Tim Wilkerson admits his first round foul against John Force on Sunday during the NHRA AAA Finals was the most expensive red-light loss he’s ever endured in his career. The driver of the Levi, Ray & Shoup Chevrolet Monte Carlo forfeited the opportunity to contend for $500,000.

He sure could have used that check to cover some of the expense incurred with fending off the heavier financed/sponsored teams throughout the season.

“I just got in too deep,” Wilkerson said of his first and only red-light of 2008. “I had good lights in qualifying, but I just got it in too deep. Both of us were amped up on the starting line.”

Two-thousandths of a second separated them – in the red-light. Wilkerson drifted deeper into the negative.

It was hard to judge who lamented the loss more -- Wilkerson or his legion of fans?

Even the media, who had embraced the proverbial little guy story from the time he won the NHRA Summit Las Vegas Nationals in April, didn’t know what to ask of their favorite 2008 story line.

Wilkerson waited for the first question and it never came.

“I know what you mean, I don’t know what to say, either,” Wilkerson stated.

The last time Wilkerson fouled was the 2004 NHRA Fallnationals in Dallas.

“I think I had a lot of partners today, I just wasn’t lucky enough to race them,” Wilkerson added, speaking of the multi-car teams he battled all year long.

Wilkerson scored six national event victories in seven 2008 finals and led the point standings for most of the season. Next season brings a change of scenery for Wilkerson as he will forgo his association with General Motors in order to drive a Ford Mustang as a teammate to Bob Tasca III.

“It’s been a terrific year for my team of young guys and they always gave me a good car to race,” Wilkerson admitted. “That took the wind out of our sails, but you can’t dwell on that. It’s been a good year but even though the rods were still in the motor when the race was over, it was more expensive than any blow up I’d ever had.”

In the end, Wilkerson conceded the championship to Cruz Pedregon, who took away the championship lead from him one race earlier.

“Congratulations to Cruz and those guys, they earned it,” Wilkerson added. “He did a better job in the playoffs than I did.”