Timing means everything in drag racing and for Jerry Eckman timing has worked against him and worked in his favor. The former Pro Stock racer has moved on from the negatives but the most positive experience came at Englishtown 22 years ago when he and former team owner Bill Orndorff won the Pro Stock title at the 1987 NHRA Summernationals at Raceway Park.

Winning the Pro Stock title at Englishtown for the Rodger Brogdon crewman remains one of the highlights of his career.

Out of money and out of luck, the team was on the last leg of a racing effort and down to their last ounce of hope when Eckman drove the team’s Camaro to the winner’s circle. Had they lost early their season could have been finished.

Instead Eckman’s final round victory over Bruce Allen not only ensured that he left Englishtown with the trophy and a much needed cash influx, but also major sponsorship from Pennzoil.

Eckman had been fishing hard for a sponsorship for three seasons, anything to keep the team out of the financial red and on the race track. Down to his last dollars, Eckman reached out.

“I contacted a friend of mine, Dean Tait who worked for Pennzoil, and I told him to see if they could give us any help,” Eckman recalled. “He said that Pennzoil was thinking about getting back into racing after that long stint they had with Rick Mears and they were coming to this race. They came to this race and I won it, so the timing was perfect and a week later we signed that contract with Pennzoil.” 

Pennzoil was pleasantly surprised. Eckman was just surprised.

Two years earlier the team had run completely out of money and left the 1985 NHRA Springnationals in Columbus, Ohio without their race team as Orndorff sold the race team lock, stock and barrel to former racer Stan Mizell. A year later Orndorff called Eckman suggesting they  try Pro Stock one more time with his new Willie Rells car.

Eckman won the race and crossed the finish line just as rain began to fall.

“It just started, big drops,” Eckman said. “It didn't last long but big drops. It was just significant to me to hit the finish line, saw the big drops hit the windshield, saw the win light and I was really excited. My whole team was excited. It was fun to collect the trophy, the championship hats. We had never experienced anything like that; it was really great.”

It was the first time he’d ever cried as he drove past the finish line too. Timing will do that to a drag racer.

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