Richard Hartman

Terry McMillen, team owner and driver of the Amalie Oil InstiGator Top Fuel dragster, has named Richard Hartman crew chief for the team's 2010 NHRA Full Throttle campaign. Hartman joins McMillen after leading Bruce Litton as crew chief or co-crew chief to 14 IHRA victories, including Litton's 2007 IHRA championship.
 
"We're excited about having Richard on our team," McMillen said. "He's proven himself to be a consistent tuner over the years. Drag racing is all about consistency and getting a car from Point A to Point B. I'm confident he'll give us the best opportunity to make an impact early in our quest to make the Countdown."
 
Hartman's drag racing career began in 1975, at age 8, working with his father, Virgil, and continued when he took the wheel of his family's nitro Funny Car in 1988. As a driver, he finished in the NHRA top 10 twice (1990-91). He was also the sixth Funny Car driver to join the Castrol 4-Second Club for Funny Cars in 1996.
 
Although Hartman began tuning in 1998, this will be his first opportunity to tune for a full NHRA season. "I'm looking forward to the challenge of running against the best tuners in the business," said Hartman. "I want to run a very consistent car first, then tune it to quicker laps. I'd like to help Terry and the team qualify for the Countdown to 1."