It's been nearly three years since Dean Skuza last piloted a Funny Car down a quarter-mile drag strip. And while the Ohio native would love nothing better than to return to the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour, he also wants to do it on his terms.

"We want to do it the right way," said Skuza, who is hoping to put a package together that might have him back in a nitro coupe by the beginning of the next season. "We've passed on some things that just weren't strong enough, either financially, or they didn't have a lot of legs do it. It's been nearly three years since Dean Skuza last piloted a Funny Car down a quarter-mile drag strip. And while the Ohio native would love nothing better than to return to the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series tour, he also wants to do it on his terms.

"We want to do it the right way," said Skuza, who is hoping to put a package together that might have him back in a nitro coupe by the beginning of the next season. "We've passed on some things that just weren't strong enough, either financially, or they didn't have a lot of legs do it.

"We're looking for a long-term commitment from somebody, and it's a short list. (We're looking for) someone who wants to invest the money, and is in it for the long haul. Like I've said, we've passed on some thing's, that yeah, they can get you through a year, but we're not interested in that. We've raced with not enough money for a decade, and I'm not interested in doing that."

And he made the most out of a little during that period, finishing in the top 10 in points during nine of his 10 seasons. But now he wants to do it the way the big dogs have achieved it -- with proper funding.

Skuza, according to reports in July, appeared to be on the brink of making an official announcement that he was indeed returning to the circuit. But once again, promises fell short for the Cleveland native.

"We had one particular primary (sponsor) that it looked like we were going to (sign a contract), but they decided not to," Skuza said. "So now we're back to looking for a primary sponsor. We've put together some really good associate (deals), and we're just missing the main player."

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And a progress report?

"I don't know," Skuza said. "How can you answer that? Until you have money in the bank, it never looks good. Of course, we're always optimistic. It's not like we're throwing in the towel. I've taken a lot of calls from people who think we're giving up by selling a lot of equipment. But we're just liquidating a lot of (old) stuff. When we come back, we will not race with not even one part that we had when we finished racing (in 2003)."

And that season concluded a solid decade of racing for Skuza, who began racing in Funny Car in 1993. He was a perennial competitor in the flopper class, earning nine top-10 finishes between 1994-2003, including a career-best fifth in points in 1999. He also scored national events victories at the Matco Tools Supernationals in Englishtown, N.J. in '97 and the Pioneer Keystone Nationals in Reading, Pa. in '98.

He did it all while competing for the most part on a shoestring budget, including the 2003 season, when he earned another top-10 finish and scored three final-round appearances despite limited funding.

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But then he stepped away, after not getting the proper funding to run a team the way he wanted. He kept busy with a variety of projects, including real estate, selling and buying muscle cars and even doing a little television. But now he wants back in.

"It's like I said, we're going to do it for the right reasons," Skuza said. "We have to have the right sponsor. It's got to be the right fit, with a successful marketing campaign, because that's basically what this is.

"And until we get the right players involved, we're not going to (come back). We don't have to race. It's not like it's something we do for a living. It's our passion, and we like it, but we've done it for so long now, it's has to be on our terms."

It's that kind of attitude that has made Skuza, despite being out of the loop so to speak the past three seasons, still one of the sport's most popular personalities.

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The Cleveland native, despite his inactivity, has sort of a cult following for most drag racing fans. His name is often a topic of conversation on Internet message boards, which were filled with queries when reports came out during the summer of his possible return.

Skuza laughs about it, but he appreciates the loyalty.

"It's pretty interesting," he said. "I know how motorsports are. I don't want to say the fans are fickle, but it's usually, ' What have done for me lately?' It's pretty neat (to be that popular on the Internet). But that's basically what I miss most -- the interaction with the fans. That makes it all worth while. It is a big sacrifice when you decide to do the full tour and race all 23 races, and with the sponsor committments.

"I don't think a lot of people realize the leg work that goes into it, but the fans are what makes it all worthwhile. I think anyone will tell you that, whether you are a professional athlete or a rock star, the fans are really the reason you do it."

That type of following also gives him that extra motivation to put a deal together and head back to the dragstrip.

"Oh, yeah," Skuza said. "It's been three years and we've been close, and a lot of things we've passed on, but we remain optimistic that we're going to get the right fit, with the right players and the right people behind it. When we come back, it's going to be the best team we've ever assembled. And that's what we're working towards.

"That's probably why it's taking so long, because like I said, it's on our terms. It's not like we want to slap it together and get back out there. We're not interested in that.

"That doesn't have any legs. I think a lot of races will attest to that. They come back for a year, and then they are right back to the drawing board (the next year). It's tough. It really is to put together the right program. But I think patience is a virtue, and I know it will all be worth while when we do come back."

 

 

 

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