HEAD ENJOYING DRAG RACING RETURN
Wed, 2008-12-03 12:29
When Chad Head left the NHRA’s employ years ago to join the Indy Racing League he wondered if he’d worked his last job in
drag
racing. Shortly before Alan Johnson’s announcement that he’d signed an
agreement to field a two-car nitro team in conjunction with Al Anabi
Motorsports, his questions were answered.
Head is the team manager for Johnson’s Alan Johnson/Al Anabi Motorsports team scheduled to debut in January 2009 when testing opens. He can say with a high amount of certainty that he’s happy to be back in drag racing.
“Alan called me when he was putting the team together and asked me if I would be interested,” Head said. “Considering the long-standing relationship between my dad, myself and the Johnson family the decision was really a no-brainer. The toughest part of the decision was leaving the Indy Car series and the person I worked for -- Brian Barnhart.” When Chad Head left the NHRA’s employ years ago to join the Indy Racing League he wondered if he’d worked his last job in
drag racing. Shortly before Alan Johnson’s announcement that he’d signed an agreement to field a two-car nitro team in conjunction with Al Anabi Motorsports, his questions were answered.
Head is the team manager for Johnson’s Alan Johnson/Al Anabi Motorsports team scheduled to debut in January 2009 when testing opens. He can say with a high amount of certainty that he’s happy to be back in drag racing.
“Alan called me when he was putting the team together and asked me if I would be interested,” Head said. “Considering the long-standing relationship between my dad, myself and the Johnson family the decision was really a no-brainer. The toughest part of the decision was leaving the Indy Car series and the person I worked for -- Brian Barnhart.”
Head was a popular figure amongst the drag racers during his time at the NHRA because of his track preparation talents not to mention his ability to make things “happen”. He left the NHRA to become the manager of operations at the IRL.
His resume already stacked full of accomplishments, Head now adds managing a start-up nitro team to his list. Just don't say its successful for now.
“Don’t give me the credit for that yet because we haven’t turned a tire yet under power,” Head cautions. “I will say one thing about Alan Johnson and that is he’s put together a lot of good people including Jason McCulloch, Brian Husen, Aaron Brooks and Rod Centorbi. That’s in addition to the great people they have working with them.”
Bottom line, Head says, a team is only as good as its personnel.
Head expects to be in attendance for every test session and all 24 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events.
His presence can be a blessing because outside of his administrative duties, few can read a track like Head.
“I’m not a tuner, but I can definitely convey what the track is doing and where the NHRA is likely to go with the preparation,” Head added. “I’ll report that back to the teams to enable them to make the most of their tuning decisions.
“I don’t have the first idea how to tune one of these cars, but I do understand what the track needs to be and how to read the track conditions. Hopefully I can be an asset.
“I feel the NHRA does a good job in prepping the tracks and feel that in the past few years, Dan Olson has done a real good job. If there’s anything I can ever do to help him, I’ll be there to lend a hand.”
Rumored to be one of the better financed teams in the pits, the Alan Johnson/Al Anabi Motorsports team won’t lack for anything in terms of personnel and parts.
Head is extremely appreciative of having that kind of status but clearly a sluggish U.S. economy and the adverse affects it has had on drag racing clearly burdens him.
“I think for NHRA, NASCAR, Indy car as well as other forms of motorsports, it’s going to be tough,” Head said. “The sanctioning bodies and the teams will make the best of it and come out of this slump and hopefully prosper in the coming years.
“It’s scary. Funny Car will be a little stronger than Top Fuel in 2009, but it has the same potential to become weak. I just feel fortunate that the folks at Al Anabi have been gracious enough to Alan Johnson and myself to be able to bring two cars out there.”
Chad
Head (right) poses for a picture with his dad Jim Head, a noted nitro
racer. The second-generation Head returns to drag racing as the team
manager for Alan Johnson's Al-Anabi operation.
Head is the team manager for Johnson’s Alan Johnson/Al Anabi Motorsports team scheduled to debut in January 2009 when testing opens. He can say with a high amount of certainty that he’s happy to be back in drag racing.
“Alan called me when he was putting the team together and asked me if I would be interested,” Head said. “Considering the long-standing relationship between my dad, myself and the Johnson family the decision was really a no-brainer. The toughest part of the decision was leaving the Indy Car series and the person I worked for -- Brian Barnhart.” When Chad Head left the NHRA’s employ years ago to join the Indy Racing League he wondered if he’d worked his last job in
Chad Head (right) poses for a picture with his dad Jim Head, a noted nitro racer. The second-generation Head returns to drag racing as the team manager for Alan Johnson's Al-Anabi operation.
Head is the team manager for Johnson’s Alan Johnson/Al Anabi Motorsports team scheduled to debut in January 2009 when testing opens. He can say with a high amount of certainty that he’s happy to be back in drag racing.
“Alan called me when he was putting the team together and asked me if I would be interested,” Head said. “Considering the long-standing relationship between my dad, myself and the Johnson family the decision was really a no-brainer. The toughest part of the decision was leaving the Indy Car series and the person I worked for -- Brian Barnhart.”
Head was a popular figure amongst the drag racers during his time at the NHRA because of his track preparation talents not to mention his ability to make things “happen”. He left the NHRA to become the manager of operations at the IRL.
His resume already stacked full of accomplishments, Head now adds managing a start-up nitro team to his list. Just don't say its successful for now.
“Don’t give me the credit for that yet because we haven’t turned a tire yet under power,” Head cautions. “I will say one thing about Alan Johnson and that is he’s put together a lot of good people including Jason McCulloch, Brian Husen, Aaron Brooks and Rod Centorbi. That’s in addition to the great people they have working with them.”
Bottom line, Head says, a team is only as good as its personnel.
Head expects to be in attendance for every test session and all 24 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events.
His presence can be a blessing because outside of his administrative duties, few can read a track like Head.
“I’m not a tuner, but I can definitely convey what the track is doing and where the NHRA is likely to go with the preparation,” Head added. “I’ll report that back to the teams to enable them to make the most of their tuning decisions.
“I don’t have the first idea how to tune one of these cars, but I do understand what the track needs to be and how to read the track conditions. Hopefully I can be an asset.
“I feel the NHRA does a good job in prepping the tracks and feel that in the past few years, Dan Olson has done a real good job. If there’s anything I can ever do to help him, I’ll be there to lend a hand.”
Rumored to be one of the better financed teams in the pits, the Alan Johnson/Al Anabi Motorsports team won’t lack for anything in terms of personnel and parts.
Head is extremely appreciative of having that kind of status but clearly a sluggish U.S. economy and the adverse affects it has had on drag racing clearly burdens him.
“I think for NHRA, NASCAR, Indy car as well as other forms of motorsports, it’s going to be tough,” Head said. “The sanctioning bodies and the teams will make the best of it and come out of this slump and hopefully prosper in the coming years.
“It’s scary. Funny Car will be a little stronger than Top Fuel in 2009, but it has the same potential to become weak. I just feel fortunate that the folks at Al Anabi have been gracious enough to Alan Johnson and myself to be able to bring two cars out there.”
Categories:
