Indianapolis is often referred to by its nickname, “Circle City”.  Perhaps it is due to the historic circle drive in downtown, or the abundance of oval race tracks in the area.  For Rislone Engine Treatment Top Alcohol Dragster driver Bill Reichert, the only circle that mattered in Indianapolis last weekend was the winner’s circle at O’Reilly Raceway Park, which is precisely where he and his team found themselves at the conclusion of Sunday’s eliminations.

Reichert took an important step towards defending his TAD championship Sunday, pulling off a final-round win at the NHRA Division 3 event, posting a 5.476 second run at 267.91mph.  To say that Reichert was ecstatic about the win would be an understatement.  “It felt really great to be back in victory lane,” said Reichert.  “We qualified really well (2nd) so we definitely had our sights aimed high for the rest of the weekend.  The track was great all weekend long, it was a bit warmer than normal for Indy at this time of year, but all in all it worked out very well for our Rislone Engine Treatment dragster!”

Indianapolis is often referred to by its nickname, “Circle City”.  Perhaps it is due to the historic circle drive in downtown, or the abundance of oval race tracks in the area.  For Rislone Engine Treatment Top Alcohol Dragster driver Bill Reichert, the only circle that mattered in Indianapolis last weekend was the winner’s circle at O’Reilly Raceway Park, which is precisely where he and his team found themselves at the conclusion of Sunday’s eliminations.

Reichert took an important step towards defending his TAD championship Sunday, pulling off a final-round win at the NHRA Division 3 event, posting a 5.476 second run at 267.91mph.  To say that Reichert was ecstatic about the win would be an understatement.  “It felt really great to be back in victory lane,” said Reichert.  “We qualified really well (2nd) so we definitely had our sights aimed high for the rest of the weekend.  The track was great all weekend long, it was a bit warmer than normal for Indy at this time of year, but all in all it worked out very well for our Rislone Engine Treatment dragster!”

With temperatures nearing the mid-80’s, teams scrambled to find the magical tune-up that would earn them a Wally on Sunday afternoon.  “The NHRA-mandated change in percentage of nitromethane that we can run has really caused a lot of head-scratching in the pits,” explained Reichert.  “The change has been messing with everyone’s tune-ups, not just ours, so in a way it has become a great equalizer.”  If anything was messing with Reichert’s tune-up on the car, it hardly showed during eliminations, as Reichert would set low ET of the first and second rounds.  “Our tune-up ended up being a bit off in the finals, we definitely slowed down some.  It just so happens that our competitor’s tune-up was off more than ours, so that let us pull ahead for the win,” said Reichert.

When asked if the percentage change in nitro has caused him to adjust his driving style any, Reichert simply replies with a chuckle and a “no”.  “We still leave on yellow and mash the gas just like we always have, so physically it isn’t any different from a driving standpoint I suppose.  More than anything, it is a mind game we as drivers have to overcome.  In the pits, however, that’s where the real battle is being waged.  Changing camshafts, timing the motor differently, things of that nature.”  Some drivers may not express much interest in the technical side of a race car, but Reichert certainly isn’t one of them.

With the win in Indianapolis, Reichert and his Rislone Engine Treatment team now move up into 9th place in the NHRA national standings, as well as locking up their spot in the Jeg’s All Stars race to be held at Joliet later this year.  To qualify for the Jeg’s All Stars event, the points leader coming into Indy would have to depart in the first round, and Reichert would have had to win the entire event.  As fate would have it, that’s exactly what happened.  “Considering most of the cars ahead of us in the national standings have run at least twice as many events as we have, I’m really tickled with our spot in the points right now with only three races under our belt so far,” said Reichert.  “I’m definitely happy to have qualified into the All Stars race as well; we knew we barely had a shot at it so it is still pretty amazing that it all worked out.”

This weekend, Reichert and company head to the Virginia Motorsports Park for an NHRA Division 1 points meet.  “We haven’t been able to fit the Virginia event into our schedule for a few years now, so it is great to be heading back again.  Not only is it a fantastic facility, but it is a near-sea level track, which always favors TAD cars,” noted Reichert.  “We have high hopes for this weekend, and we are definitely looking to move up in the points standings.  This Rislone Engine Treatment is always good for the long haul, and we’ve got a lot of racing left before this is all said and done.”


 

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