Recovery from an operation that requires an incision more than 14 inches long would usually take several months, but Rick Stivers, driver of the Trane 2006 Stratus Pro Mod, is ready for action this weekend less than six weeks after emergency surgery that removed more than a foot of his colon and intestines. The Kentucky-native will compete in this weekend's NHRA Spring Nationals as part of the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series at Houston Raceway Park outside of Houston, Texas.
 
"The doctor has cleared me to race, I've got the signed papers with me that say I'm good to go," Stivers declared. "I can be pretty stubborn, and I'm definitely a competitor, so the idea of missing more than one race because of the operation never even entered my mind. I knew I'd be in Houston behind the wheel of that Trane Stratus."

Recovery from an operation that requires an incision more than 14 inches long would usually take several months, but Rick Stivers, driver of the Trane 2006 Stratus Pro Mod, is ready for action this weekend less than six weeks after emergency surgery that removed more than a foot of his colon and intestines. The Kentucky-native will compete in this weekend's NHRA Spring Nationals as part of the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series at Houston Raceway Park outside of Houston, Texas.

"The doctor has cleared me to race, I've got the signed papers with me that say I'm good to go," Stivers declared. "I can be pretty stubborn, and I'm definitely a competitor, so the idea of missing more than one race because of the operation never even entered my mind. I knew I'd be in Houston behind the wheel of that Trane Stratus."
 
Coming from behind is something Stivers is used to. Last season, despite competing in only seven Pro Mod Challenge events and qualifying for only five, Stivers was able to win a race, runner-up once, and capture the No. 10 spot in the rankings.
 
"It's kind of like racing horses," Stivers explained. "Sometimes, you lead the whole way through a race, but sometimes you let the quick horses go out early and get tired, and then take them with power at the end.
 
"I really don't see missing Gainesville as a handicap to what I'm trying to do. I'm out here to win a championship, plain and simple - and I know that Brad Anderson [team owner/crew chief] has given me a car that can run numbers and go rounds."
 
Knowing that he needs to be gentle with his body, he said he's not looking for any footraces just yet. "I drove my coach down from home so my family and I can stay in it and rest until I need to get the car warmed up and drive. I feel fine, and have all my strength, but I'm not going to push things any more than I need to.
 
"My family is really important to me, they are the ones who helped me recover from my operation so quickly. Jill, Little Rick, my new grandbaby - everyone had a hand in helping me feel better, and I can't thank them enough," he said.
 
Stivers surgery was prompted following suspicious results from a routine colonoscopy. According to Stivers, the doctors found something that turned out to be cancer, and discovered it quickly enough to get everything out without the need for additional chemotherapy or treatment.
 
"Let's face it - the screening saved my life. I wasn't really anxious to do the test, but they caught things so early, I'm here, ready to go win a race just six weeks later. That's a miracle I thank God for," Stivers said.