Championship Drag Racing

O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals
Topeka, Kan.
(May 27-30)

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Scott Weis Race Girl Top Fueler

Reports: Pre-race

Topeka, pre-race: Scott Weis and his Virginia-based, all-volunteer team are sitting 10th in POWERade points standings. The team has consistently qualified well and has gone to three semifinals.

While this is an impressive accomplishment for even a multi-million dollar NHRA Top Fuel team, the most amazing aspect is that the team members all have day jobs. That's right. Monday thru Thursday you'll find the RaceGirl Motorsports crewmen working as caseworkers, plumbers, mechanics, chemists, and accountants. On the weekends they take on multi-million dollar mega-teams with a total budget smaller than the travel budget of other teams. Much to the dismay and amazement of their competitors, this year they're beating them too.

Running consistent mid-4.50s and picking up time on the Tree the RaceGirl team is having a career season. Last weekend in Chicago, driver Scott Weis left nothing to chance on the Tree, earning him the Motel Six Who Got the Light Award for surviving eliminations on the closest margin of victory.

"We've always believed we could be competitive," said Weis. "This year the program has really come together. Our new chassis is working great and Howard (Weis, tuner) has gotten a grip on the tracks and the Top Fuel tune-up. We set a goal this year to run in the top 10 in points and to win a race. I'd say we're on track.

"The warm weather tracks are coming up on the schedule and that's where the playing field is best for our team. Our team doesn't have a good 4.40 tune-up, but we can run well on those hot tracks where a 4.60 is all the track will hold. I'm hoping to see some of that 90-degree weather soon. I believe that's where we'll earn that first big NHRA POWERade trophy."

Howard Weis comments on this weekend in Topeka, the site of the 16th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX.

"I'm like a caged animal," Howard said. "The car is running great, Scott's cutting lights so good he won the Motel 6 money. I wanted to go right from Chicago and race in Topeka the next day. We came so close to making to the final in Chicago. I can taste victory lane now.

"Topeka's a great track, it's almost as fast as Chicago and the fans there are some of the most astute on the event tour. I haven't been able to sleep all week. I feel the team is really in a position to win. It's not like last year when just qualifying was a moral victory. This year everybody knows we're for real and we belong out here. I'm looking to go a half-mile further than we did last week. I believe our momentum could carry us to victory this weekend."