Interview with Jeff Pollard

[NickHolt]

Jeff Pollard Race Preview At Thunder Hill Raceway for the Texas Stock Car Spectacular, Saturday, Sept. 27

 

(Note: This is the first of 3 Triple Crown races to end the 2003 TSRS racing season)

 

The Checkered Flag: Houston resident Jeff Pollard, who runs in the Texas Super Race Series (TSRS), will run in this weekend’s TSRS race at Thunder Hill Raceway. Jeff is in 3rd place in the TSRS Points Standings. He has 575 points and trails points-leader Ronnie New (645) by 70 points going into Saturday’s race.

 

The 2003 TSRS season to date for Jeff “J.P.” Pollard:

 

8 Starts

2 Feature Wins (@ Thunder Hill Raceway, 4/5/03; at Houston Motor Speedway, 7/26/03)

2 Pole Positions

6 Top-5 finishes

7 Top-10 finishes

 

Q & A with Jeff “J.P.” Pollard

 

Q: You said earlier you actually consider Thunder Hill Raceway (THR) your "home track," since you've run in the Late Model series there before. What are your "home track" advantages going into the Texas Stock Car Spectacular next Saturday?

 

A: THR is an unusual track in that it's not symmetrical. As a result, teams that haven't raced there much or at all sometimes struggle finding the balance in getting the car to handle in each of the four distinct and very different corners. On the other hand, many of the TSRS teams (and all those in the Top 5 in points) are former THR Late Model teams, and they more-than-have the place figured out. In short, we don't have any advantage at all. We've run well there all season though. I think we won a heat race that put us on the pole and set fast time at another race, so I think we'll be competitve.

 

Q: Since this will be the second race since you're car was rebuilt (the first being the Sept. 6 race at HMP, where you finished 4th), how do you feel it will do at THR? What have you done to the car since the HMP race?

 

A: Sorting out a new – or, in our case, a rebuilt - car is a process rather than an event. The fact that we managed a top 5 finish in Houston is a real testament to the quality of work that Ervin Breiten and the guys at Oval Components do, because we had zero time to tune the chassis before that race. Fortunately, we've had some down time before the start of the Triple Crown enabeling us to really go through and plot the new chassis. It also allows us time to have the motor and transmissions gone through to make sure everything is ready. I think we'll be very competitive at the three remaining TSRS races.

 

Q: The Houston racers have seemed to do well at THR in the past. Any particular reason for that?

 

A: When we ran the weekly show there, we weren't able to compete every week due to the distance. As a result, we had far more time to prepare our cars than the guys and gals who were racing every week. That can be a real advantage. Plus, we've been racing there since the place opened so we've all been around the track a few times.

 

Q: What is your team's mindset going into the THR race? How much do you look ahead to the other 2 races in the Triple Crown, since you're in the hunt for the TSRS championship?

 

A: We're really excited about the whole series - and these last three races in particular. The crews will be be largely responsible for how the teams finish up the year. With virtually no time to prepare the car between races, I suspect we're going to be very busy. In addition, the Space City 125 features a pit-stop competition that determines the starting order for the field. Talk about pressure! Our crew is really jazzed.

 

Q: Three races in 3 weeks for the Triple Crown. That schedule is a lot like the one you're used to running when you ran at THR on a regular basis. What are the positives--and the negatives--to running 3 races in 3 weekends, especially considering you're in the points race for the TSRS championsship?

 

A: Three races in 3 different cities in 3 weeks. It doesn't sound like a lot at first, but when you consider that each of these race is the equivalent of 4-5 "weekly show" type races, it puts things in perspective. Preparation is the key to making a car last and be competitive for that many laps, and it's tough to get all that done in just a few days. I've been really proud of the team all season. We haven't had a single mechanical failure. When the points are as tight as they are right now, that becomes especially important. We simply can't afford to have a bad finish. It will likely be a hectic few weeks but our team has been preparing for this three week stretch all season. Bottom line: We'll be ready.