Part-time Top Fuel racer Kebin Kinsley, of Arlington, Texas, put Roger Hennen’s Road Rage Dragster into the tentative lineup Friday night at a respectable No. 12. But he came back out Saturday and leaped to the No. 6, lowering his best time of the weekend from 3.883 seconds to 3.803 and picking up some speed, from 317.19 mph to 317.34.

Surely the boost this weekend is a reflection of the one-race addition of longtime and respected crew chief Jim Oberhofer.

“That was awesome. Thank God for Jim O! I’m ecstatic,” Kinsley declared when he climbed from his dragster at the top end of the track in the third overall session Saturday.

Team owner Hennen said he’s grateful to have the experience of Oberhofer, who grew up in the suburban Dallas area of Plano/ Richardson, for the Road Rage Dragster’s last scheduled appearance of the year. Donnie Bender, who had been working with the Hennen-Kinsley team when he could, is back at Kalitta Motorsports, helping tune for Richie Crampton’s Sealmaster Dragster.

“We might go to another one, but Jim O’s got a lot of irons in the fire,” Hennen said. “He came out to help us this weekend because Donnie moved up to helping on one of the Kalitta cars. That’s where he works most of his time when he’s not in Texas with us. We don’t want to bring another crew chief in. Probably Dave [Kirkland] will be running the car next year. And Donnie will come down and help Dave. Or Jim O said anything we needed, just give him a call and he’d help us. So it’s all looking really good.

“The Kalittas and Jim O and all these folks, they’re all our partners and friends. Mr. Kalitta is a nice man. He helps us a lot. You know, he just came down to help us out as a buddy this weekend,” he said. “His family’s from here, his mom and dad, so he come down and visit his Mom and Dad and just hanging out with them and having a good time. So it’s kind of a home deal for him, too. He grew up here in Dallas. He’s coming down here. When the big teams, those guys are all in the Countdown and a lot of pressure, there’s no pressure here. We’re just having fun.”

He said Bender had a bit of a hand in Friday night’s run: “Made a great run last night. Donnie was over and Jim O. Donnie’s still telling Jim O where he’s at on this car and those guys working together. It’s all good. We’re blessed to be out here to get to race.”

Oberhofer said, “I’m having a lot of fun with the Texas Mafia. It’s fun being home here in Texas.”