MONTECALVO STAYING THE COURSE
Fri, 2008-05-23 14:29
Pro Stock points leader John Montecalvo admitted the shelf-life on bragging rights from winning a national
event and gaining the points lead can be short. He's reached the final round in both IHRA events in 2008.
“That lasts until Monday afternoon, after that it's all over,” said Montecalvo. “You get back to work and get back on your normal life, and you try to enjoy it for the weekend. Certainly got a lot of calls to the office on Monday and Tuesday, lot of congratulations, but I would say by Wednesday night it was all over.”
One thing which hasn’t subsided for Montecalvo is the belief this season will be the quickest-ever for the class. Pro Stock points leader John Montecalvo admitted the shelf-life on bragging rights from winning a national
event and gaining the points lead can be short. He's reached the final round in both IHRA events in 2008.
“That lasts until Monday afternoon, after that it's all over,” said Montecalvo. “You get back to work and get back on your normal life, and you try to enjoy it for the weekend. Certainly got a lot of calls to the office on Monday and Tuesday, lot of congratulations, but I would say by Wednesday night it was all over.”
One thing which hasn’t subsided for Montecalvo is the belief this season will be the quickest-ever for the class.
“You know there are a lot of people out there that are making good runs, good cars, good motors,” said Montecalvo. “There's no doubt in my mind it's going to be the fastest year ever.”
The doubt was removed for Montecalvo when Robert Patrick bettered the existing quarter-mile elapsed time world record by more than .01 and was only .004 off the eighth-mile mark two in the season-opener.
“I think once we get into the good air, end of the season, up in New Hampshire, you will see,” Montecalvo said. “That is the one race I'm looking forward to, with the shootout being there, ideal weather conditions. That's going to be the one that sets the standards.”
Montecalvo has a reason to get excited considering he’s a former winner at New England Dragway. He captured his first career national event title there during the 1999 IHRA North American Nationals.
Adding to the excitement level, is the fact he and most every team in the Pro Stock pits made significant horsepower gains in the off-season.
“We picked up some and I won’t quote our figures, but it’s evident everyone else did as well,” Montecalvo explained. “I think as a whole the class is getting smarter with our cars, our accommodations, and I say we're up a couple hundredths.”
THE REAL GAIN – Montecalvo made power gains in the off-season, but also improved in the reaction time department thanks to a simulator device fabricated by former crewman/teammate Jeff Dobbins. He can get starting line practice while in the transporter yet retaining the similar confines of a race car.
Dobbins developed the device which has become valuable in Montecalvo’s race preparation regimen. The device’s creator has developed a reputation as one of the better starting line drivers in the class.
“I guess he's proof that it works,” Montecalvo said. “Jeff sold me that a few years back and actually after the final round in San Antonio, he told me there was a recall on it, he had to take it back.”
Make no mistake about it, beating Dobbins on the starting line was huge for Montecalvo.
“We could do no wrong that day,” Dobbins said. “We didn't have the power advantage that we needed. We were struggling with the car in qualifying and we had a lot of issues going on. I think we solved all of those issues. I knew it was up to me and I had to do the job that day. I did it. This practice here definitely helps. It's all mental, Roy Hill told me that a while ago.”
STAYING THE COURSE – Montecalvo has some help flying the GM banner in IHRA Pro Stock now. There was a time when he felt like he was the last of a dying breed. He just couldn’t turn his back on the brand.
“I've just been a GM person all my life,” Montecalvo explained. “I've ran Chevrolets from the beginning of time and I just couldn't switch. I have a lot of loyal fans out there that would butcher me if we did switch.”
The shelf-life for a national event victory and the point lead bragging right lasts a few days. (Roger Richards)
“That lasts until Monday afternoon, after that it's all over,” said Montecalvo. “You get back to work and get back on your normal life, and you try to enjoy it for the weekend. Certainly got a lot of calls to the office on Monday and Tuesday, lot of congratulations, but I would say by Wednesday night it was all over.”
One thing which hasn’t subsided for Montecalvo is the belief this season will be the quickest-ever for the class. Pro Stock points leader John Montecalvo admitted the shelf-life on bragging rights from winning a national
The shelf-life for a national event victory and the point lead bragging right lasts a few days. (Roger Richards)
“That lasts until Monday afternoon, after that it's all over,” said Montecalvo. “You get back to work and get back on your normal life, and you try to enjoy it for the weekend. Certainly got a lot of calls to the office on Monday and Tuesday, lot of congratulations, but I would say by Wednesday night it was all over.”
One thing which hasn’t subsided for Montecalvo is the belief this season will be the quickest-ever for the class.
“You know there are a lot of people out there that are making good runs, good cars, good motors,” said Montecalvo. “There's no doubt in my mind it's going to be the fastest year ever.”
The doubt was removed for Montecalvo when Robert Patrick bettered the existing quarter-mile elapsed time world record by more than .01 and was only .004 off the eighth-mile mark two in the season-opener.
“I think once we get into the good air, end of the season, up in New Hampshire, you will see,” Montecalvo said. “That is the one race I'm looking forward to, with the shootout being there, ideal weather conditions. That's going to be the one that sets the standards.”
Montecalvo has a reason to get excited considering he’s a former winner at New England Dragway. He captured his first career national event title there during the 1999 IHRA North American Nationals.
Adding to the excitement level, is the fact he and most every team in the Pro Stock pits made significant horsepower gains in the off-season.
“We picked up some and I won’t quote our figures, but it’s evident everyone else did as well,” Montecalvo explained. “I think as a whole the class is getting smarter with our cars, our accommodations, and I say we're up a couple hundredths.”
THE REAL GAIN – Montecalvo made power gains in the off-season, but also improved in the reaction time department thanks to a simulator device fabricated by former crewman/teammate Jeff Dobbins. He can get starting line practice while in the transporter yet retaining the similar confines of a race car.
Dobbins developed the device which has become valuable in Montecalvo’s race preparation regimen. The device’s creator has developed a reputation as one of the better starting line drivers in the class.
“I guess he's proof that it works,” Montecalvo said. “Jeff sold me that a few years back and actually after the final round in San Antonio, he told me there was a recall on it, he had to take it back.”
Make no mistake about it, beating Dobbins on the starting line was huge for Montecalvo.
“We could do no wrong that day,” Dobbins said. “We didn't have the power advantage that we needed. We were struggling with the car in qualifying and we had a lot of issues going on. I think we solved all of those issues. I knew it was up to me and I had to do the job that day. I did it. This practice here definitely helps. It's all mental, Roy Hill told me that a while ago.”
STAYING THE COURSE – Montecalvo has some help flying the GM banner in IHRA Pro Stock now. There was a time when he felt like he was the last of a dying breed. He just couldn’t turn his back on the brand.
“I've just been a GM person all my life,” Montecalvo explained. “I've ran Chevrolets from the beginning of time and I just couldn't switch. I have a lot of loyal fans out there that would butcher me if we did switch.”
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