Tim Wilkerson started the 2012 season this past weekend in Pomona, with a new car, three new crew members, and a recent history of early-season frustration that confounded him. He then squeaked into the field in the 14th spot while worrying if his team could handle the quick turn-arounds needed on race day. In the end, he pounded out a win in round one with a huge 4.06, then watched as his crew swapped motors and got him back to the lanes in time for round two. In four short days, he felt his team had grown, his performance was on track, and that things were generally all moving in the right direction for his Levi, Ray & Shoup organization.
With little time to rest, Wilk now brings his LRS Shelby Mustang to Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, for the running of this weekend's NHRA Arizona Nationals, and he's pumped up to maintain the progress and momentum.
"You normally kind of look for things like a team coming together or the car coming around in terms of months or even a year, so it's kind of funny that we could see both of those things happening over the course of four days in Pomona," Wilkerson said. "We got better as a team every day we were there, and the car ran better as we went along. We're not where we want to be yet, with the crew or the car, but we made a ton of progress and that's all you can ask. The guys are working hard, giving it every ounce of energy and focus they have, and if they keep doing that they're going to become a really great unit, and the car will reflect how well they work together.
"The hard part is just getting the repetition for the guys, because we don't have the wherewithal to go run the wheels off the car in testing. We entered Pomona with about six laps of experience as a group, and then in qualifying there we only made one lap a day, for three days, so they never had to thrash and get it turned around under pressure. Well, we blew it up in round one and had to swap motors, so they found out early what that's like. We weren't as efficient as we want to be, but they learned with that deal. Now, we go right to Phoenix without a break and the guys will be right back at it. All I want to see is that they keep making progress. That's our goal."
This trip to Firebird Raceway is a unique one, coming just a few months after the tour last visited Phoenix. Traditionally an early-season winter race, coming right on the heels of Pomona, last year's Phoenix event was shifted to the fall and held in mid-October. Now back in its familiar February slot, the Phoenix race should provide better action on a cooler track.
"I think we raced on about a 135-degree track last fall, if I remember correctly," Wilkerson said. "A track that hot might make for a lot of excitement, in terms of pedal-fests, but I think the fans and the racers will always prefer a cool track and low elapsed times. At this time of year, it's probably going to be in the 70s while were there, so the track ought to be tight and the racing should be great.
"I think we have a reputation for being a hot-weather team, but I also think that reputation is outdated. We can still give people fits on a hot track, but I went after that 4.06 in the first round at Pomona for a reason. I wanted to see if we could really get after it on a cool track, and we did, so I don't think we need a hot track to even things up for us at all. We can run with the best, and we plan to do that this weekend. I'm pretty excited about what we can accomplish this year, and we're all ready to see what we can do in Phoenix. As long as we just keep making progress, I'll be happy."
If Tim Wilkerson and his LRS team continue to make progress and maintain their momentum, the legions of Wilk Warrior fans around the world could have plenty of reasons to be happy, and those smiles could come as early as this weekend.
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