Don Wootton got more publicity than he anticipated over the off-season and for the driver of a ADRL injected, nitro-burning doorslammer the attention wasn’t always positive.

Away from the scrutiny of the rules makers and the sanctioning body, Wooten and his gang are working low key to find the right combination.

A 4.190 elapsed time at 190 miles per hour isn’t exactly a barn-burning lap in the ADRL’s Pro Extreme division but what it is – is a very good start in a bid to become competitive.

“The run was pretty soft and we really wanted to go from Point A to Point B with it,” Wootton said. “We accomplished that and we also discovered some gremlins with the car. We’re going to get it worked out. We have it going straight now.”

Don Wootton got more publicity than he anticipated over the off-season and for the driver of a ADRL injected, nitro-burning doorslammer the attention wasn’t always positive.

Away from the scrutiny of the rules makers and the sanctioning body, Wootton and his gang are working low key to find the right combination.

A 4.190 elapsed time at 190 miles per hour isn’t exactly a barn-burning lap in the ADRL’s Pro Extreme division but what it is – is a very good start in a bid to become competitive.

“The run was pretty soft and we really wanted to go from Point A to Point B with it,” Wootton said. “We accomplished that and we also discovered some gremlins with the car. We’re going to get it worked out. We have it going straight now.”

Wootton’s classic Camaro carries a small Chevrolet engine, one he deems as “Billy Glidden small” at 422 cubic inches and the drivetrain is  set up very similar to the that of an A/Fuel Dragster with a one-to-one drive transmission with a 2.90 rear gear.

“The clutch lifts and that’s it,” Wootton explained.

Wootton missed the cut at the ADRL Quarter-Max Memphis Drags but he’s not discouraged three races into the challenge of making a combination work that has not been attempted before in the Pro Extreme division.

“We should be able to keep adding power to it. We’re not far off from being in the show,” Wootton explained.

When asked about the learning curve associated with the combination, Wootton laughs.

“You remember as a kid trying to learn how to ride a bike,” Wootton asked. “Forget what you learned about everything else, it’s time to learn something new.”

“We’ve had this car sideways, we’ve had it up against the wall … we’ve had it almost every way you can have one. I was gun shy at first but  my confidence is coming along now that it is going straight. It’ll come around and when it does, it will be good.”

Once Wootton was able to get the pre-season anxiety of the rules settled, it enabled him and the team to begin working towards a working combination. Initially the ADRL rules called for the injected nitro doorslammers to run the same 94-percent nitro mix as the A/FD. The NHRA responded with demands the car run at 50-percent.

A battle of will then ensued between the ADRL and NHRA and when the situation reached the edge, a settlement was reached and Wootton settled on 50-percent.

“I think we are going to be okay,” Wootton said of the team’s chances in the future. “I know we’ll have some setbacks but for the most part, I know we will get it done. If we can get the race track to hold it, it will go.” 

 

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