Torco's CompetitionPlus.com has learned that IHRA Torco's CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock driver Tony Gillig will not return for the 2007 season. He recently finished runner-up for the 2006 championship to Pete Berner.

“(Huston and I) had decided before the (2006) season had started that at the end of the year, win, lose or draw, we were going to split the race team up, and we did it because we both agreed upon it,” said Gillig. “Tim had been racing for a long time before I ever came onboard and I think he’s a little burned out. He kind of wants to take a little breather and regroup. Maybe he’ll race again, maybe he won’t. I think if he did we’d probably get together and do it again as a team. And I could use some time to spend at our family business,” a pizzeria his father and crewchief Bob Gillig founded in Lake Bluff 31 years ago. “I’ve been working there since I was 14.”

Torco's CompetitionPlus.com has learned that IHRA Torco's CompetitionPlus.com Pro Stock driver Tony Gillig will not return for the 2007 season. He recently finished runner-up for the 2006 championship to Pete Berner.

“(Huston and I) had decided before the (2006) season had started that at the end of the year, win, lose or draw, we were going to split the race team up, and we did it because we both agreed upon it,” said Gillig. “Tim had been racing for a long time before I ever came onboard and I think he’s a little burned out. He kind of wants to take a little breather and regroup. Maybe he’ll race again, maybe he won’t. I think if he did we’d probably get together and do it again as a team. And I could use some time to spend at our family business,” a pizzeria his father and crewchief Bob Gillig founded in Lake Bluff 31 years ago. “I’ve been working there since I was 14.”

“As much as I don’t want to admit it,” Gillig continued, “I’ve got to spend some time with the restaurant, and deal with my dad stepping away from the business. It’s in my best interests, it’s my future. I’d like to say I could make a living driving a Pro Stock car for the rest of my life, but that’s not feasible, nor do I believe a smart move by any means. It’s a hard deal. Racing takes a lot of time and a lot of effort and unfortunately monetarily the returns aren’t there to do it for a living.”

Gillig plans to return later but is sure regaining his competitive edge will be a tough endeavor.

“It’s a hard deal there,” he agreed. “In fact when I first came back here, all you had [as engine builders] was John Kaase and Sonny Leonard. There were a lot of other guys that just did it as a hobby. Now there’s rumors of other guys taking their motors to 500 cubic inch engine builders to work on their stuff. It’s getting to the point in IHRA Pro Stock where it’s going to be like NHRA with your own engine program. (Racers) don’t want to be 1 of 12 customers, they want to be one step ahead of the game. Guys are starting to turn IHRA Pro Stock into NHRA Pro Stock. So it’s going to get pretty ugly, let me tell you that.”

Stay tuned to Torco's CompetitionPlus.com for a full feature on Gillig in the coming weeks.