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Tim Wilkerson and his son, Daniel, to tune and house the Chad Green Motorsports( CGM) Funny Car program. With Daniel tuning, the team finished fifth in the 2023 points standings after defeating Tim in the final round at the NHRA Finals, marking Green’ s first win in the class.
Marinis learned as much as he could from the Wilkersons, taking the principles he knew from drag radial and Pro Mod and adjusting them for nitro racing. When the Wilkersons restructured their team, with Daniel taking over driving duties and Tim focusing on tuning
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their SCAG Power Equipment Funny Car, Marinis was ready for the opportunity to step up as Green’ s co-crew chief along with longtime Tim Wilkerson Racing crew member Joe Serena.
Marinis and the CGM team had a busy offseason, moving into a new shop in the nitro racing world capital, Brownsburg, Indiana, as well as assembling a second Funny Car operation that will be shared by Blake Alexander and Green’ s son, Hunter Green, a multi-time Top Alcohol Dragster winner who recently crossed over his Top Fuel license.
Ahead of the 2025 NHRA Mission
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Foods Drag Racing Series opener, the Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, Drag Illustrated caught up with Marinis to learn more about his transition to nitro racing.
Have you always had an interest in nitro racing or did that develop as Chad started to get into it? Well, I think any type of person has an interest in nitro racing. The first time you go to a track and you see one of these cars go down the track, you’ re in shock. You’ re like,“ What was that?!” So that’ s
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always been an attraction from the time I was a kid. Yeah, you watch a 10-second car go down the racetrack and it don’ t look fast. When you’ re in the car, it feels pretty fast the first time you go 10 seconds. But a nitro car, no matter who you are, it’ s definitely been an interest of mine. To be lucky enough to get the position where I am right now, I’ m very fortunate.
What were your early impressions of the nitro Funny Car compared to what you were used to? Your fine adjustment is a lot coars-
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A NITROUS CAR AND A NITRO FUNNY CAR ARE VERY DIFFERENT BEASTS, BUT THERE ARE PRINCIPLES THAT CARRY OVER FROM ONE TO THE OTHER. |