Team Kendall – December 2008

12/19/2008

Track Talk With V. Gaines

Having completed the season with a top ten standing, V. Gaines and the Team Kendall Pro Stock team are fully aware that competing with a top rate car and a dedicated, hardworking crew helps contribute to wins, but much of racing’s success comes down to luck. Despite some hard turns, the team is optimistic for the future and determined to take away some valuable lessons from the losses they suffered last season. In the last Team Kendall Newsletter of the year, Gaines shares some of the most important points he learned from the past year.

Starting with High Hopes

Prior to the start of the 2008 season, Gaines had high hopes for success. Having conducted multiple pre-season practice runs and made car-enhancing modifications, he knew his car was faster than it had ever been before. He went into his first race with a great amount of confidence in his car and the capabilities of his crew. However, the car’s speed proved to be a disadvantage also, as it caused them to red light in a handful of races.

Gaines encourages others, “Make adjustments based off of past performances in order to improve in the next season.”

Small Things Can Make or Break the Race

Reflecting on this past season’s successes and failures, Gaines reminds drivers that small details can make or break a race. Gaines commented that he was disfavored in a number of his matchups this season, being pitted against higher-qualified cars which cost him lane choice. He believes that lane choice can have a physical and psychological effect on a driver’s performance and outlook for the race.

If you’re stuck in a bad lane, Gaines recommends focusing your energy on other ways to gain a competitive edge. “Concentrate on what you can do, not what’s getting in your way.”

According to Gaines, a 10 year user of Kendall Motor Oil lubricants, choosing the right motor oil for your race operation is also a very important piece of the puzzle.

“All of our race vehicles, from the race car itself to the trailer we use to haul all of our equipment, run on Kendall Motor Oil. Kendall Motor Oil is a huge part of our maintenance program and the results continue to speak for themselves.”

Next Year is a Whole New Ballgame

Gaines and his team finished ninth for the season and were satisfied with their overall performance, but know that they are capable of much more next year. Gaines advises other drivers to take away what they can from losses in order to improve in the future. He and his team will use the off-season to evaluate past performances, noting the things they did right and those that they’d like to improve upon.

“We’re going to take what we learned from this season and apply it to our preparation for next year. Our plan for 2009 is to go back out with the good car we have and work very hard,” said Gaines.

“To win we’ll need to get everything right and we’ll need to have a little bit of luck – it takes both.”

“Moats’ Musings” – Vern Moats

Vern Moats celebrated his personal-best time this season at the NHRA Lucas Oils Drag Racing Series at the Brainerd International Raceway, but he knows that if he wants to nab the coveted No. 1 spot in 2009, he needs to spend some time reflecting on some of the mishaps from the rest of the season as well. In this, the last Team Kendall update for the year, Moats lays out his plan for improvement in the year ahead based upon learning’s from the 2008 season as he focuses on climbing the leader board in 2009.

Evaluating the Past

2008 marked a memorable year for Moats, who celebrated his personal-best time when he clocked in at 5.58 to 5.62 seconds on three different occasions in the quarter-finals during an early-August race in Brainerd, Minn. These record times helped to boost both personal and team morale as they looked to finish out the season on a high note. However, after not qualifying at one of the divisional races, Moats knew he and his team had to come together to determine what went wrong and what improvements needed to be made.

Moats and team decided to make some adjustments to their tires and clutch materials to prepare for the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series at Ponoma, Calif. These adjustments helped to cut his time by .059 seconds.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve our time, but somehow we seemed to lose consistency with the last couple of races,” said Moats. “I would always encourage racers to look at making technical adjustments mid-season rather than solely waiting for the off-season to test these changes. Making changes mid-season can help a driver to improve performance and have a fresh start.”

Looking Ahead

In 2009, Moats is looking forward to climbing the rankings as a Team Kendall racer. He has used Kendall Motor Oil for 45 years and relies on the oil to maintain what he calls the best equipment that anyone can buy.

“During the off-season, we plan to concentrate on testing different tires to determine what will work best for us,” continued Moats. “We’re not giving up. The rankings for next year are up in the air. Not one person dominates the field.”

Kendall is proud to support Vern Moats and team and looks forward to a successful 2009.