Bob Gilbertson has a lot riding on this weekend in Charlotte. Instead of shaking the rust off himself, he handed the driving job to veteran Phil Burkart Jr. for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
Gilbertson said there was no reason to overthink it. If you need someone who can climb in and make laps, Burkart has built a career on doing exactly that.
“Phil is as reliable as they get when you need someone to jump into your car and immediately give you a chance at success,” Gilbertson said. “This is a big race for us on several fronts so having a first-rate driver is vitally important.”
Charlotte matters to Gilbertson beyond the race itself. The former Funny Car winner lives nearby in Gastonia, and this is the event where local friends, family and longtime supporters usually show up.
There is business tied to the weekend as well. IFAB joins the program, with company president Alex Ochoa and Hugo Ochoa, owner of Sap USA Truck and Auto Parts, expected to attend their first drag race.
“We’re introducing a new business partner to Trick Tank with IFAB, and their president Alex Ochoa and his father Hugo, who owns Sap USA Truck and Auto Parts, will be attending their first drag race so it will be great to have a strong showing for them,” Gilbertson said. “Plus, this is our home track, so all our friends and family members will be here as well.”
The Dodge Charger R/T has proven names around it. Scott Gaddy will tune, while Tommy Delago and Nicky Boninfante will assist on the technical side.
That same car previously was driven by multi-time world champion Matt Hagan during his Don Schumacher Racing years. In Funny Car racing, equipment history still means something.
“We have all the parts and pieces we need, and the people we have tuning and helping with the car are all proven winners,” Gilbertson said. “We’re anxious to get on the track and see what we can do. I haven’t raced in NHRA since COVID so I’m excited to see all my old friends.”
Gilbertson also plans to stay through Monday and renew his Funny Car license by making the required passes. Burkart is expected to help with that process.
Burkart said the answer came quick when Gilbertson called. Good cars and real chances to win don’t wait around long in this class.
“Bob and I have been friends and peers in the Funny Car class for years,” Burkart said. “When he called and asked if I could drive his car this weekend, I couldn’t get the ‘Yes’ out of my mouth fast enough. Bob always has first-class equipment and he races to win. He has that philosophy of only showing up if you can seriously contend for the trophy, and I feel the same way.”
“Our combined experience and obviously Bob’s local knowledge and connection to this area gives us a nice headstart,” Burkart added. “Nothing is going to happen that we aren’t prepared for and our years in this class put us in a great position to have a solid weekend.”
Burkart owns four professional Funny Car victories and nine final-round appearances. He also filled in for John Force in 2007 after Force’s major crash, which only added to his reputation as a driver teams trust when the pressure is real.
