(Photo: SR Driven Media)
All tracks have personality, the Pomona Dragstrip is no exception. As in any sport, certain venues provide certain challenges and unexplained characteristics pertaining to that facility. What works at one track does not always carry over to a similar track with comparable atmospheric conditions.
The Dubbin Motorsports team has had a great season. By any measure you choose, it was a breakout year for the team. But, the Pomona race can be, and should be forgotten as soon as possible. Three attempts to qualify ended in frustration as the car would not settle into the track conditions and perform as it had in weeks past. The DMP Awnings / KENTEX Dragster carried the front end too high and for too long causing all three qualifying runs to be cut short. Attempts to settle the car with weight distribution adjustments and calming of the engine yielded little to solve the ill-behaving race car, leading to the team’s disappointment in the final Lucas Oil Series Race of the 2023 NHRA season.
“The car has been running so well this season we were convinced if we could just get the car through the first hundred feet, we would have the power to get in the show, said Team owner Dean Dubbin. Clay and Chase made some big changes after Q1 and the car did not respond the way we thought it would. We could not get the car to settle down enough to make a clean run. We’ve never run in these conditions and the car was much more aggressive than we had anticipated. It was our first time here and things didn’t go as planned. But, we know what we’re up against in the future and we will have a better baseline to start from. When you go to new tracks and experience new conditions to race in, that’s what makes you better,…as a driver, a tuner, and as a team. We had a great season and we will work hard to build on what we’ve learned this year.
Driver Kirk Wolf was disappointed but upbeat about the Pomona situation and the 2024 season. “It was a tough weekend for us. With little to no data on the west coast we couldn’t get the car through the shake zone. The car kept wanting to pull the front end way up, and carry the front end for too long. It really upset the car and we just couldn’t get down the track. We tried a lot of different things but just ran out of runs. Unfortunately, that’s Drag Racing. We will be back in 2024 with an expanded schedule of 8 to 10 races planned. We hope to finalize some really exciting things soon”.
What’s Next:
The Dubbin Motorsports Team will be working hard to prepare for the 2024 campaign that should kick off in Gainesville next March. During the winter break be on the lookout for news from Dubbin Motorsports, and Drivers Dean Dubbin & Kirk Wolf.
The Team:
Dean Dubbin & Karen Dubbin – Owners and Driver
Kenny Woods – Owner Of KENTEX Roofing Systems
Clay Copeland (with wife Lisa Copeland) – Co-Crew Chief
Chase Copeland (with wife Brittney Copeland) – Co-Crew Chief
Kirk Wolf – Driver
Trevor Jelinski
Scott Jelinski
Don Nolan
Brad Hiatt
Stay in touch with the Dean Dubbin & the DMP Awnings Team:
Facebook – @DMPAwnings
Instagram – @DMPAwnings_
Twitter – @DMPAwnings
Racer.media – @DMPAwnings
Stay in touch with Driver Kirk Wolf:
Facebook – @KirkWolfRacing
Instagram- @KirkWolf
Team Support:
DMP Awnings | Kentex Roofing Systems | Central McGowan | Noonan | NGK Spark Plugs | Goodson | Copeland Race Cars | Wright Brothers Consulting | Aluminum Cabinet Company | Mile High Crankshafts
Motorsports Media | Dubbin Motorsports
