NHRA News: Life as an NHRA crewmember Part 2, Road Tripping (9/22/2004)

Life as an NHRA crewmember Part 2, Road Tripping

Contributed by Ted Yerzyk
9/22/2004

After the winner's circle photos have been taken and the ESPN cameras have been turned off, NHRA drivers and team owners usually load up their luxury motorhomes or hop on a plane and head home for a few days rest between races. Not the crew. They've got some driving to do.

In this second installment of a three-part series of the "Life as an NHRA Crewmember," the Snake Racing crew takes NHRA.com readers on the road to shed a little light on the travel aspect of a job that requires them to drive to 23 national events around the country. It's a long haul, but team camaraderie and modern conveniences unheard of 10 years ago help make long road trips bearable.

Coming together

I think we can get one more bag in there.

Teams can make or break it as a group when they're on the road, confined to haulers and tow vans and crowded hotel rooms. But the feeling of truly being a part of a team is something most people don't experience and one of the big reasons that being a crew member becomes a way of life. The stories, jokes, ribbing, and music help make the numerous cross-country treks a rolling version of campus life.

"Being on the road can get old," Anthony Vanetti said, "but when you're at the racetrack and you get to race, it's all worth it."

"There are perks and things you don't like, just like all jobs," Shawn Ford said. "I've gotten to see a lot of places I'd never imagine seeing and to do a lot of things I never thought I'd do, but it can be tough taking care of personal things."

Being involved on a race team competing on the NHRA circuit isn't just about racing. It's a lifestyle. At many points during the season, you see your colleagues more than your family, which is why developing friendships and having good chemistry is so important to forming a successful race crew.

Road trips allow the crew to catch up on sleep.

"This is the only job I've known for the last 20 years," Don Bender said. "It's a lot of being on the road and traveling. I started cleaning oil pans and have done a little bit of everything over the years. If I didn't enjoy the work, I wouldn't be here."

The Western Swing of consecutive races in Denver, Seattle, and Sonoma is the most grueling portion of the POWERade schedule. For many crewmembers, they'll be away from home for three solid weeks and some up to seven weeks if they don't get a chance to go home during the off week between Sonoma and Brainerd.

Homesick
Long road trips amp up the worry meter as bills sometimes get left unpaid and cars and homes are left unkempt. But those worries all pale in comparison for the crewmembers with families. Missing a kid's first soccer game can become a huge burden to shoulder.

"It's hard, especially as the kids get older," Kevin Butterfield said. "I miss a lot of things by being on the road so much. I miss a lot of firsts and sports and school activities. It's a load of pressure for my wife to have to take care of the house and kids, along with having a job."

John Collins visits with his kids during a race.

John Collins adds, "When you have a wife and kids at home it's tough when there are problems and all they can do is call and say 'The car won't start' or 'The water is frozen,' but most of the time you hear a bunch of positives when you call home. They miss you just as much as you miss them."

There are many in the same positiona Butterfield and Collins working in the pits at an NHRA POWERade race, but there's a reason they continue to stay on tour – a sheer love for the sport of drag racing.

"I miss my wife," Jason Wright said. "But I love doing this for a living and you have to be out here to do this job."

Breaker 1-9, is that Rusty?
NHRA drag racing is the No. 2 motorsport in America and has certainly gained a strong foothold on the sports world as its own entity, but that doesn't stop fans from confusing NHRA haulers with those of their NASCAr brethren.

Collins, Ford, Kevin Secco, and Walt Herr all drive Larry Dixon's Miller Lite transporters across the country and on many occasions they hear fans say, 'There goes Rusty's (Wallace) car.'

Keeping the rig clean costs upwards of $80 per wash.

"We hear that all the time," Collins said. "There are a few truck drivers, the smart ones, who really know their NHRA drag racing, but most truckers just drive by and say, 'Hey, I just saw Rusty Wallace go by.' I guess they missed the big pictue of Larry on there."

Nick Blanchette, a first-year crewmember on Tommy Johnson's crew, has only been on the road driving the 18-wheeler for a few months, but has heard the NASCAR thing hundreds of times already.

"You always get asked questions and most people think we're NASCAR even though it says NHRA drag racing all over the trailer," Blanchette said. "I love driving the hauler though. It's big, it's intimidating, but everyone is always looking at you and taking pictures of the rig."

NASCAR or not, getting the transporter safely from race-to-race might be the most important job on the team. If the car doesn't arrive, you don't race. If you don't race, you can't win and earn points. Therefore, having a responsible group of crewmembers with Commercial Driving Licenses (CDLs) is critical to any team.

E-mail has become a vital link to the world.

For the Skoal Racing Funny Cars, the responsibility of getting Don Prudhomme's Chevy Funny Cars to and from each race lies in the hands of Steve Zelem, Blanchette, Tim Kulungian, Tom Boyington, Fred Stover, and Brian MacDermott.

"Driving the hauler is my favorite thing to do," Zelem said. "The other truckers are always asking questions about racing. They ask, but 90 percent of them don't know anything about drag racing. They think it's a (Nextel) Cup or Busch car. Most of the truckers see a hauler like ours and it's out of the ordinary, so they want to ask questions."

By law, there only needs to be one driver in the cab, but by having two qualified drivers with CDLs, the trucks can operate continuously for up to 22 hours a day with each driver legally behind the wheel for 11 hours per day. It helps teams get where they need to be that much faster.

Killin' time
When a crewperson isn't in the seat the No. 1 job becomes finding a way to kill time. Thankfully, there are plenty of technological advancements that trucks didn't contain just 10 years ago like televisions, DVD players, and the popular PlayStation 2. The latest advancement that has really helped people stay in touch is wireless modems that let people surf the web almost anywhere.

"That's why I'd much rather drive the truck than the van," Boyington said. "I think it's easier. If you want to go to sleep, you can lie down and take a nap. We've got the TV, VCR, and PlayStation in there. You can jump in the sleeper, play a video game, watch a movie or TV. Or crash out. It's pretty nice."

A fill-up is $300 in most places.

On the other hand, driving an 80,000-pound big rig isn't for everyone. Even with many of today's modern luxuries, driving something 53 feet long makes bathroom stops and lunch breaks a Herculean task.

"Driving the hauler is a job in itself," Stover said. "There's so much extra work that goes with it. The driving is okay because you have plenty of room and it's comfortable, but then you have to dump the RV holding tank, wait in long lines to refuel, and it's not like you can just see a McDonald's and pull off and go through the drive thru. Plus, trying to park the thing is like trying to park a 747."

Despite all the extra effort that goes into driving the Miller Lite or Skoal Racing transporter to each event, being part of a team is something that instills a great deal of dignity in just about everybody involved in NHRA drag racing.

"A lot of people don't like driving the rig, but I really enjoy it because it gives me a lot of pride when I look down and people are looking up and waiving at you," Collins said.

The worst part of the job..

Not everyone has a CDL, therefore someone needs to get the tow vehicle to each race. So, those who don't drive the haulers load into the Chevy van and head down the road. While the big rig has all the bells and whistles, the only modern luxury in the tow vehicle is a CD player. Thankfully, Metallica, 311, and Hole, among others, are along for the ride because without the CD player, the crew would be in for a long boring ride.

"Driving to the races isn't that bad," Wright said. "You get a lot of rest and I can lay down and go to sleep and relax."

A fun part of driving the hauler is the luxury of being able to hear the mindless banter and gibberish that comes across on the CB radio. Yes, at times, the CB comes in handy when stuck in traffic or approaching a construction area, but more often than not it's just pointless trucker talk.

"It's funny," Boyington said. "You're going down the road and they'll ask 'Is Snake in there?' or 'Is Ron (Capps) in there?' Oh yeah, Snake's right here playing Playstation."

Coming next week, Part 3: The good times – For NHRA crewmembers, the hard work at the racetrack and long hauls in between are made worthwhile by the fun that's had along the way.

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