On the run with Bruce Allen, driver of the Speedco Pontiac SC/T Grand Am Pro Stocker

It's great to be back for another year of On The Run. As we advance into the thick of another racing season, I'm confident that my Speedco Pontiac is making progress toward being a contender on the NHRA POWERade tour. Already this season, we've earned the No. 1 qualifying spot at a pair of races, and that shows our program's potential.

We are certainly powerful enough and have the potential to be at the front of the field, but so do a lot of other cars. Our Pontiac SC/T Grand Am is fast enough to win races, but on race day, with the Pro Stock class continuing to get tighter and tighter, the only thing a top-qualifying spot guarantees is a place in the 16-car field. That's why it will be necessary to stay on top of our engine and car setup as we move toward midyear.

In Pro Stock, we have to be perfect in everything we do. In drag racing, there are no pit stops to adjust the car. When we pull up to the starting line, everything has to be done with a razor's-edge precision not expected of athletes in most sports, and still, there's no guarantee that you're going to win. With races determined by .0001-- second, every piece of the puzzle has to be keenly scrutinized, and each waking moment is spent striving for perfection.

After the Phoenix national event, I rode to the airport with Bob Glidden. He's just stunned at how competitive the category has become. He commented that you could put 16 drivers in the same race car and the qualifying fields still wouldn't be as close as they are now. That's coming from someone who has won 10 championships in our class. If you're a crew chief, crewmember, or driver, that's the kind of dedication that is expected. Other sports allow you to be off just a little bit and still be good, but that's not the case in Pro Stock. You can never be satisfied with where you are; that's the only mind-set that will get you to the top.

Right now, it's becoming more and more of a challenge to find additional horsepower with our current engine configuration. Years ago, we could pick up on average of 12 to 15 horsepower over the course of the year. That was pretty much the class standard when we first began using the 500-cubic-inch GM DRCE engine, but in the last couple of years, that number has decreased. That's why we're looking forward to the new GM DRCE III. It will take us a little bit of time before we realize the true potential of the new engine, but the DRCE III will open a new window for us. Its design shows a tremendous amount of potential, and once we figure out what it needs, it will be awesome. GM Racing engineers have done their job, now its going to be up to the racers and the engine builders to get it up to speed. Its a design that the racers have asked for. If you're doing your homework, and you're paying attention to all of your research and development, these parts will be the next logical step beyond where we are now.

Though we're running pretty well right now, we're always working at ways to keep our program moving forward. We have a couple of new cars coming, and as we get into the hotter part of the year, when tracks may not be as consistent or as good, we might make a change. With the new cars, we'll have a couple of options to fall back on to maintain a high level of performance.

Over the years, I've had limited success at Houston Raceway Park. I've never won there, but I've runner-upped twice, and we certainly have an opportunity to win this year. Houston is an outstanding sea-level racetrack, and the conditions can contribute to some exceptionally fast times. The track's asphalt has a slightly different aggregate that gives it more traction downtrack, which is why fuel cars always seem to run very well there. It's always enjoyable to have the opportunity to race in your home state, and Reher-Morrison is fortunate to have a huge following in Texas.

I want to thank Pontiac for sticking with us through good times and bad and for the outstanding engineering work at GM that produced our SC/T Grand Am. Speedco has been a super sponsor, and our relationship with it has been tremendous. Contemporary Corvette has also been behind us 100 percent, and in Houston, we'll welcome American Iron Horse as an associate sponsor. The company has awesome motorcycles, and some dealers and customers will join us at the track. The people at Reher-Morrison don't get the credit that they deserve, and I want to thank them for the effort they put into helping us build a winning program. I also want to thank my wife, Deb, for her continued love and support.

Last but not least, everyone at Reher-Morrison is thinking about our armed forces overseas, hoping for their safe return to their families and friends.

Copyright National Hot Rod Association Apr 11, 2003
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