Dirt
A Reinvigorated Rowe
Danny Rowe debuts new RJ-built ’18 Camaro
By Josh Hachat
“That’s an advantage for
us,” Rowe said. “Jimmy
Rector is unbelievable and
the fact RJ and Rickie have
so much experience with
a chassis and they under-
stand a door car, it gives us
a little different way to look
at things.”
What Rowe envisions is
a wealth of new opportu-
nities, finding new ways
to utilize the horsepower
Rector makes.
It will surely be a matter
of discovering what works,
but Rowe is looking for-
ward to the process. Part
of it is admittedly nerve-
wracking, as he ventures
into new territory, but the potential is too big to
ignore. It won’t be a quick or easy process, but
everything is headed in the right direction.
“There’s no doubt – this was a little nerve-
wracking, getting in a new car, not knowing
what’s going to happen, but everything is mov-
ing in the right direction,” Rowe said. “The car
feels good, it’s done everything we expect it to do.
So far, it’s been great. These guys have a ton of
experience – as does our team – so it’s hard not
to be confident that we’ll have a handle on the
new hot rod in short order.”
If that continues, Rowe will enter the 2018
NHRA Pro Mod season with plenty of momentum
with teammate Steve Matusek, who finished with
a win and an eighth-place finish last year.
But Rowe knows nothing will come easy in the
loaded class. Last year’s world champion, Troy
Coughlin, may be retired, but the competition
level remains at an all-time high. That makes
introducing a new car and other changes a sig-
nificant challenge, but Rowe believes it provides
the best path for his team to take a major leap
from last year.
“We want to be very competitive and that’s the
goal,” Rowe said. “It’s going to be a battle as usual.
We might not be the head of the pack every lap,
but I know we’re going to be competitive. The
series is doing great and I believe it’s the best race
series in the country. There’s a lot of good people
supporting this thing and that shows the quality
of cars, teams and racers involved. To compete at
a high-level amongst this group of drivers, tuners
and cars is as big of an accomplishment as you
can hope for these days – there’s no question
about it.”
DI DI DI
DI DI DI DI
34 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
DI DI DI
Issue 131
T
he way Danny Rowe sees things
this year, it’s either going to be the
leading edge or the bleeding edge. The
NHRA Pro Mod standout will debut a
brand-new Chevy Camaro from RJ Race Cars
this season, one of a handful of forward-thinking
items for the veteran, who is fully aware of the
fine line he’ll be walking facing off against the top
Pro Mod names. But after an 11th-place finish in
the NHRA Pro Mod standings a year ago, Rowe
knew he couldn’t stand pat.
“We want to be advanced, we want to be mov-
ing forward and improving, but we also don’t
want to be taking dumb chances,” Rowe said.
“You’re always going to be nervous about what
you’re doing, but you have
to believe in the program.
The last couple years, I felt
like were a little behind the
8-ball. For whatever reason,
the Corvette didn’t perform
the way we wanted. This
has kind of given me excite-
ment for this season.”
A reinvigorated Rowe
could spell trouble for
the NHRA Pro Mod field,
as he clicked off a string
of low 5.8-second passes
during the Aeromotive
RPM Winter Warm-Up
at Orlando Speed World
Dragway, February 19-24.
The Pro Modified veteran
also posted a career-best
5.79 on the car’s first full
quarter-mile pass.
Rowe and longtime
crew chief Jimmy Rector
were joined during the
test session by Rick and
Rickie Jones of RJ Race
Cars. The noted build-
ers and tuners were in
Orlando and will offer a
close eye and insight at
each of the 12 NHRA Pro
Mod races, beginning at
the Gatornationals. It’s an
added bonus for purchas-
ing the new car from them
and Rowe plans to take full advantage of it.
“He’s there to evolve with our program, be en-
gaged with what’s going on and that was big for
me,” Rowe said. “Rick and Rickie are great people
and they were really excited about working with
us. It’s only going to continue to help us.”
Paired with Rector, Rowe is also excited about
the possibilities.