DezertTV
May 6th, 2008, 10:15
In as many weekends Jerry Whelchel, Chet Huffman and team CHM build, prep, test and race BITD Terribles 250 and podium in Pomona.
Round 1: desert (BITD)
April 19 BITD Terribles 250, Team CHM with Geiser in tote stage to defend their Parker win rolling out with a complete new identity on both TT and Toter. Testing just 3 days prior in Barstow all seems well.
April 17 after qualifying in 17th position on the 3 mile track driver Jerry Whelchel is left shaking his head. “It’s not right it’s running on 6 cylinders, I’m telling you” The team takes a close look and discovers he’s exactly right, the coil has failed between the pit and lining up to qualify. After a quick replacement TT#40 is once again ready to defend its #1 BITD position.
Only 85 grueling race miles later main pit discovers a water pump failure that had caught co-driver Kevin Murphy’s eye with a flickering temp signal gauge just 2 miles out. A rapid assessment necessitates a pump replacement putting #40 forty five minutes off the pace to effect repairs. Return to race action with a debilitating time deficit Whelchel and Huffman maintain a top race pace and pass as many drivers as possible while competitors begin to drop out and retire by the dozens with mechanical issues.
*Finishing time 5:23:34 CHM #40 finishes in 8th class position from first place pace and overall winner Steve Croll with his time of 4:26:57.
Result: Team CHM retains 1st overall in point standings heading into the next BITD race Las Vegas to Reno August 27 where a double header is slated once again with back to back racing weekends.
Round 2: stadium (CORR)
April 26 CORR Pomona.
2007 Pro 2 Champion Jerry Whelchel arrives in the Pomona pits wrapped in a new flag and flying the new (Chet Huffman Motorsports) team colors. Jerry Whelchel is set to defend his #1 Pro 2 champion status with his brand new and still warm from testing custom built Pro 2 truck. (See dezerttv.com for complete build out schedule)
Saturday morning practice brings motor tuning, shock and tire adjustment and reinforcement to the team mission. Saturday afternoon racing only third time out with the new truck: truck performance shows great improvements as Whelchel is getting accustomed to his brand new ride and drives to a 5th place finish with much more work to do on the truck. The team is satisfied knowing one more positive step towards a successful season has been taken and the work is progressing.
Sunday morning qualifying after a nite of micro/macro adjustments on the entire car Whelchel is showing a level of comfort with the new vehicle and settling into race speed, testing new lines and jump strategies. “We knew right away what we had been doing to the car the night before was on the money and making a huge difference” said Whelchel.
Sunday afternoon racing, still tuning: Whelchel qualifies 4th position and is staged in 4th on the first two parade laps. Eager to quickly get into the hunt for the lead position when unannounced (unmentionables) encroach his position and pass while still 100 meters from the start line. As the dust from the start clears Whelchel has been bumped into 9th position and begins immediately a charge that rally’s the crowd to become the most exciting racing action seen of the day. “You said earlier there really wasn’t room to pass out there but you sure managed it today” said Kelly Stavist of NBC Sports / Speed while interviewing Whelchel on the podium. Whelchel battled back to a solid 3rd place position just behind Carl Renezeder in 2nd to take a solid podium 3rd spot in the new truck while locking in 3rd overall in the points standing going into Las Vegas as the car keeps getting better each time he climbs into it. As team CHM does more and more fine tuning and tweaking the truck gets more dialed and so does Whelchel’s comfort level. In 2008 the champions hammer drops with one mission. RETAIN NUMBER #1 at all cost.
CHET HUFFMAN MOTORSPORTS would like to thank their Sponsors:
BFGoodrich TIRES, NOS ENERGY, KMC WHEELS, IRONCLAD GEAR, FOX SHOX, DUKES AEROSPACE, GST, PATTON RACING ENGINES, RANCHO DRIVETRAINS,
VP RACING FUEL, OGIO, ALPHA PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGY, CRD, SPARCO,
MILLER WELDING, K&N, ENGINEERING INNOVATIONS, DEZERTTV.COM, LR APPAREL.COM, Booth Pacific Films.
Round 1: desert (BITD)
April 19 BITD Terribles 250, Team CHM with Geiser in tote stage to defend their Parker win rolling out with a complete new identity on both TT and Toter. Testing just 3 days prior in Barstow all seems well.
April 17 after qualifying in 17th position on the 3 mile track driver Jerry Whelchel is left shaking his head. “It’s not right it’s running on 6 cylinders, I’m telling you” The team takes a close look and discovers he’s exactly right, the coil has failed between the pit and lining up to qualify. After a quick replacement TT#40 is once again ready to defend its #1 BITD position.
Only 85 grueling race miles later main pit discovers a water pump failure that had caught co-driver Kevin Murphy’s eye with a flickering temp signal gauge just 2 miles out. A rapid assessment necessitates a pump replacement putting #40 forty five minutes off the pace to effect repairs. Return to race action with a debilitating time deficit Whelchel and Huffman maintain a top race pace and pass as many drivers as possible while competitors begin to drop out and retire by the dozens with mechanical issues.
*Finishing time 5:23:34 CHM #40 finishes in 8th class position from first place pace and overall winner Steve Croll with his time of 4:26:57.
Result: Team CHM retains 1st overall in point standings heading into the next BITD race Las Vegas to Reno August 27 where a double header is slated once again with back to back racing weekends.
Round 2: stadium (CORR)
April 26 CORR Pomona.
2007 Pro 2 Champion Jerry Whelchel arrives in the Pomona pits wrapped in a new flag and flying the new (Chet Huffman Motorsports) team colors. Jerry Whelchel is set to defend his #1 Pro 2 champion status with his brand new and still warm from testing custom built Pro 2 truck. (See dezerttv.com for complete build out schedule)
Saturday morning practice brings motor tuning, shock and tire adjustment and reinforcement to the team mission. Saturday afternoon racing only third time out with the new truck: truck performance shows great improvements as Whelchel is getting accustomed to his brand new ride and drives to a 5th place finish with much more work to do on the truck. The team is satisfied knowing one more positive step towards a successful season has been taken and the work is progressing.
Sunday morning qualifying after a nite of micro/macro adjustments on the entire car Whelchel is showing a level of comfort with the new vehicle and settling into race speed, testing new lines and jump strategies. “We knew right away what we had been doing to the car the night before was on the money and making a huge difference” said Whelchel.
Sunday afternoon racing, still tuning: Whelchel qualifies 4th position and is staged in 4th on the first two parade laps. Eager to quickly get into the hunt for the lead position when unannounced (unmentionables) encroach his position and pass while still 100 meters from the start line. As the dust from the start clears Whelchel has been bumped into 9th position and begins immediately a charge that rally’s the crowd to become the most exciting racing action seen of the day. “You said earlier there really wasn’t room to pass out there but you sure managed it today” said Kelly Stavist of NBC Sports / Speed while interviewing Whelchel on the podium. Whelchel battled back to a solid 3rd place position just behind Carl Renezeder in 2nd to take a solid podium 3rd spot in the new truck while locking in 3rd overall in the points standing going into Las Vegas as the car keeps getting better each time he climbs into it. As team CHM does more and more fine tuning and tweaking the truck gets more dialed and so does Whelchel’s comfort level. In 2008 the champions hammer drops with one mission. RETAIN NUMBER #1 at all cost.
CHET HUFFMAN MOTORSPORTS would like to thank their Sponsors:
BFGoodrich TIRES, NOS ENERGY, KMC WHEELS, IRONCLAD GEAR, FOX SHOX, DUKES AEROSPACE, GST, PATTON RACING ENGINES, RANCHO DRIVETRAINS,
VP RACING FUEL, OGIO, ALPHA PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGY, CRD, SPARCO,
MILLER WELDING, K&N, ENGINEERING INNOVATIONS, DEZERTTV.COM, LR APPAREL.COM, Booth Pacific Films.