Jim Whiteley - NHRA World Finals Wrap Up

Whiteley finishes season with win and career best ET

Pomona, Calif. – YNot Racing Top Alcohol Dragster driver Jim Whiteley ends the 2009 season the way he started: with a win at Pomona!

Whiteley’s J&A Service machine scored a decisive final round victory in the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals with a career best elapsed time of 5.262 seconds and a stunning 220 miles per hour at half track. Whiteley raced Courtney Force in the finals, having defeated World Champion Bill Reichert in the semi-finals.

The win, Whiteley’s third straight in Pomona, leaves the Grand Junction, Colo., racer in second place for NHRA Lucas Oil championship title. In fact, the crown was determined after a disappointing showing in Las Vegas the weekend prior.

“We felt somewhat defeated after Vegas and considered not going to Pomona,” admits YNot Racing Crew Chief Norm Grimes. “Jim (Whiteley) agreed to go only if we would leave all the normal racing pressures behind, test some new ideas and have fun. We were successful on all fronts.”

Grimes says the team made changes in Las Vegas they sensed would be fruitful “down the road.”

“We went in with a different setup,” explains Grimes, indicating early performances were lackluster at best. “As we continued working on the car, it got better and better.”

“We have a lot to be proud of in 2009,” says Whiteley regarding the runner-up finish. “We qualified No. 1 in the most storied event of drag racing, we had a car equal to the World Champ’s when placed side-by-side for competition in Las Vegas and Pomona, and we’ve run a 5.262 ET career best! I’m definitely happy about our progress, but I’d be fibbing if I said I’m not disappointed.”

Whiteley has his sights set on four in a row! The YNot Racing Team plans to compete in Pomona in February 2010. The team took top honors in November 2008, February 2009, and this past weekend.

For specifics about matchups throughout the weekend, visit the following link http://www.nhra.com/events/results24.aspx.


Courtesy of Jo Andrews