NHRA News: 2001 successes has Team Mopar thinking big (12/7/2001)

2001 successes has Team Mopar thinking big

By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
12/7/2001

"We need to perform to our potential at every race. The people on this team need to do the job that they're capable of doing."
-- David Nickens

It was a breakthrough year for the two-car Mopar operation of David Nickens. After toiling for the last half decade with the tiresome and tedious work of developing and refining a newer version of the vaunted Hemi motor, Nickens finally had a competitive race car in which to place his precious powerpack -- the new Dodge Neons, which were unveiled mid-season in Denver.

From that point forward, in immediate fashion, drivers Darrell Alderman and Mark Osborne earned plenty of respect in the Pro Stock pack. Within a race, the duo was sweeping through Seattle, posting the best e.t. and a national record top speed while racing through to the first all-Dodge final in six seasons. After a 22-year hiatus, a Hemi motor finally carried a driver back to the victory circle.

Raising the bar
"That particular race was more than we could have ever expected," Nickens said. "That's as good as we can do in a single weekend. It's funny, because along the way while we were preparing for the Neons to get here, we were dreaming about weekends like Seattle happening. But I'm not sure any of us would have guessed it would happen in just our second race with the cars.

"Looking back now, that race really raised our expectations maybe a little too high. Once you have a taste of success like that, if you don't get it time and again, you end up disappointed because you feel like you should be doing as good as you did on that particular weekend at every race. We didn't do that down the stretch.

"To be honest, with all the success we did have, we still are sitting here at the end of the year feeling like we came up a little short of what we thought we'd do with these Neons. We looked good at times but we stumbled at times also. The important thing is we gained knowledge along the way. Now we just need to gain consistency."

After Seattle, where Osborne bettered three-time champ Alderman for the hardware, each driver raced to one more final on the season, pushing Team Mopar's totals to one win in seven final-round appearances (three for Alderman, four for Osborne.) They had the fastest car at three races, including the fastest pass of all time -- Osborne's 204.35 mph blast in Reading -- and collected a pair of low qualifier and low e.t. honors.

"We knew we had the power to run good, even with the old cars," Nickens said. "What we found out after we switched to the Neons was that we didn't have the experience to run them under certain conditions at different race tracks. Hopefully, that won't be the case in 2002. I believe, if anything, that we learned what we need to overcome to put ourselves in a position to run for the championship."

Lining up the pieces
While admitting he "explored his options" at the end of the season, Nickens decided to stay with Alderman and Osborne as his two primary drivers. He also plans to field a car driven by son, Bo Nickens, at select events to serve as a test vehicle of sorts.

"Both of the drivers we have now are very, very good," Nickens said. "D.A. was as consistent as anyone could have been as far as driving goes. Whatever he has that made him a three-time champ he still has it; I guarantee you that. He's as good as any of the top drivers.

"Both guys stumbled at times this year. Mark could have done more, and he'll tell you that. But we did things as a team that weren't conducive to either guy driving well. We made some last minute calls on Race Day that would've rattled anyone.

"My grade for Darrell and Mark is 'adequate.' They've both agreed that they could have done better and we as a team could have done better. But these guys have our full support, they know that, and together we can make a lot of noise next year."

In a further attempt to lift his program to the next level, Nickens has retained the services of respected crew chiefs "Tricky Rickie" Smith and Tommy Utt. Smith's talents for getting the most out of an engine and car combination are legendary, but he does tend to wander from team to team. If Nickens can find a way to keep him happy, he'll be a phenomenal addition to the team.

Utt gained fame by guiding Richie "The Kid" Stevens to three consecutive top-10 finishes and four national event titles over the last four seasons. (Stevens bailed out midway through the 2001 campaign.) His calling card in the pits is that of a man who is capable of getting any car down any racetrack, regardless of the conditions -- just what Team Mopar needs at this point in time.

"Experience is a big asset," Nickens said. "We need to perform to our potential at every race. The people on this team need to do the job that they're capable of doing. To win races you have to first get yourself in a position to win rounds. As simple as that sounds, it's true. Success for this team will come. The championships will come. This team knows it can win now."

One fine day
One of the favorite moments for Team Mopar to relive is Osborne's incredible run in Reading, Pa. Under mineshaft conditions, the national records for Pro Stock were seemingly falling after every pair of cars made a trip down the strip. Certainly, the numbers collectively produced on Oct. 7 will fill the top of the charts for some time, but none more so than Osborne's 204.35 mph top speed.

"We can really build on that," Nickens said. "For sure, the conditions were awesome. We'll only see days like that in very select times. I mean the moons have to be lined up just right. Running a 6.754 at 204 shocked us, especially that speed. I don't know that we'll see anything like that again for a long while. But I do think we'll see 6.70s again this coming year.

"Reading was an anomaly. What I'm proud of is that we adapted to the conditions very quickly and were able to take advantage of them. That's something we can build on. Those numbers, more than anything, are a real tribute to the engine shop. If it was gonna happen, I'm glad it happened for Mopar."

Aiming for the 'Stratus'phere
As pleased as Nickens and Co. are with the new Neons, the team is already working feverishly towards the next generation of Dodge race cars, specifically, the Dodge Stratus R/T.

"Without a doubt, the Neons can win the championship and that's what we plan on doing next year," Nickens said. "That $200,000 that POWERade is putting up is very inviting. We have to be ready to put forth a huge effort to get it done.

"At the same time we have things very much in motion for the Stratus. Terry Dakonick, the aeronautic engineer at Dodge, is working on it as we speak. The Neon is good through 2003 so we have two more years to race with it but we're not waiting to see what happens. Terry has taken the Neon's design and is building off of the advancements we've made and making the Stratus even better.

"The future of this team looks strong, both next year and in the years ahead. We still have a few years left on our current contract with Dodge and we're ready to deliver them a championship. The tide is shifting; I really believe that."

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