Gary Turner Team
October 19, 2010
Krabill Safe after Second-Round Setback
Anaheim, CA — The recent NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion was a real dog fight, as 38 Nostalgia Funny Cars battled for the coveted 16 qualified spots. But defending event champion, Kris Krabill, was ready for the challenge behind the butterfly wheel of Gary Turner's striking "Pedaler" Plymouth Arrow. When qualifying had wrapped up, Kris found himself in the ninth position, which is uncharacteristic for this veteran team. Krabill noted, "We had a few minor issues crop up during qualifying, but we still put up a 5.885/243.50 shot." After the final session, this event proudly claimed having the first all 5-second Nostalgia Funny Car field in history.
In round one, Kris dispatched the Van Gundy & Clark "Quarter Pounder" with another 5.88-second charge and between rounds; it was business as usual with routine maintenance needed for their next match-up.
In round two, Krabill was on his game at the green light, recording a .055-second reaction time against Mark Hentges' .148 in Bucky Austin's Arrow. Kris noted, "I was ahead of him the whole way. Then at about 1,100 feet, it just blew up. We suffered a crankshaft failure, which caused the whole clutch assembly to spin in the bellhousing. The supercharger pitched sideways, it oiled me in, and it also broke the transmission. That was a wild ride."
Initial inspection indicated the transmission was held in by only one bolt. But had that let go; it would have spun uncontrollably inside the cockpit, causing much more damage. Kris added, "This is just one of those things you go through when you drive a Funny Car. We'll take plenty of time going over our whole engine combination to find out exactly what caused this whole chain of events. That was a tough way to go out, but it could have been a lot worse. All together, 2010 had plenty of bright spots, so we'll focus on those as we move forward."
Pedaler Racing sends a sincere thanks to the following associate sponsors for their continued support throughout the season: Darton Sleeves, Torco Racing Oils, Airheart Sales, M/T Tires, Permatex, Pro Nitro, and Larry Miller Honda.
August 17, 2010
Krabill Comes up Short
ANAHEIM, CA — Having won the biggest race in Boise, Idaho, for the last two years, Gary Turner’s “Pedaler” Nostalgia Funny Car and its driver, Kris Krabill, wore the bullseye at last weekend’s 2010 Pepsi Nightfire Nationals. Turner loves all things mechanical and the challenge of running a Nitro Nostalgia Funny Car is what feeds his passion. Krabill, noted, “Going in, we knew a three-peat was a very tall order, but the challenge of balancing the power and clutch settings is something we all thrive on, and confidence is a great way to keep our team motivated. Our recent Midwest tour showed that we can run quickly, consistently and repeat, in spite of the occasional parts issues these cars can cause. It was great to come off that tour with a win, a runner-up, and some new track records.”
Team Pedaler’s log books are filled with notes on atmospheric and track conditions from several trips to Boise, so Cory Lee put a safe tune-up in it for the first qualifying session on Friday, resulting in a 6.13-second run. On Saturday it was time to flex their muscles, so Kris cranked out a nice 5.90 at 241mph, which held for the number-one spot, until he got bumped to second by the time qualifying had concluded.
For “Race-Day Sunday,” temps were still in the upper 80s and low 90s, while the Boise altitude factored into the tune-up equation, as well. In round one, Kris bested the strong Canadian entry of Todd Losenko, running a nice 5.96. Round two was a repeat of the recent DRO Challenge series event in Cedar Falls, Iowa, as veteran Paul Romine was in the other lane. Kris noted, “That’s a strong car Romine has and his career accomplishments are impressive. I honestly didn’t see him until our car nosed over at the stripe, thanks to a broken exhaust valve. Hey, we gave it our best shot and we feel as though this car had a good chance to move into the final round. All in all, we have to be pleased with our performance.”
Cory Lee added, “Thanks to Larry Miller Honda, we had a courtesy support vehicle that helped get the team around the area, and relationships like those are very important to us. Believe it or not, that type of assistance makes for one less logistical detail when planning for a big race like this one. Larry Miller Honda is a valued marketing partner.” Team Pedaler is making plans for its next outing and the pipes will thunder again soon.
* Follow Pedaler Racing on Facebook. Go to the Fan Page for Pedaler Nitro Nostalgia Funny Car, featuring photos, info and more.
Pedaler Racing thanks the following associate sponsors for their support: Darton Sleeves, Torco Racing Oils, Airheart Sales, M/T Tires, Permatex, Pro Nitro, and Larry Miller Honda.
August 10, 2010
Krabill Focused for Three-Peat
ANAHEIM, CA — When Gary Turner’s “Pedaler” Nostalgia Funny Car pulls through the gates at Boise, Idaho’s legendary Firebird Raceway, its driver, Kris Krabill, has a unique opportunity to make history. He’s battled to the winner’s circle at the prestigious Pepsi Nightfire Nationals for the last two years in a row and this weekend marks the 39th Annual extravaganza. No other driver has ever won there back-to-back in Funny Car. Also, John Force holds the track record with three wins in Funny Car at Boise, so if Krabill pulls off the “three-peat,” he ties Force for the most Funny Car wins there.
Kris mentioned, “We’ve been very fortunate at Boise, as we’ve made the right calls and the race came to us. Winning two was quite an accomplishment, but a “three-peat” is something truly special. We know the competition will be extremely tough and over 20 drivers will be gunning for us. But our recent trip to the Midwest boosted our confidence, as we came home with one win, one runner-up, and a host of track records to show for it. This weekend, we just have to avoid costly mistakes, keep up with the conditions and do our deal.”
Another tradition continues this year at Boise, as Larry Miller Honda lends its support to “The Pedaler” Nostalgia Funny Car and the Pepsi Nightfire Nationals. This marks the third season that Larry Miller Honda is providing a new support vehicle for Krabill and crew. The trusted automotive sales and service leader maintains dealerships in Boise, Caldwell, Meridian, and Nampa, Idaho.
If you research drag racing history, it’s dotted with epic battles at Boise throughout the years. Bill New and his family have worked tirelessly to preserve and upgrade Firebird Raceway to where it’s regarded as a true gem of the Northwestern region.
Cory Lee, crew chief of the Pedaler noted, “The Nightfire Nationals is a big deal for us. It’s got a ‘buzz’ that’s very similar to the March Meet and for some reason, our whole crew just responds to the challenge. Conditions can be tricky with the heat and altitude, but we have solid data from the last several years to draw on.” These guys are ready for the battle in Boise.
* Follow Pedaler Racing on Facebook. Go to the Fan Page for Pedaler Nitro Nostalgia Funny Car, featuring photos, info and more.
Pedaler Racing thanks the following associate sponsors for their support: Darton Sleeves, Torco Racing Oils, Airheart Sales, M/T Tires, Permatex, Pro Nitro, and Larry Miller Honda.
June 29, 2010
Krabill Captures Cordova Crown
ANAHEIM, CA — Kris Krabill arrived at Cordova Dragway Park’s Nostalgiafest for the second year in a row, and expectations were high. After a slow start in 2010, the Pedaler AA/FC team worked diligently to eliminate the causes of their uncharacteristic results. They knew they’d be in tough against some of the quickest nostalgia Fuel Coupes in the Midwest, competing in Cordova’s DRO AA/FC Challenge, Presented by Lucas Oil.
Tuner Cory Lee did his homework evaluating the atmosphere and track conditions. In hot and humid weather, Kris carded a 6.00/239mph lap to qualify number one. Due to an odd number of entries, the Pedaler received a bye run in round one, but they decided to see just what the track would hold. To the delight of car owner, Gary Turner, Krabill unloaded a track record, 5.92/241 lap.
Round two brought one of the toughest cars anywhere, with veteran Paul Romine at the controls of his “Man ‘O War” Mustang. Once again, Cory Lee made the right adjustments and the Pedaler ripped off a 5.93/242mph charge to Romine’s 6.16. That set up a final round confrontation with Shawn Bowen and the colorful Michigan-based, “Violator” Firebird. Krabill was ready and his Plymouth Arrow responded, carding a 5.99/237 to Bowen’s 6.02. The hard-working Pedaler crew was rewarded with Low E.T., Top Speed of the Meet, both ends of the track record and the coveted Cordova Crown.
* Follow Pedaler Racing on Facebook. Go to the Fan Page for Pedaler Nitro Nostalgia Funny Car, featuring photos, info and more.
Pedaler Racing thanks the following associate sponsors for their support: Darton Sleeves, Torco Racing Oils, Airheart Sales, M/T Tires, Permatex, and Pro Nitro.
Pedaler Invades Midwest
ANAHEIM, CA — Nitro Funny Car driver Kris Krabill is ready to mix it up at Cordova Dragway Park for this weekend’s exciting Nostalgiafest, and the Pedaler AA/FC team is hoping for a big win. Kris noted, “We’ve gone through everything to prep for this race and the whole Pedaler crew has worked hard. Car owner, Gary Turner, has constantly upped the ante, ensuring our team has all the elements for success and crew chief, Cory Lee, is amped up, as well. We’re all focused on doing our respective jobs at Cordova.”
Having made the trip last year, the Pedaler team always looks forward to hitting the road and competing with the best from the Midwest. All the way back to his championship-winning Top Alcohol cars, Turner has enjoyed racing at different tracks and against cars that weren’t from his backyard. Krabill added, “It’s a challenge racing in different weather conditions that we’re not used to and our tune-up information from last year will help us make the right calls. The Cordova staff did such a great job last summer, I can’t wait to fire this thing up.”
After Cordova, Kris and the Pedaler will be in Cedar Falls, Iowa, at the end of July. They’ll service the car completely following the Nostalgiafest, park it, fly home, and return for the Cedar Falls Night of Fire. The whole team looks forward to seeing old and new fans during their 2010 Midwestern Swing.
Follow Pedaler Racing on Facebook. Go to the Fan Page for Pedaler Nitro Nostalgia Funny Car, featuring photos, info and more.
Pedaler Racing thanks the following associate sponsors for their support: Darton Sleeves, Torco Racing Oils, Airheart Sales, M/T Tires, Permatex, and Pro Nitro.Krabill Heads for Denver
ANAHEIM, CA — Car owner Gary Turner, his driver Kris Krabill, and tuner Cory Lee are anticipating a new challenge this weekend as they head to the fabled Bandimere Speedway just outside Denver, Colorado. The NAPA Auto Parts Night of Fire and Thunder marks this track’s first evening show of the 2010 season. Attractions include Nitro Nostalgia Funny Cars, front-engine Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragsters, Jet Dragsters and a host of exciting Sportsman Eliminators.
As a former NHRA world champion car owner, Gary enjoys racing at different tracks and in different states. He feels that helps keep his team at its best.
And though many competitors don’t enjoy racing at this high-altitude track, Cory Lee has a whole different take on it. Cory mentioned, “I don’t mind changing our combination to run in mile-high altitude. I see it as a challenge. Situations like this can only make a good team better.” Following this weekend’s action in Denver, the Pedaler crew is set to wage war in the Midwest again, as they head to Cordova, Illinois, in late June.
Follow Pedaler Racing on Facebook. Go to the Fan Page for Pedaler Nitro Nostalgia Funny Car, featuring photos, info and more. Pedaler Racing thanks the following associate sponsors for their support: Darton Sleeves, Torco Racing Oils, Airheart Sales, M/T Tires, Permatex, and Pro Nitro.
