2008 Racing Schedule

Below is the schedule I have so far for 2008. We should be out and testing the car sometime in March. Most likely that will happen at Caddo Mills TX and Tulsa OK. A big thanks to the Goodguys Rod and Custom Association for stepping up and having 3 big races East of the Rockies this year. www.good-guys.com

June6,7,8 Indianapolis IN, Goodguys 20th Hot Rod Nationals

June 13,14,15 Bowling Green KY, NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion

July 12, Tulsa Raceway Park, Tulsa OK - Nitro Nationals

September 5,6,7 Norwalk OH, Goodguys Blue Suede Cruise

October 17,18,19 Bowling Green KY, Goodguys 1st annual Nostalgia Nationals

We also have been invited to 6 races that Julius Hughes (Owner of Atlanta Speed Shop) is putting on. Those are listed below and we will attend some if budget allows. These races are booked in shows added to current ORSCA events and are very promising as they may be covered by Horsepower TV!

April 19th Carolina Dragway Jackson, SC

May3 Bristol, TN

May 17 Atlanta, GA

Sept 20 Huntsville ,AL

Oct 4 Montgomery , AL

Nov 8 Carolina Dragway Jackson, SC

Progress, the pictures speak.............

New front wheels/tires. Nose piece repaired. Fuel tank polished.

Cowl and body painted by crew member Rick McElrea and lettered. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Wings re-skinned by Randy Compton with polished aluminum.

Team uniforms. Embroidery by Ruth Ann Suttles.

Killer new sliding aluminum drive shaft cover built by DRE Racing.

DRE Racing fuel system plumbed and mocked up on the Littlefield blower with DJ safety blower bag.

Shortblock and heads done!!! Heads by Green Cylinder Heads

New Strange 3rd member and brand new motor plate built by DRE Racing.

Crew Chief and Driver

Myself and John.

David in the seat, suited up, and discussing with John control locations.

David and John.

I have to take some time here and rave about two men who I owe more than I can ever repay. My Crew Chief John Dearmore and my Driver David Pace. I would never have had the courage to start this racing operation without the friendship, knowledge, experience and support of these two men.

John has been building and tuning blown nitro cars longer than I have been alive. I witnessed his expertise while on Al Schramm's crew and what I saw made me a believer in John. He can get a race car down the track in a hurry without using a bunch of spare parts to do it. He maximizes what is available and gets the most out of it. John also understands the seriousness of these cars and makes the safety of the car, driver and crew a priority. He also happens to own a machine shop (DRE- Dearmore Race Engineering) along with his son Allen where they custom build rocker arm systems and customs parts for just about anything you need. Naturally once I got my chassis from the previous owner I hauled it to John's shop in Alba Texas where it would begin its transformation into the "Speed Merchants" top fuel dragster. He had already begun putting our engine together by the time I got the chassis to him and I had been buying parts and sending them to him for quite a while. John and Allen have put hundreds of hours into the transformation of my car. It is a sight to behold and can not be recognized as its previous self. John and David taught me that not only is the race car a tool for a specific purpose but it is also a reflection of the owner and crew and attention to details are VERY important.

David Pace started driving dragsters at a very young age and soon progressed into an expert driver. He drove professionally for the Carrol Brothers from 1979-1981. In '81 he was runner up at Indy and Denver, joined the NHRA 250 mph club and finished in the Winston top 10. He is a good friend and a great driver. I would not put just anyone behind the wheel of something as dangerous and valuable as this dragster without having full confidence in their abilities. I'd like to interject a quote here from long time funny car racer Frank Oglesby "You are very lucky to have David Pace on your team. David IS everything Richard Tharp THOUGHT he was."

Speed Merchants top fuel- the beginning

Lets go back about 18 months......... I had the opportunity to pursue a life long dream- Blown nitro racing! A front engine top fuel dragster rolling chassis became available for a price within my budget. A deal was struck with Dale Suhr to buy his chassis at the end of his 2006 racing season as he was having a new chassis built. I knew I had some time before I got the car so I began to acquire all of the many things that go into building a racing team of this caliber from the ground up. I had formed close friendships with some key people from my previous time of being a crew member (bottom end diver) on Al Schramm's NTF dragster. These friends agreed to help me get this program rolling and go racing! More about them later....
I found a good deal on a trailer that had been used for a top fuel funny car. Now we're cooking! My crew chief- John Dearmore and my driver- David Pace were constantly being called upon for advice on all the things we were going to need to go racing with a top fuel dragster. WOW! Building an operation from the ground up is a huge undertaking. Probably only someone who has done it can truly know what it takes- and my duties were just beginning.