Hunt Motorsports NHRA & IHRA Drag Racing Team Is Back On the Road
- 29 Jul 2011
When the race was over, the crew began anticipating upcoming events, but all it took was a slight miscalculation by a motorist to throw a wrench into their plans. In short, a motorist t-boned the drag racing team's motor home, putting a temporary halt on their racing agenda.
With the team's motor home temporarily out of commission, things didn't look too promising, but fortunately, some local friends were willing to loan the crew a couple of trucks and trailers, allowing them to defend their Big Money bracket race wins from last year at the El Paso Motorplex, situated in San Elizario, Texas. Judging from last year's performance at this particular event, the father/son team had a lot to defend. In fact, they took the first three places in last year's Big Money race. The father, Michael, now 43 years of age, took third place, while his 22year-old son, Ryan captured the first and second places. Ryan also won the points championship at the El Paso Motorplex in 2010, which was his first full season. He managed to win eight of ten races, and made it to the semifinals in the remaining two as well. In spite of missing two races due to damage sustained by their motor home, Michael had no intentions of quitting and in turn was successful at defending the team's previous victories at this venue. He showed up at the track with fire in his eyes, and a victory in his expectations and when the competition was over had earned first place in the Big Money race. Running in the Quick 8 race, a bracket race consisting of the eight fastest cars in the competition, they made it to the semifinals, but came up short of the finals by a fraction of a second. In the sport of drag racing, many races are literally decided by thousands of a second, and there are no second chances for the drivers to redeem themselves. In short, he was out of the running in this particular competition. On the other hand, Hunt Motorports NHRA & IHRA Drag Racing Team has still managed to make their mark at this particular venue this season thus far. Having won the Big Money race on July 9, Michael is now leading in points this year at the El Paso Motorplex. One would be hard pressed to disagree that upon learning their means of transportation would be out of commission for a while after the accident, the team's level of moral likely took a hard hit. On the other hand, upon learning that friends were willing to pitch in and help, they were more than ready to roll upon pulling into the El Paso Motorplex. "It felt good to finally get out to the track with friends and family," recalled Michael. "We always show up with expectations of winning, and putting on a good and professional show for our sponsors and fans. Michael and Ryan Hunt are acutely aware that their success depends a great deal on how well their engine is performing on race day. That said, their entire team is of importance to them. "The key to winning is preparation and maintenance," explained Michael. According to Michael, he and Ryan aren't the only two members of the family playing a crucial role on the team. Rhen, his 19 year-old son, who is the crew chief for both cars, takes care of the mechanical end of the operation. In turn, Michael and Ryan have the luxury of dedicating all of their attention to driving and winning races. Referring to Rhen, Michael said, "Without him taking care of business, it would be harder for us to take care of business as drivers." In closing, Michael stressed that one of the keys to experiencing a successful season is having great sponsors, such as K&N Filters. "The use of the products from our sponsors leaves us worry free, and we highly recommend them to everyone who has a vehicle, no matter what it is. Thanks a million for what you do for us." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
