At one point of the NHRA Kansas Nationals, a rookie in the Top Fuel division looked the part.
Leah Pruett could not right her dragster, which inexplicably swerved into another driver?s lane at Heartland Park Topeka during a qualifying round Friday. Pruett came perilously close to a brush with Steve Torrence?s parachute.
The moment was scary, yes. But devastating? Not at all.
Pruett came back and proved why she turned pro, advancing to the semifinal round in the Top Fuel bracket Sunday. The finish was her best to date after winning just one round in four previous NHRA events this season.
?To do well here, keep it straight and beat them all on the light has definitely boosted our confidence,?? said Pruett, ?as well as my confidence with the team that we can make these 50-minute turnarounds.
?The top-tier teams running on $50 million a year can barely get that done, and here we are with a very good crew, though it?s part-time and not working with all the equipment.??
The transition from the Pro Modified division was a leap Pruett, 24, hoped to make earlier. She obtained her Nitro license when she was 21, while connected with Don Schumacher Racing. She did not get a shot then, however, and needed to make an impression driving at the Pro Modified level.
The Dote family, based in Monroe, Ohio, was watching. Involved in racing since 1984, it too wanted to make a jump and compete in the pro division.
The family began fielding a Top Fuel team four years ago. When it noticed Pruett and contacted her prior to this season, she seemed like the ideal face for the operation.
?I think because we built it from scratch, we kind of wanted a driver who was new,?? said Connie Dote, who co-owns the team with her husband, Mike. ?Bringing in someone with rookie status makes it mean more.??
Especially after Pruett bounced back and topped Antron Brown and Doug Kalitta in the first two elimination rounds Sunday after qualifying 11th. She got those wins, remember, after the qualifying scare that happened Friday.
?She jumped right back in the car and said, ?I?m ready,? ?? Dote said. ?Right there you knew she?s a champion. Anything that needs to be handled, she can handle it.??
The odd twist to that incident was that Pruett?s fiancee, Gary Pritchett, is car chief for Torrence?s crew. During the turnaround prior to Sunday?s semifinals, Torrence swung by the Pruett pit to offer any assistance.
?I didn?t see who was standing on my side at the starting line, but I had a feeling we had a lot of people rooting for us,?? Pruett said.
Her upset bid ended in that semifinal run against Tony Schumacher when Pruett?s car caught fire, and she limped to the finish line.
Still, the encouraging finish might have caught a potential sponsor?s eye. If not, Pruett will not be deterred. Part of her responsibilities with the team, which is running a limited NHRA schedule, includes digging into any marketing angles.
The attractive Californian has the savvy to work that side of things, as well as on her engine.
?There?s a philosophy I kind of look at. I?m on the racing track, and I?m racing a Tony Schumacher, a Brittany Force or a Larry Dixon. We?re all on the same race track, but the path we took to get there was totally different,?? Pruett said.
?Once we get in that car, you might have been taking a nap, drinking a smoothie and combing your hair, or you might have been taking out a rear end and fueling it up and sweating your butt off. ... I?m trying to play both sides. I?m trying to find that money to be that championship-caliber team, but I?ve got to do the work to be in that ride.??
Devotion to the job is constant for Pruett?s crew, which is headed by Doug Kuch.
?He put everything together,?? Dote said. ?He?s been the backbone and built it himself.??
Now, Pruett is trying to add more power, by both driving, and selling, the Top Fuel car.
?This is a very cohesive operation,?? Pruett said. ?I can understand what?s happening inside the motor or the clutch. Just driving the car these days doesn?t get you to where you want to be. I wanted to be here and I am. I really enjoy this team.??
Source: http://cjonline.com/sports/auto-racing/2013-05-19/kevin-haskin-rookie-pruett-makes-splash-hpt
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