I’ve been fortunate enough to attend several drag races this year and I have such a great time that I like to write about my experiences.  I’m definitely not enough of a motorhead to be able to report on the technical aspects of racing, but I do like sharing the interesting things I see and hear while hanging out with the teams.  I was very surprised to learn that many of the teams don’t know each other very well unless they’ve been racing together for years.  They recognize the other drivers’ names and their cars and they wave as they pass in the staging lanes, but often that’s as far as it goes.  After spending time with various teams, I understand how that happens.  There is a lot to focus on throughout the day to ensure that your car makes it down the track in the manner that you expect and walking next door to see if your neighbor likes piña coladas and getting caught in the rain is not part of it.  So we’ve decided it’s time to devote a corner of the web to getting to know the teams!  And since the teams do such a great job of taking care of me, giving me water, and patting me on the head, my dad has started referring to me as the Pit Pet.

I’ve been fortunate enough to attend several drag races this year and I have such a great time that I like to write about my experiences.  I’m definitely not enough of a motorhead to be able to report on the technical aspects of racing, but I do like sharing the interesting things I see and hear while hanging out with the teams.  I was very surprised to learn that many of the teams don’t know each other very well unless they’ve been racing together for years.  They recognize the other drivers’ names and their cars and they wave as they pass in the staging lanes, but often that’s as far as it goes. 

After spending time with various teams, I understand how that happens.  There is a lot to focus on throughout the day to ensure that your car makes it down the track in the manner that you expect and walking next door to see if your neighbor likes piña coladas and getting caught in the rain is not part of it.  So we’ve decided it’s time to devote a corner of the web to getting to know the teams!  And since the teams do such a great job of taking care of me, giving me water, and patting me on the head, my dad has started referring to me as the Pit Pet.  

 

 

THE PIT PET: VISITING R2B2’S FORT

It’s been a while since I’ve written another Pit Pet episode due to this being the off season for me and there are no pits for me to invade.  However, I

recently had the opportunity to visit the impressive race shop of Roger Burgess and R2B2 Racing.  It was a visit most definitely worth writing about!  If I had tried to start writing the article as soon as I left the shop to reflect my thoughts at the time, it would have been best represented with a drool-stained piece of notebook paper.  Instead, I have regrouped my thoughts and tried to capture them here.

I arrived to find 76,000 square feet of a car lover’s fantasy and was at a loss for words.  Roger gave me a tour starting with a collection of cars that he’s modified with impressive R2B2 style. 

And there were some cars that didn’t need any modifications to be jaw dropping, like his Chip Foose Coupe Supercar.  It’s the first of only 50 commissioned for production.

I could have wandered around and oogled his showpieces for a few more hours, but instead I was taken to the back of the showroom to see more interesting pieces.   After taking a break from racing, Roger bought this Camaro and remembered how much fun he had behind the wheel.

The next stop on the tour was a collection of rooms stocked with equipment
to allow him to paint, wrap, sand, and customize a car with only your imagination as a limitation.  The rooms were filled with import cars, classic
cars, race cars, and even a golf cart in various stages of development.  The R2B2 shop is a complete shop.  The only thing that is missing is an on-site airbrush artist.  Are you starting to see why I was walking around with my mouth open and having to remind myself to blink?  I didn't even know what
all that equipment did but I could easily look around and see the end results.   

But my day wasn’t over yet…I had to wipe the drool and moisten my eyes because the final leg of the tour was every race fan’s dream playground: the R2B2 race shop.  This was the newest addition to the R2B2 complex and some areas were still under construction.  The sections of the race shop that are instrumental in preparing for the upcoming race season were complete and being well-utilized as 4 promod crews and a nitro crew worked quietly
and efficiently.  The unfinished area was primarily the upper level that overlooked the race shop.  This is where the executive area, conference room, and fitness area will be contained.  The walls were being covered with wood panels and the floors with black floor tiles embellished with mother-of-pearl tile accents.  The fitness area has an office for the team’s personal trainer and the center gathering area was being equipped with a couple of large screen tv’s and a projector screen for watching football games…and races, of course.  It was from here that I got this panoramic view of the race shop below.

Melanie Troxel’s rig hadn’t yet been wrapped with her new sponsor, In-N-Out Burger, but her crew was busy getting ready for testing and the season opener.  Her new crew chief, Lance Larsen, was extremely friendly and knowledgeable.  In addition to making her go fast, he has Melanie’s safety as a priority which explains why she wanted him leading her crew.  Her Pro Mod car was also being readied to compete in the new NHRA GSA Series.  Roger’s own Pro Mod car had just returned from being airbrushed.  I love the ghosted images and the details in the dragon’s eyes.

In one of Roger’s conference rooms, he has a statue of a Trojan being pulled in a chariot with lots of similar details that you see in his car.  The statue even had an eagle’s head in the details that goes along with his ProCareRX crest.  

As a Christmas gift this year, his staff gave him a replica of his car to keep on his desk.

Back to the race shop…. the activity wasn’t restricted to just the pit areas.  There were several adjacent rooms to the shop where more staff were building engines, rebuilding superchargers, putting together rotating assemblies, and taking inventory of the multitude of parts.  When the engine builder (I think
they called him Huggie) finishes each engine, he names it by reaching into a paper sack of female names that are relevant to the team.  I feel fortunate
that my name was added in the sack!  Maybe a race will be won using the “Lisa”!

The conclusion of my visit was topped off with an enjoyable lunch with Roger, his right-hand man Travis, and Melanie Troxel at the Sugarloaf Country Club overlooking the TPC golf course.  As I reflected on the day, I thought the hospitality, the company, the atmosphere, and the food were superb.  The
cars were cool too!!!  Roger told me that he never had a fort as a kid, so he built himself one as an adult.  Excellent fort,  Roger.  Joining me on the tour
was the crew chief for Daniels Racing, Sam McCrary, and he summed up the day by saying, “You know how we sit around and dream of what we would
do if we won the lottery?  Well, that’s what I dreamed.  … Actually, no.  That was more than I dreamed of.”

Other random thoughts and info:

• An off-site Chassis shop was near completion.
• There were additional toys, such as planes and boats, housed in other storage locations.
• Roger likes his cars to have nice audio systems.  In some cars, it is nearly a focal point.  I regret not asking him to crank one up!
• Roger Burgess is an extremely generous, intelligent, and friendly individual whose employees seemed to genuinely enjoy working for him.  As we toured the facilities, everyone greeted him with a smile and friendly conversation.  Yes, it’s the job all you car fanatics want.
• Yeah, I know the pictures would have been better if my dad was there but he was in Phoenix.