Tim Wilkerson won more races last year than he’d previously won in the entire rest of his career. Wilkerson won in six of seven final round appearances and looked to be a cinch for the world championship.

For all of his efforts, Wilkerson ended his championship bid in second place.

That’s why after winning for just the first time in fifteen races this year Wilkerson isn’t sweating in the heat of the championship race. He wants to be cool, yet hot when the racing conditions aren’t as warm as they were this weekend during the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle.

“We have to be a better car when it is cool out,” Wilkerson explained. “I think we have that in us, we have another car that we may bring out next week and see how it acts. I really believe this one is getting tired. We may even go back to last year’s car.”

Regardless of which car he brings to next weekend’s Fram Autolite Nationals in Sonoma, Ca., Wilkerson will focus on having a car that’s ready for when the Countdown to the Championship kicks off in September during the NHRA Nationals in Concord, N.C.

Wilkerson led most of the first phase of the 2008 championship battle, excelling at many of the warm weather venues, but with the championship on the line and rapidly cooling climate, Wilkerson fell from his established rapid pace in the heat.

He led the points for a portion of the championship phase but fell from the top spot with a first round loss at the second Las Vegas event. Wilkerson was eliminated from contention by a first round loss at the season-ending Pomona event.

With the first phase cutoff being the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis rapidly approaching, Wilkerson wants to battle for a championship with a car he knows better than a longtime friend.

The 2008 chassis now cloaked with a Ford Mustang body thanks to his association with Bob Tasca III fits the bill. It was an Impala last year.

“I know that car a little better,” Wilkerson admitted. “It’s not as cantankerous when the track gets as bad as this one is. I’m not sure we have any real bad problems outside of that. I’m just a little afraid of when it gets good out. Like in Chicago, Tony Pedregon made us all look like fools. We need to be able to run when it is good out.”

This isn’t the first time Wilkerson has struggled with the decision to bring out a new car. He did so earlier in the season when his progress in 2009 fell short of what the previous season produced.

“We have one of those new three-frame rail cars that Murf McKinney builds,” Wilkerson said. “I think it’s a good car and if you sit it side-by-side with last year’s car and if you knew you were gonna get run into or turn upside down, you’d want the one I’m driving. It’s a much bigger and safer car.”

But, can it run when the leaves turn the pretty colors. The old car could.

THE SPEC TESTING – Wilkerson told CompetitionPlus.com that the next NHRA nitro spec gathering test could likely come at the pre-U.S. Nationals test session in Indianapolis. He also hasn’t discounted using the engine during one of the match races he has planned.

“It just depends on our time schedule,” Wilkerson said. “Dan Olson has been good about that and understands that if I have too much to do that it gets put on the backburner.”  

Advertisement