Drag Illustrated Issue 171, September / October 2021 | Page 32

Dirt

JEFF PIERCE
wasn ’ t there . I had to rein myself in . You can ’ t expect the car to do something it can ’ t do . There ’ s always performance to be found , but you ’ re better off trying to make the best run you can than trying to take a tenth off .”
Pierce is also working with Muenks again , who is running a reduced schedule in 2021 , and Brian Lewis , who has made impressive strides running a ProCharger in Pro Mod .
Pierce has also been instrumental in the handful of strong showings Jerico Balduf has had in the NHRA Pro Mod ranks , a challenge he has enjoyed throughout the year .
On the PDRA Pro Outlaw 632 front , Pierce continues to show talent in finding performance in the class , working with perennial contender Chris Holdorf .
He also helped make some tuning calls as second-generation driver Amber Franklin made her debut in Pro Outlaw 632 , as she enjoyed a
No . 4 qualifying effort and runner-up finish in her first race .
It ’ s a class that has tested Pierce , who gets a great deal of satisfaction in finding performance gains in a class where consistent progress can be
hard to come by .
“ It ’ s a very interesting class ,” Pierce says . “ It ’ s like taking Pro Mod and Pro Stock and putting them in the same class . They have the power adder , so you have to be familiar with that , but at the same time , you ’ re limited on power so you have to be efficient with it .
“ I grew up with Pro Stock guys , and Outlaw 632 is a fun class to help in ,” Pierce adds . “ These are teams that need help . These guys work five days a week and are super busy , so they need direction . It ’ s a very rewarding class and a neat deal . We ’ ve figured out some with converters and the gearing packages and made them run pretty well , so it ’ s been fun . You ’ ve got to use everything you ’ ve got and you have to maximize efficiency .” DI
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