FREEMAN LOADED FOR BEAR
Former NHRA Comp racer turned IHRA mountain motor Pro
Stock driver Richard Freeman is determined to ensure that he's throwing
out all the stops through his Elite Motorsports team for a championship
in 2009.
Freeman, of Paul's Valley, Okla., will enter the 2009 season with three
Pro Stock teams comprised of himself, current class record holder Frank
Gugliotta and J.R. Carr.
Gugliotta will serve as the team's crew chief.
In a day and age when most teams are scaling back their efforts,
Freeman appears to be pulling out all the stops to win at any cost.
Adds Frank Gugliotta and J.R. Carr to Three Car Pro Stock Team …
Former NHRA Comp racer turned IHRA mountain motor Pro Stock driver Richard Freeman is determined to ensure that he's throwing out all the stops through his Elite Motorsports team for a championship in 2009.
Freeman, of Paul's Valley, Okla., will enter the 2009 season with three Pro Stock teams comprised of himself, current class record holder Frank Gugliotta and J.R. Carr.
Gugliotta will serve as the team's crew chief.
In a day and age when most teams are scaling back their efforts, Freeman appears to be pulling out all the stops to win at any cost.
"I don't know about all of that," Freeman said with a laugh. "Hell I may go broke before it all even gets started.
"I do know one thing, adding Frank will get us further and quicker to the front. So that was a big deal. No matter what we do in racing, we wanted him to be involved."
Gugliotta brings in more than enough credentials having finished consecutively in the IHRA Pro Stock top ten in points since his 2003 debut. The Mt. Airy, Md., resident has ten career IHRA Pro Stock victories to his credit.
Four years in a row Gugliotta has lost his ride only to find something of equal value or better for the ensuing season. He can't help but wonder why his situations resemble one falling in a septic tank and emerging smelling like a rose.
"It seems that way," Gugliotta said. "I have been lucky and lucky and lucky, year after year. I look at it this way, there may come a day when no one wants you anymore and eventually that day comes. I'm just enjoying today while I can."
"Thank Richard Freeman for this opportunity and I'm raring to go," Gugliotta added. "I feel like there will be a great advantage for us having three cars to share data from. This is a team that dwells on having top notch equipment and that says a lot. I just can't wait to play on their playground."
For his part, Freeman made his IHRA Pro Stock debut in 2008 and ironically lost to Gugliotta in the strongest showing of the season, a semi-final finish at the IHRA President's Cup Nationals in Budds Creek, Md.
Carr made his debut at the season-ending 2008 IHRA World Finals in Rockingham, N.C., a race that Gugliotta won.
The team has also entered into multi-year agreements with Chariot Motor Coaches and AgriPack, Carr's company, who will serve as major sponsors on all three cars with associate sponsorships from Safety Kleen Products, Marc Heitz Chevrolet of Norman, Ok., and Finish Line Fuels of Lindsay, Ok.
Older brother Royce Freeman will also be part of the team as he plans to compete in Top Sportsman with a RJ Race Cars built 1968 Pontiac Firebird.
Freeman confirmed the Pro Stockers will pursue an IHRA championship as their primary objective despite meeting with ADRL President Kenny Nowling regarding their proposed Extreme Pro Stock division.
"Right now we're committed to IHRA and their program unless something turns for the worst," Freeman added.
