MASSEY’S ANXIOUS DEBUT
Wed, 2009-01-21 12:29
Last Year’s IHRA Champion Becomes This Year’s NHRA Champion in Waiting …
Forgive Spencer Massey if he appears a bit awestruck these days.
The sophomore Top Fuel driver who already has an IHRA Top Fuel world championship to his credit still finds it hard to believe that he’s got the driving gig that many would die for.
In less than 12 months, he’s gone from being a rookie on the IHRA circuit to the driver for Don “Snake” Prudhomme on the NHRA circuit.
On Wednesday, Massey was driving around his new home of Brownsburg, Ind., making last minute arrangements and finishing up some errands before hopping a plane to Phoenix for his first test session as Prudhomme’s driver. Last Year’s IHRA Champion Becomes This Year’s NHRA Champion in Waiting …
Forgive Spencer Massey if he appears a bit awestruck these days.
The sophomore Top Fuel driver who already has an IHRA Top Fuel world championship to his credit still finds it hard to believe that he’s got the driving gig that many would die for.
In less than 12 months, he’s gone from being a rookie on the IHRA circuit to the driver for Don “Snake” Prudhomme on the NHRA circuit.
On Wednesday, Massey was driving around his new home of Brownsburg, Ind., making last minute arrangements and finishing up some errands before hopping a plane to Phoenix for his first test session as Prudhomme’s driver.
The transporter left Indy on Monday morning, Massey is expected to arrive today.
One would think Massey has the challenge of anxiety conquered, but he admits there are moments that he can’t fight the rookie in his emotions coming out.
“I’m really antsy and my right foot is getting jittery,” Massey admitted.
This is the same guy who won a national event in his Top Fuel debut and admittedly finds it hard to remain subdued. Massey apologizes and conveys that he can’t help it.
“Who would have ever thought that I’d be driving for Don Prudhomme?” Massey asked. “After all these years of coming up through the sport and watching Larry Dixon, I still find it hard to believe I’m driving the same car he drove and beyond that, driving for Don Prudhomme. You’re looking at a dream come true for one of drag racing’s largest fans.”
The team has already had to break him, or at least tried, of the anxiety association with succeeding one of the greatest drivers to pilot a Top Fuel dragster down the strip. When you follow a driver such as Dixon, who is said to be able to spot a quarter on the track at 300 miles per hour and convey whether it’s heads or tails, the self imposed expectations tend to grow.
“I keep saying that I have some pretty big shoes to fill and everybody from Snake to Donnie Bender keeps telling me not to worry and focus on what got me to this point. I’m not worried but I do know I have quite a challenge following a driver the caliber of Dixon.
“I just have to get up there and hit the light and keep it in the groove. That’s what turns on the win light, when you can go up there and do that without anything else on your mind.”
Massey made the leap from A/Fuel dragster to Top Fuel in 2008, with the encouragement and financial backing of drag racing legend Gene Snow. He didn’t disappoint his mentor, with four IHRA wins while driving Mitch King’s Top Fuel dragster and in the off-time from that gig, also scored a few victories with Snow’s Top Alcohol Dragster.
Driving for Prudhomme is a challenge of another nature and it’s tough for him to judge which opportunity has created more pressure, driving a fuel dragster for the first time or debuting for the legendary team owner.
“That’s a toss-up because they are both extremely huge challenges,” Massey admitted. “All I ever really wanted to do my whole life is drive a Top Fuel dragster and last year I got that chance. Even though it was an IHRA car, the challenge is universal in driving.
“Last year I fulfilled a lifelong wish, and that dream just keeps getting better and better. I just have to keep riding that wave.”
That wave came as a surprise for Massey, who was originally signed as a driver in waiting for a potential second sponsor. The departure of Dixon caused that wave to swell to gigantic proportions propelling Massey into a top Top Fuel ride.
“When I first came on my driving depended on if a sponsorship came along,” Massey said. “As the year went along and the rumors began to fly, I began thinking that I might actually get a chance to drive in 2009. I was just happy to be under consideration.”
In the last two years, Massey has and will have had to adjust to three entities known for their “my way or the highway” thought process beginning with Snow and then last year’s crew chief Paul Smith and now Prudhomme. Massey wouldn’t want his situation any other way.
His contention is that such headstrong mentors provide for brighter future.
“I learned how to adapt to the different situations,” Massey admitted. “When you work for guys like Snow, Smith and Prudhomme who have been around the sport for as long as they have, you learn their ways and while you might think that might be tough to deal with, it really isn’t. It works better for me because the experience only makes me better in the long run.”
Forgive Spencer Massey if he appears a bit awestruck these days.The sophomore Top Fuel driver who already has an IHRA Top Fuel world championship to his credit still finds it hard to believe that he’s got the driving gig that many would die for.
In less than 12 months, he’s gone from being a rookie on the IHRA circuit to the driver for Don “Snake” Prudhomme on the NHRA circuit.
On Wednesday, Massey was driving around his new home of Brownsburg, Ind., making last minute arrangements and finishing up some errands before hopping a plane to Phoenix for his first test session as Prudhomme’s driver. Last Year’s IHRA Champion Becomes This Year’s NHRA Champion in Waiting …
Forgive Spencer Massey if he appears a bit awestruck these days.The sophomore Top Fuel driver who already has an IHRA Top Fuel world championship to his credit still finds it hard to believe that he’s got the driving gig that many would die for.
In less than 12 months, he’s gone from being a rookie on the IHRA circuit to the driver for Don “Snake” Prudhomme on the NHRA circuit.
On Wednesday, Massey was driving around his new home of Brownsburg, Ind., making last minute arrangements and finishing up some errands before hopping a plane to Phoenix for his first test session as Prudhomme’s driver.
The transporter left Indy on Monday morning, Massey is expected to arrive today.
One would think Massey has the challenge of anxiety conquered, but he admits there are moments that he can’t fight the rookie in his emotions coming out.
“I’m really antsy and my right foot is getting jittery,” Massey admitted.
This is the same guy who won a national event in his Top Fuel debut and admittedly finds it hard to remain subdued. Massey apologizes and conveys that he can’t help it.
“Who would have ever thought that I’d be driving for Don Prudhomme?” Massey asked. “After all these years of coming up through the sport and watching Larry Dixon, I still find it hard to believe I’m driving the same car he drove and beyond that, driving for Don Prudhomme. You’re looking at a dream come true for one of drag racing’s largest fans.”
The team has already had to break him, or at least tried, of the anxiety association with succeeding one of the greatest drivers to pilot a Top Fuel dragster down the strip. When you follow a driver such as Dixon, who is said to be able to spot a quarter on the track at 300 miles per hour and convey whether it’s heads or tails, the self imposed expectations tend to grow.
“I keep saying that I have some pretty big shoes to fill and everybody from Snake to Donnie Bender keeps telling me not to worry and focus on what got me to this point. I’m not worried but I do know I have quite a challenge following a driver the caliber of Dixon.
“I just have to get up there and hit the light and keep it in the groove. That’s what turns on the win light, when you can go up there and do that without anything else on your mind.”
Massey made the leap from A/Fuel dragster to Top Fuel in 2008, with the encouragement and financial backing of drag racing legend Gene Snow. He didn’t disappoint his mentor, with four IHRA wins while driving Mitch King’s Top Fuel dragster and in the off-time from that gig, also scored a few victories with Snow’s Top Alcohol Dragster.
Driving for Prudhomme is a challenge of another nature and it’s tough for him to judge which opportunity has created more pressure, driving a fuel dragster for the first time or debuting for the legendary team owner.
“That’s a toss-up because they are both extremely huge challenges,” Massey admitted. “All I ever really wanted to do my whole life is drive a Top Fuel dragster and last year I got that chance. Even though it was an IHRA car, the challenge is universal in driving.
“Last year I fulfilled a lifelong wish, and that dream just keeps getting better and better. I just have to keep riding that wave.”
That wave came as a surprise for Massey, who was originally signed as a driver in waiting for a potential second sponsor. The departure of Dixon caused that wave to swell to gigantic proportions propelling Massey into a top Top Fuel ride.
“When I first came on my driving depended on if a sponsorship came along,” Massey said. “As the year went along and the rumors began to fly, I began thinking that I might actually get a chance to drive in 2009. I was just happy to be under consideration.”
In the last two years, Massey has and will have had to adjust to three entities known for their “my way or the highway” thought process beginning with Snow and then last year’s crew chief Paul Smith and now Prudhomme. Massey wouldn’t want his situation any other way.
His contention is that such headstrong mentors provide for brighter future.
“I learned how to adapt to the different situations,” Massey admitted. “When you work for guys like Snow, Smith and Prudhomme who have been around the sport for as long as they have, you learn their ways and while you might think that might be tough to deal with, it really isn’t. It works better for me because the experience only makes me better in the long run.”
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