MARONEY LAUNCHES HIS OWN TOP FUEL TEAM

by Susan Wade    Mon, 2019-05-13 11:06

The “unloading party” in Gilbert, Ariz., is over, and the “work party” is underway for Top Fuel Jim Maroney.

The longtime nostalgia Funny Car and fuel altered racer has launched his own Top Fuel team, building on his five-race rookie season driving Terry Haddock’s dragster and his brief partnership this year with aspiring Top Fuel racer Kim Davidson.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do to get ready to go to the first event. But I’m in control of my own destiny at this point,” Maroney said. “I don’t have any partners. I don’t have anybody else who’s trying to make the calls on things. So if the car doesn’t run, it’s on me.”

He said he has “no hard feelings” toward Kim and Michelle Davidson. And he said Haddock “said if there’s anything he can do to help, let him know.”

Maroney, who owns American Flowtech, purchased his equipment from Mike Strasburg, who is focusing on his duties as crew chief for Annie Whiteley’s Top Alcohol Funny Car.

The Brad Hadman-crafted dragster will be front-halved at Morgan Lucas Racing at Brownsburg Ind., in the next week or so, then upgraded further to meet NHRA-required specifications.

“When I come out with it,” Maroney said, “it’ll be just as good as the cars next to us.”

He said he is “shooting for” the fall Las Vegas race for his re-emergence on the scene, although it’s possible still at this point that he might drive Davidson’s Top Fuel car at next month’s Topeka event.

Hal Sanguinetti – race director and announcer for the Western Fuel Altered series and one of the announcers at Chandler, Ariz.’s Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park – has helped out financially and will be involved with the team.

Maroney told Competition Plus he will not tune his own car. He said he’ll hire a veteran crew chief to be announced soon.

Sponsors for Maroney’s new venture are Torco Oil, Cornwall Tools, Diamond Pistons, CP-Carrillo, and E3 Spark Plugs.

 

 

 

 
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