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Scott Weney, owner of S & W Racecars, is a former IHRA Funny Car World Champion. His most recent racing schedule has found him at bracket races and in the sportsman pits at national events. Found out why he's returned to dial-ins and index racing. There is more to the change than just corporate funding.
What class and sanctioning body will you compete in during 2004?
You will find us at both sanctioning bodies, NHRA and IHRA. Our program will primarily be to run in Super Comp and Quick Rod.
Who will be driving?
I will be driving and so will my son Rory. We have a two-car program that is currently underway. So this will be a season about racing together.
How old is your son?
Rory will turn 18 on March 29, 2004. 
How long has he been racing?
He has raced a Junior Dragster since age 10. Any weekend I was running the Funny Car he did not compete. He also raced quarter midgets on dirt between the ages of 10 to 16 before he outgrew the car. The quarter midget program was something he got himself into. The local track is only 2 miles from the house. He earned himself a ride and competed every Wednesday night. It was nice because we could even make the Wednesday night races while I followed the IHRA tour.
What are Rory's career highlights?
The $5,000 race at Atco has to be his biggest win to date. He did well in the Midget ranks and scored a lot of feature wins. He would finish in the top three nearly every night he ran.
What style and design of racecar will the two of you be racing?
Rory has a brand-new '04 S & W Racecars 230” 4-link ride. It is equipped with a Shafiroff 468. The one trick item on the car is our new one-piece composite fiberglass body. It is seamless, which makes it easier to paint. Dad gets to drive the old car. It is an '03 S & W 230” 4-link. My car is more traditional with an aluminum body and such. It is also powered by a Shafiroff piece.
Both cars are equipped with Strange components, Autometer gauges, Comp Cams, Weld Wheels and Dynatech headers. Assistance also comes from 
ET Transmissions, who is our local provider. Jack Russian does all of our motor maintenance and rebuilds. S & W is a dealer for all the products I use on my cars, including Rupert Carbs.
What is the status of your sponsorship program for the coming season?
Obviously, S & W Racecars is the primary backer on my car. Strange Engineering is the main deal on Rory's car. Rory's program is quite unique. He built the car as his senior High School project. The S & W crew helped him, but he built nearly 100% of the car on his own. He has worked at the shop since he was 12 years old. We set him up with a normal kit program just like we sell. He set the jig up, assembled the car and then welded the entire car. He and I did the final assembly together. Rory's first race out was the Fall Classis at ATCO. The first night he ran the car he won $5000. It was a great time. I am sure he was pleased.
Do you miss competing in IHRA Funny Car? If so, what do you miss most?
Yes, I miss competing in Funny Car. I have not really done anything about it though. What I mean is that I have not pursued a ride aggressively. Mostly I miss going fast. I miss the exciting ride. The Pro Category was more of a team sport and I miss that part of it all. Rory had been racing Junior Dragsters for quite some time. Rory turned 16 when I stopped running Funny Car. That was his first full year of competition because I stopped racing. A year later he moved into a big car. We could not have done that if I was still racing a Funny Car.
Are you looking forward to once again being present at the IHRA national events?
Yes. We went to Richmond and Norwalk in 2003 and I liked it. It was fun to see all of the people we used to race with before. It is like going back to seeing family. We also did some NHRA races. I like racing there too. It is a whole different crowd.
Did racing the IHRA circuit assist your company in exposure and/or sales?
It is always good for business to be there. It is good to be accessible. We try to race big dollar bracket races locally, divisional meets and national events. It is a different crowd at each place you go to. So it is always good for business. 
What is your most notable win in drag racing?
My World Champion in IHRA of course!
What are your goals for the 2004 season as a duo or family team?
My goals for racing are…(A LONG PAUSE)… I haven't really set any. I guess that is kind of foolish. I would like to win a national event and see Rory win one himself. Any kind of win is a good thing. Some seasons you did not get that. I have to admit that bracket-racing programs are more difficult on a driver mentally. It beats you up because there are so many good bracket racers out there.
If funding was not an issue, does there exist a class that you desire to run on the professional circuit?
Top Fuel racing would be my dream class if money was not a problem. I would love to run either Top Fuel Dragster or Funny Car. But since money is an issue, I will continue to run what I can afford.
Who has been most influential in your racing career?
I would probably have to say that my Dad has influenced me most. I have been around racing my entire life. My Dad raced until I started driving and then he stopped. It is strange to think, but at this point in my life I have raced longer than my Dad did. The difference is that I have the opportunity to race against my son. Racing against my son could be good or bad. Aside from my Dad, there have been a lot of people that have helped me out and steered me in the right direction. Ken Sheetz gave me a tremendous opportunity with the IHRA Funny Car deal and we were lucky enough to do something with it. To win a world championship was really something
Where did you gain your sense of business direction?
Other than being a funny car driver, running a full-time race business has been my dream since I was growing up. I am living that dream. My Dad always had numerous businesses in addition to racing. I was exposed to this at a young age and it is probably why I am like I am. 
What is the most effective way for a good racer to set himself apart from the crowd ? One guy we sponsor is Dan Northrop. I have known Danny for years. When we first got started with him, he was a good racer that needed good equipment. I would like to think that S & W provided him with exactly that - good equipment. Since then, he has gone on to win a world championship and numerous divisional championships. There are many good local racers. With a little bit of help they can really go along way with it.
In your opinion, how can a driver go from being a local competitor to a recognizable racing figure in today's drag racing market?
The way most companies look at it, a local level guy will not get big backing. You can get strong local support though. But you have to help a company by increasing sales. That is the bottom line. To assist a national company you have to go national.
What are some of the changes in drag racing that you see from the business end of things?
 I can tell you how far drag racing has come. We are building a dragster with a cup holder if you can believe it. Actually, it is a water bottle holder. Nonetheless, you have to build whatever the customer wants.
For example, we build either a 21 or 23-inch cockpit in our dragsters. All of our cars are designed and created according to advanced ET specks. We also do one of the lightest 4-link packages on the market. Our deal adds only about 35 pounds in total weight to the car. So the customer demands a better product all of the time.
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