MASSEY'S INCREDIBLE ROOKIE EXPERIENCE
Most rookie Top Fuel drivers feel qualifying is enough of a debut experience.
Then again, Spencer Massey is not like most rookie drivers. He not only
qualified for the IHRA Texas Nationals in San Antonio, Texas, this weekend past, but also took out low qualifier Bruce Litton
and kept winning until he reached the final round behind the wheel of
Mitch King’s Top Fuel dragster.
Then Massey won. Yes, he won in his Top Fuel debut. He doesn't even
have his NHRA Top Fuel license but in the IHRA, he has them and the
keys to the winner’s circle.
Most rookie Top Fuel drivers feel qualifying is enough of a debut experience.
Then again, Spencer Massey is not like most rookie drivers. He not only
qualified for the IHRA Texas Nationals in San Antonio, Texas, this weekend past, but also took out low qualifier Bruce Litton
and kept winning until he reached the final round behind the wheel of
Mitch King’s Top Fuel dragster.
Then Massey won. Yes, he won in his Top Fuel debut. He doesn't even
have his NHRA Top Fuel license but in the IHRA, he has them and the
keys to the winner’s circle.
“Dream come true,” an ecstatic Massey said as he raised the trophy in
the air. “It's something that I wouldn't have thought could ever
happen. I mean, I thought it could've happened but I wasn’t expecting
to win the race and everything. As soon as the light came on I couldn't
believe it. It's bigger than winning my first A/Fuel race but it still
hasn't hit me yet.”
Don’t even begin thinking the kid is spoiled by the early success.
“I'm not going to go out and assume that I'm going to win every round
and stuff like that,” Massey pointed out. “I've got a really good car
and a good crew but it was the right place at the right time.”
An experience like Massey’s can be overwhelming. He chose to channel
the emotions into gratitude to those who provided the opportunity such
as Top Fuel team owner Mitch King and even the man who set him up, Gene
Snow, owner of the A/Fuel Dragster he drove to get to this point.
“I feel blessed just to be here,” Massey said. “Qualifying was my first
goal and then going rounds rated next. I just kept focused on the race
at hand and when you get into that mindset, you just forget about who’s
in the lane opposite of you. You’re essentially racing yourself and
guiding the car. You have to go from one end to the other and the
acceleration comes much quicker.”
Massey is the current poster child for the NHRA’s Top Alcohol Dragster,
long lauded as a training ground for the nitro racers of tomorrow. He’s
the defending NHRA Jeg’s All-Star champion.
“The experience definitely helped me,” Massey said, crediting his time
in Top Alcohol dragster. “I was able to learn things much quicker
because of the previous experience. There are many who have gone
directly to Top Fuel without that experience, but it truly speeds up
the process.
“I think there’s a lot to be said about a driver who gets the
opportunity to put in time working on the car. The more you know about
the car, the better driver you can be.”
Massey couldn’t say there is one area more difficult than another in transitioning from his A/Fuel Dragster to Top Fuel.
“Everything is exactly the same,” Massey explained. “The starting line
procedure and everything you do in the car is the same. Just keeping
this thing in the groove is really important. As soon as you get out of
the groove, the tires are going to smoke.”
One might think speaking with the media might be the toughest challenge.
“That’s a whole new experience, for sure,” Massey added.
Massey is already using the experience to make him a better A/Fuel pilot.
“I think it’s going to help me be more aware of what’s happening with
the A/Fuel car,” Massey said. “I think I'd actually be able to drive it
better because now I'm going to be used to something faster so I think
I'll be able to move and adjust. I think I'll make more right calls
from this point.”
