NHRA News: Herbert taps Flynn as crew chief; sets agenda with Amato (12/6/2004)

Herbert taps Flynn as crew chief; sets agenda with Amato

12/6/2004

Rob Flynn

Veteran Top Fuel racer Doug Herbert has big plans for 2005 and the 37-year-old mail order parts business owner is taking all the necessary steps to reach his goals. Herbert recently replaced outgoing crew chief Ed "the Ace" McCulloch with upstart Rob Flynn, and he's considering forming a tuning alliance with longtime friend Joe Amato and his crew chief Wayne Dupuy to take both programs to a new level.

"We've had great success in NHRA competition," said Herbert, an eight-time national event winner with four IHRA championships to his credit. "But the ultimate goal is winning the POWERade championship for Snap-on Tools. We're taking all the necessary steps to get there."

The crew chief change is just one of a handful of new additions to the Herbert racing organization. Flynn and his crew also have a new 35,000-square foot facility to work out of in Lincolnton, N.C. – part of Herbert's 110,000-square foot facility for the Doug Herbert Performance Parts warehouse, showroom, and future museum, all of which will be open to the public.

Herbert scored a big win in Chicago, running career-best numbers to beat champ Tony Schumacher.
DougHerbert.com

"I'm really excited about this job especially because there's a tremendous amount of resources here and we have a beautiful shop," Flynn said. "I didn't know Doug too well before this but after one week I can see that he's a great guy and that he is serious about racing."

Flynn's hiring has created a buzz throughout Doug Herbert Performance Parts.

"You can sense the excitement and feel the energy that everyone has for 2005 even now," Herbert said. "We're chomping at the bit just to go testing next month. Every day we get more pumped up about the season.

"One of my longtime crew guys came into my office the other day just to tell me how fired up everyone is about racing again. Sometimes a little change is a good thing and this all seems to be working out great for everyone involved."

Flynn has worked for drivers such as Del Worsham, Jerry Toliver, Cruz Pedregon, and Tommy Johnson Jr. He spent most of the '04 campaign working for part-time racer Bob Vandergriff Jr. In just 12 races, Vandergriff earned one runner-up finish, one semifinal finish, and posted a very respectable 9-11 mark in elimination rounds.

Legendary tuner Jim Brissette will remain an
integral part of Doug Herbert Racing.
DougHerbert.com

"Rob did a great job with Vandergriff. They were practically on a shoestring budget and they did pretty good," Herbert said. "We really needed a young guy with a lot of energy that has a passion for drag racing. We put in a lot of long days. You won't do well for very long if you don't have great passion and dedication for racing.

"I think Rob is looking for an opportunity to have the backing he needs to get the job done the way he wants to do it. I'm glad we got him."

Herbert also believes Flynn has the personality to create a winning team chemistry with the crew.

"Jim Brissette has been with me since 1991 and he was my crew chief during all four championships in IHRA competition," Herbert said. "I think Flynn is the kind of guy who can work well with Brissette, John Bullard, and all the other guys that will be working to get this Snap-on Tools team ready to compete in the upcoming season. We've got a good blend of longtime faithful crewman and some new young guys with fresh ideas.

"One of the things we want to do in 2005 is have as much fun as possible. I think the guys are ready to work hard and have some fun at the same time. The guys are already working their butts off getting the shop in order. It's a clean slate to start from and they like that."

Herbert wants to run for the championship.
DougHerbert.com

Yet another change is the still developing tuning alliance between Herbert's team and the Amato's group, which includes rising stars Morgan Lucas and Dupuy. Flynn and Dupuy have a history of working together and, if the teams can work things out with their various sponsors, the two teams hope to share data, just like Herbert and Amato did in Amato's championship drive in 1992, in hopes of improving performances on the track.

"Wayne and I have worked with each other before and we've always had a great relationship," Flynn said. "With this tuning partnership we get the benefits of sharing data and I think that is going to make a big difference for both teams."

A new team, a new shop, and more data. So what does Flynn expect from the 2005 NHRA season? He wants consistently fast passes down the track.

"We want to be a competitive, top-five car all season," Flynn said. "The competition is tough but I think we have a lot going for us. We are going to set some goals, create the best team chemistry as possible, and then aim for results that are even higher than our original goals."

Herbert just wants two things: A good car that goes real fast.

"We have a lot of great things happening right now and it's just an exciting time to be part of this team," Herbert said. "I'm always excited when we are headed to a race and I never start a Sunday morning without confidence. I go into every race thinking we can win. If I didn't feel that way I'd quit right now. I'm pretty sure that confidence is going to go up even more with this team. We're making positive improvements every day and I just can't wait for the season to start."

Return to 2003 News Archive
Return to the Home Page