Being tossed into the fire is nothing new to Tim Freeman. He’s been there, done that.

Friday marked his first race as crew chief for the Rodger Brogdon Pro Stock team and the conditions couldn’t have been tougher. A 90-degree day, 140 track temp, as Freeman understands, separates the good crew chiefs from the posers.

In their first shot at a hot and humid Bristol Dragway during the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Brogdon was the fifth quickest during the first session. Not bad for an opening statement.

Being tossed into the fire is nothing new to Tim Freeman. He’s been there, done that.

Friday marked his first race as crew chief for the Rodger Brogdon Pro Stock team and the conditions couldn’t have been tougher. A 90-degree day, 140 track temp, as Freeman understands, separates the good crew chiefs from the posers.

In their first shot at a hot and humid Bristol Dragway during the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Brogdon was the fifth quickest during the first session. Not bad for an opening statement.

“It would have been a whole lot easier if we had gotten to go test,” said Freeman, who raced for the last four seasons in Competition Elimination. “Coming right to the race track made it a little difficult. But, we've got a lot of good guys here – Doctor Phil, Jerry Eckman, Big Show, Weasel. We got a lot of good guys, a lot of knowledge over here.”

Freeman, a former Pro Stock Truck racer, was introduced to drag racing in a sink or swim manner. While most drag racing novices get their first shot at the drag strip in a street car, at 15, Freeman was put behind the wheel of a C/Modified Production 1966 Corvette Stingray capable of running the nines.

“Now that was an experience,” Freeman admitted.

Freeman first migrated into the Pro Stock ranks as a crewman for Ron Krisher, a role he held for nearly seven years. The experience taught him the challenges of life on the NHRA Full Throttle tour. It also impressed upon him the need to think over the Brogdon job offer when it was first presented.

“The time away from home in Pro Stock is the downside,” admitted Freeman. “You have to eat, sleep and live it if you are going to race Pro Stock.”

And for Freeman, much of the first days on the job, was spent inspecting the Attitude Apparel Pontiac and checking over the details. Like most every crew chief in the business, Freeman was putting his fingerprint on the car.

“We've changed a few things … nothing major,” Freeman said. “Just, going over the thing and setting up the thing the way we want to do it with Jerry and Phil and me. Kinda front to back, going over everything. Not a whole lot of major changes. Just a lot of small minor changes.”