Staying in your own lane when it comes to business can be challenging - just ask Richard Freeman. 

To clarify lane assignments, Freeman is adamant his lane is in doorslammer racing, whether it be his beloved Pro Stock or Competition Eliminator. Fuel racing or any other type that doesn't have doors is classified as outside his lane. 

"Every time I get out of my lane, I get in trouble," Freeman admitted. "That's one thing about that Top Fuel deal. It's out of my lane, but just like Pro Stock, I believe those two classes, Fuel and Funny Car, need some help and need some new blood. Not taking anything away from anybody that's over there, but Pro Stock was in that situation. We were having trouble getting cars, and we didn't change the platform, we just changed the class a little bit, how things were done, and it's worked tremendously. It seems like every time somebody decides to hang it up; somebody else comes in."

Yes, Freeman admits, he's considering hitting his blinker and moving into another lane. 

"There's been some discussion of a possible Fuel team, but it'd have to be the right deal," Freeman revealed. "It'd be a business deal, not a deal just to run a fuel car. I see some of those older people that are looking to get out, and maybe you see a Top Fuel team run out of Elite in the future to come."

Freeman has visions of a turnaround for fuel racing similar to the one Pro Stock has experienced in the last few seasons. But, he says, that will take some restructuring across the board from NHRA and its race teams. 

"We need to get Fuel and those classes to that point," Freeman said. "We need NHRA too. "At the same time while us competitors are restructuring, we need them to restructure, and the mindset's different. Those big sponsors, and that word sponsors; it's a little bit different today. I mean, there's a lot more B2B stuff. We built our program around that, with some fantastic people that have become friends and family. 

"I think it can be done. I think that with the right partners, the right personnel. I look at the Torrance organization. They run that deal very similar to how I run mine. It's a family-oriented deal, and they've won, what, three or four world championships? Great friends of mine. I've had no discussions to this point, but I just see that there's a need for that and maybe some new thought processes going over there."

The business end of fuel racing is what intrigues Freeman the most. He's not necessarily looking to become a fuel team owner and chase a championship as much as he is driven to provide that program for a potential partner sort of along the lines of a Mickey Thompson-type deal from the 1970s, with a modern-day approach like Don Schumacher Racing. 

"We would definitely entertain that if the right deal came along, and again, not to field a Fuel car, but to start a business and do some of the things that people would like to run Top Fuel [or Funny Car], that they can come to a place and go do that and do it with quality parts and pieces," Freeman explained. "Schumacher's done a fantastic job throughout his career, but Don likes to fish, and he wants to do other things, so somebody's got to take the role up if he decides he no longer wants to do that. I don't know who that may be. Maybe it's me. I don't know, but a business deal for sure."