 class right now, which I think is a really cool class. Not that it’ s cheap, but it’ s a starter class. It looks like it’ s something that you can get in and get your feet wet. The cars are running 4.20s and 4.30s. Whether it be that or Top Sportsman or something like that, I’ m sure that’ s the direction she’ ll take.
We’ ve talked about maybe putting her in a dragster for a little bit, but I’ m not sure about that. She wants to be in a door car. She wants to run Pro Nitrous. I don’ t think her mom is ready for that, and I’ m not sure I’ m ready for that, so we’ ll take it slow and make sure she’ s ready. At the end of the day, she’ s still our daughter and she’ s a kid. We’ re going to try to protect her from herself as much as we can.
How have you prepared yourself for the tense moments that will come with putting Amber in a Pro Mod-style car?
I’ m not sure I’ m completely prepared for it. My mom and dad told me it was the hardest thing in
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