If anything, Kevin Poynter has learned to keep all his options open in 2009.

The veteran drag racing tuner, who was the co-crew chief for Doug Herbert's NHRA Top Fuel Dragster most of last year, is presently exploring numerous avenues for future employment.

Currently, Poynter is helping former A/Fuel dragster standout Mike Bowers make the transition to the Top Fuel Dragster dragster division on the IHRA ciircuit.

"Mike and his father Jerry Bowers and my family have known each other for years," said Poynter. "They've been putting this deal together to move to Top Fuel for around four years and because I've known them for so long and I've been involved in Top Fuel, they wanted me to come help them out."

If anything, Kevin Poynter has learned to keep all his options open in 2009.

The veteran drag racing tuner, who was the co-crew chief for Doug Herbert's NHRA Top Fuel Dragster most of last year, is presently exploring numerous avenues for future employment.

Currently, Poynter is helping former A/Fuel dragster standout Mike Bowers make the transition to the Top Fuel Dragster dragster division on the IHRA ciircuit.

"Mike and his father Jerry Bowers and my family have known each other for years," said Poynter. "They've been putting this deal together to move to Top Fuel for around four years and because I've known them for so long and I've been involved in Top Fuel, they wanted me to come help them out."

Bowers made his Top Fuel debut at the IHRA Sooner Nationals June 13-14 at Tulsa Raceway Park.

"This whole process happened in nine days," Poynter said. "We built the car and got the basics together and Mike got his Top Fuel license in Dallas and we raced at Tulsa. We ran into some computer problems at Tulsa and had to do some things old school and do what we thought would work. Once our computer gets up and running, I know we will make good progress."

Poynter said that when he signed on with Bowers is was primarily a two-race deal.

"I know we will run the race at Rockingham, N.C., at the World Finals (Oct. 22-25) and I believe we're going to try and race at Martin, Mich. (Northern Nationals, July 31-Aug. 2)," Poynter said. "We also might test somewhere."

In the mean time, Poynter also is working on a plan to put together a Top Fuel Dragster team with driver "Hot Rod" Fuller. Fuller drove the Caterpillar Top Fuel Dragster full-time for David Powers Motorsports last season in the NHRA. In January, however, Powers sold the teams assets to focus on his home-building business.

"I'm looking into getting into team ownership," the 42-year-old Poynter said. "I have some ties with Rod Fuller and if the specifics of this deal worked out, we would be co-owners of this Top Fuel Dragster team. The problem right now is that the economy is so tough that I don't think anything is going to happen with this in the 2009 season. I also want teams out there to know that I'm available to be a tuner if they're interested."

During his career, Poynter also has worked with Top Fuel Dragster drivers J.R. Todd and David Baca and he also had a stint at John Force Racing.

 

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