Arn's Family and Funny Car Racing Blog: Hobbies

Funny Car racing accident

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 03:35:30 GMT

Hope this never happens to us, but this is what occurs when you don't pack and attach the parachute properly on a 230 mile an hour run....

Newspaper article on the race team in The Spec

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 17:23:31 GMT

Etter aims to bring crown back to Canada Autosports

By Tim Miller
The Hamilton Spectator
More articles by this columnist
(Nov 2, 2006)

Brantford resident Mike Etter just returned from Indiana, where he attended the United Drag Racers Association banquet.

Campaigning in an alcohol-fuelled Funny Car, Etter took second in the UDRA series this year with this smaller Midwest-U.S. sanctioning body that travels throughout these states and makes a couple of yearly trips into southern Ontario.

He won the title in 2005. And this year he was beaten by about half at car length by Michigan's Jody Gucwa, who took second last year.

"I'd like to bring the championship back to Canada next year," Etter said earlier this week.

But Etter, who is one of only a handful of Canadians to acquire his "fuel" license (the top two drag-racing classes, Top Fuel Dragster and Fuel Funny Car, are powered by nitromethane and are the quickest cars of the sport), is trying to return to the upper echelon of drag racing, and he has done his homework on costs and logistics to field a car in 2007.

The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) brought back Fuel Funny Cars this year, and while there are several good teams, Etter believes with a little diligence and luck, he could be a contender in this popular class,

"If I was as wise with a fuel motor in my present car chassis as I am with the alcohol motor, I'd be in the black," he explained. "If I run a 5.20-second pass, I could get to the quarter final in IHRA racing."

Etter went on to say that the outfit sponsoring the IHRA Funny Car series, Torco Fuels, provides the nitro fuel for the class competitors, plus pays the race entry fees for car, driver and crew. "If I could make a couple of qualifiers at an IHRA meet, and even if I lost first round of eliminations, I could still make $10,000."

At present, Etter estimates to run a strong pass costs $300 to $400, and this would be significantly higher with a fuel car. As an example, a gallon of alcohol he runs in his present car is about $4.50. The nitro is $20 a gallon, and 15 to 18 gallons is consumed each race. But as Etter points out, the series sponsor covers this cost.

Getting the engine and related equipment to use the nitro is another matter. Right now he has the nucleus of a car that could be built into a fuel car, including a heavier car body that is built to withstand the 300-plus m.p.h. speeds for the quarter mile.

Etter believes he could build up one of these 7,000-horsepower engines, along with the necessary different clutch setup and stronger drivetrain for about $50,000.

"Then I'd have a perfectly good and legal car. I could go to half the 12 IHRA national meets and be competitive enough to make the program."

A former auto tech teacher at Mohawk College, Etter now travels to his Mississauga office as a preventative maintenance schedule consultant, working with vehicle fleets. "It's a big long phrase for telling people when to change their oil," he mused.

Whether he stays with his present alcohol-based engine, or goes to the nitro powerplant, the costs of running a Funny Car are high. Etter cited some examples such as the rear slicks, which are good for 12 to 16 runs, cost $1,100 a pair. Engine parts such as connecting rods cost anywhere between $90 and $135 each, and eight are needed, and last only between 16 and 30 passes. A new car body, with no paint or interior panels, costs about $9,000.

A smaller item like spark plugs are a bargain at $2.50 each, but a car will go through six sets of plugs over a race meet, for $120.

With a nitro engine, an 80-gallon per minute (your average car has a six-eight gallon per minute) fuel pump costs about $4,500, and the mandated engine restraints to keep the engine from flying all over the track if it blows up adds another $2,000 to the total.

Even with all these additional costs, Etter believes he could be running this top class next year. But he's says he's not going to lose any sleep over his project.

"If nothing else, I'll put my car back together and go UDRA and match racing," he said. "I don't have the wallet for the IHRA, and if something clicks, then we'll try and put together the nitro deal."

tmiller@mountaincable.net

Just got back from closing the cottage...

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 01:56:00 GMT

Just got back from closing the cottage at Bob's Lake and decided to throw a few casts out with Isaac. Sure enough, we caught a biggun. Pictures below.

Isaac's first fishing trip...

Mon, 18 Sep 2006 02:24:04 GMT

I decided to take Isaac fishing today. We went up to some property we own that surrounds a lake, pretty much private access.

I took the kayak, and met my brother who was doing some work up there and bought Isaac some fishing gear.

We ended up catching 7 small mouth bass. All keepers over 3 pounds. I think two topped 4 pounds. Isaac caught 3 of them. The first one he caught was just over 3 pounds. The next one was a whopper.

I thought it was a snag the way it was playing the rod, so I paddled back to go and see if I could get it unsnagged. When we got over it, the fish dove straight down and then it jumped straight up out of the water, about 2 feet from the boat, and scared Isaac. He realized that it wasn't a small "fishy" and one of the pics in the gallery was taken when he realized this. You'll love the look on his face.

Take a look for more in the Gallery.

Top Fuel is a GAS !!!

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 02:08:30 GMT

Yep, the weather sucked this weekend and at 1:45 PM on Saturday the IHRA announced that they would be rescheduling the IHRA Canadian Nationals event due to the rains that soaked the track and the fans. The rain was so bad on Saturday, I had to make a 30 minute detour to the track because Centennial Parkway at the QEW was unpassable due to a flash flood. There were 5 cars all stuck there in about 3 feet of water. Why these idiots would even try is beyond me. Even though I drive an SUV, it isn't worth getting stuck trying to get through that water.

So I got a chance to meet Spiro Kontos who owns Kon Rodz racing, the Canadian Nitro Funny Car Team, and his driver Smax Smith. They were trying to prep the car so Smax could make his final qualifying run, but no luck because of the rain. Barry Paton was there helping to tune, as well as run his own team, the Tim Horton's Top Fuel Dragster. We had loaned Barry and Spiro a clutch finisher and Spiro was very grateful. One thing I found out is that Spiro is a heck of a nice guy and not afraid to say "thanks". The racing world is competitive, but we're also very close and teams do help each other quite a bit believe it or not Spiro also introduced me to his crew chief Mike Kirk. I didn't get a chance to really speak to Mike, but hope to get to know both of them better soon.

I also ran into John Hooey who is one of the major franchisee's with Tim Horton and is the primary sponsor and huge fan of "the rails". John's son Dave is a neighbor of mine who I met when we both used to walk our dogs in the park. Father and son look so much alike it's uncanny.

Anyway, so what was I doing at the track if our team wasn't racing? Well, our friend Roger Dean, owner of the Roger Dean Racing Top Fuel Dragster came up from West Virgina and called Mike to see if he could borrow his engine diaper that protects the track from oil spills caused by a major blowout. He also asked for some more manpower since he was a little shy on experienced help. So, we went over to lend him and his main man Ed Burgers out of Listowel Ontario a hand.

Unfortunately, because of the rain, all we could do was tune the car, fit the diaper, fix a leaking oil pan, lash the valves, check for leaks, set the chutes, etc. We ended up firing up the car twice. Once on Friday night to warm it up for the qualifying round that never came due to the rain, and then on Saturday after the event was cancelled just to put on a show for some of the diehard fans that stuck around in the rain, (and also to sell a few more shirts).

Both times we gassed pretty much everybody out of the area. If you've ever been near a top fuel car when it's running, you'll find that the sound truly is deafening, and the exhaust is somewhat like pepper spray, mace, or tear gas. The first time we fired up the car, Mike was in the cockpit manning the controls while Roger did some tweaking and Ed and I were watching for leaks or problems that would have made us do an immediate shut down. Understanding that this is all being done under a canopy in the pits and the only opening is at the back, the pit sooned filled with exhaust fumes and sent most of the team gagging, coughing, and crying out of the area too. I realized soon after we started the car that we had forgotten to put on respirators. Bad news. I tried to stay but once Ed had pulled the wire igniting the second magneto and bailed, it didn't take long before I had to run and the only way out was past the headers. I ran past them praying that a flame of burning nitro didn't come out of the pipe and burn my backside while the exhaust blew up the back of my shirt.

The fans on the other hand did one of three things, ran like hell because of the noise, ran like hell because they got maced by the fumes, or sat there screaming like fools and trying to see who could last the longest in the fumes. Meanwhile, Mike Etter was in the car without any breathing or eye protection, soaking it all in. After the warm up, Roger, who was wearing a vintage WWII gas mask tried to pull Mike out of the car because he was worried about him. Mike, who can hold his breath for almost 3 minutes was fine and tried to get Roger to let him be so he could get out of the car himself.

The second time we ran the engine was on Saturday, and Mike couldn't make it as he had a previous engagement to play keyboards with his band at a party in Barrie. I had my full-face respirator on which covers my eyes, nose, and mouth, but the other guys only had protection for their noses and mouths. Again they didn't last long and ran from the pits in tears. That left Roger and I at the car with one of the crew in the cockpit with his eyes closed and respirator on. He couldn't see Roger's hand signals so Roger had to do most of the cockpit stuff from outside including fuel shutoff while I scanned the engine. Roger blipped the throttle once as part of the show and blew the fans back about 4 feet. Remember, this is 9,000 HP, so when you blip the throttle, even at 1/10 of its capabilities, you're producing enough noise to shatter your eardrums. The guy in the drivers seat nearly crapped his pants. Roger, who's an ex-US Forces Paratrooper told him later that sitting in that seat when that happens is somewhat akin to being kicked in the ass and yelled at by a Drill Sergeant. I'd have to agree. Makes you wonder what it's like when you unload all 9,000???

After the show, the fumes started to dissipate, and I was trying to get a better look at the engine since I thought I saw some fuel leaking from the pump, a bad sign considering it's Nitro Methane. So, I looked around, didn't see much in the way of smoke, and took the respirator off... BAD FREAKING MOVE !!! I lasted all of 5 seconds and had to run outside. Once my eyes cleared, I put the mask back on and went back inside to check for the leak and found it. Something for Roger to fix when he gets back to West Virgina.

One of the fans jumped into the pit area while I was doing this and was screaming and yelling and sucking in the fumes while yelling to his buddy on his cellphone about "how baaaaaaaaad" he was . Seems he kinda liked it in there. Then again, I guess if you're a "True Top Fuel Fan", you'll do anything including being insanely stupid... whatever, a fan is a fan.

Meanwhile Sarah (I hope I spelled that right since I don't know if it's "Sara") who is Roger's daughter was busy selling Roger's team shirts and did a good job. Sarah's a sweetie who comes to almost all of Roger's races to help and cheer on her old man. We first met her about 4 years ago and she's got a great memory and remembers a lot of the guys who have worked on Mike's team over the years and said to say hello to them all, especially Pete.

So, the event has been rescheduled to September 22,23,24. If you can come down and see this event and watch Roger run, you will see these top of the line racers throw 9,000 HP at the track and try for a sub 4 second run. Well worth the admission.

As for me, we didn't get a chance to run, but I can honestly say that I have reached the top of the drag racing scene and had my hands working on the top of the class, a Nitro burning Top Fuel Dragster, and stood within inches of the engine as it did its magnificent work.

Here are a couple of pics taken earlier of Roger.

New racing pics are up !

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:36:21 GMT

I've been a bad boy and neglecting this site so here's the latest quick update.

We're racing this season, but due to the lack of sponsorship are focusing primarily on UDRA races and trying to repeat our championship season. We're also doing a few "Match Races" where possible, and have offered up our assistance to a Canadian team for the IHRA event in Toronto. Mike's got a lot of mechanical and racing experience to offer. He's fantastic on a clutch and knows the "Top End" of an engine like nobody else. He's also very committed and will work his ass off to help a fellow racer. We've also got Tommy who knows engines like they were his babies, and he and Mike make a dynamite team when tuning.

The offer to help the other team is in discussions, so stay tuned for some news.

We also went racing in Luskville Quebec and made some great friends up there. One couple, Remy and Alexandra, came by and spent some time with us. Remy was so in to the car, he spent hours with us and ended up helping on the engine. His girlfriend was a sport and let him get it out of his system. She also spoke better English than Remy and MUCH better French than us, and helped with some translation which was great because our French really is embarrasingly POOR !! Sorry Alexandra...

This was the first race that Jamie Wildgoose came out and wrenched with us. Jamie was a laugh and a half. He used to race Top Fuel and is taking a break. He spent the last few years wrenching with the Paton's and the Tim Horton's Top Fuel Dragster. He's now got his own business and is working on our rebuilt chassis.

On the way home, we had a blow-out on the transporter while doing about 130 passing another tranport truck. I was right behind the rig when it blew and pulled the rig all over the road. I was dodging flying rubber, sparks, chunks of steel belts, and 2 other transport trucks beside and behind me. When we finally go everything under control, we pulled to the side and got on an offramp, making it into an empty mall parking lot.

Jamie jumped out of the truck and kissed the ground.

Luckily we had the tools in the trailer to get the tire off and the spare on, but man, was that a close call. We could've lost the trailer and gotten a few people seriously hurt.

Anyway, that's it for now.

I've got some of the new pics here for you. The rest of the pics are at www.mikeetter.com.

New pics

Sun, 05 Feb 2006 05:25:15 GMT

Here are some pics that I got from our friends at www.Fastpixs.com.

They're one of the biggest Race Photography companies in Canada and the owner gave us these pics to use.

They're awesome !!!

You can go to our website and see the rest in the Photogallery under Fastpixs.

2005 UDRA Champions !!

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 14:19:44 GMT

Yep, we found out that we're the 2005 Funny Car Champs !!! Not bad considering:

We lost a dear teammate this year to cancer
Started the season late
Had a very green team
Had very little sponsorship because of our late start
and Crashed the car the race after winning the TPM Thunderfest in Toronto.

If it wasn't for friends like Jody Gucwa, Bob Atchison, and a cast of others, we would not have done so well.

Check out the UDRA site at www.udra.com

Our successes this year include:

Winning Thunderfest
Placing high enough in every race to gain championship points
Having A LOT OF FUN !!!

We're still looking for marketing partners for 2006. If you know anyone in manufacturing, retail, or the services industry, ask them if they want to try a new and exciting marketing alternative. If you want, send me their contact info, and I'll call them.

You can also check out the market demographics on our website by going to: http://www.mikeetter.com/IHRA_Spectator_Demographics.pdf

Anyway, have a great New Year and we'll see you soon !!!!

Arn

The New Website is UP !!!!

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 05:18:00 GMT

Over 1,300 hits in one week !!! AMAZING !!!

And, it doesn't look bad considering I had no bloody clue what I was doing when I did it.

Stay tuned for some more pics. A number of photogs have okayed us to use their pics. Here are a few from Gerry Frechette for you. He took the pics for an article that Jim Kenzie of the Toronto Star did on the team.

Go to www.mikeetter.com for more info.

See ya !!!

2005 Race Season is over, 2006 Sponsorship Hunting Starts !

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 14:31:38 GMT

Well, it's been a while since I added anything new here. Life has been very busy and I have no new racing pics to add.

Mike arranged for the team to do some testing at Toronto Motorsports Park earlier in October. They had a smaller event going on for the hobbiests and Pro Mods, so we were the only Funny Car there and decided to put on a show.

We made 3 test passes. Because we weren't rushing, we had a chance to really examine our fuel tuning and ended up running the fastest times ever in this car, and put on a real good show in the meantime. The majority of the fans at the track had never seen a Funny Car run, so it was a little different for them to see the speeds we put on.

The best part of this was that Mike was able to work with the marketing director at TMP and ended up getting TMP to sponsor an 8 car UDRA Race next May 24 weekend !!! Very cool !!!

As for racing, we still need SPONSORS for 2006, so, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take a look at your business aquaintances, friends and neighbors businesses, any business you know of who may want to advertise with us.

We're considering going TOP FUEL in the next few years, (300+MPH Funny Cars) and whoever comes on board can enjoy the growth and marketing opportunities with us.

Anyway, that's it for now.

Since I don't have any racing pics, here are some of Isaac on his first Halloween Jaunt.

Arn

Another WIN !!! (Sort of)

Sun, 11 Sep 2005 02:52:08 GMT

Mike and the gang put everything they had into putting together a race car for the Labour Day Weekend UDRA Event in Grand Bend, Ontario called the Thunder by the Beach.

Jody Gucwa loaned us his rolling chassis, and the team put Mike's engine, transmission, fuel systems and stuff in. We had to run the event without even testing the car because when we got to the track, we found problems in the engine, possibly from the machining it had to go through to get rebuilt. We spent the entire day at the track totally rebuilding the engine and missing the test runs.

We got it all back together for the one and only qualifying round and came in with the top speed, placing 4th in the eliminations. Unfortunately, our friend, Jody didn't qualify, and sat and waited to see if anyone broke, therefore letting him get into the show. Nobody did, so his team, Reflexions packed up to go home. Jody stayed around for the weekend to watch and help us. After all, it was his car now racing to win.

We actually ran the car faster than anything Jody had done in it. Quite a feat for a new car with no testing or experience.

The car is called Pure Insanity, and to be honest, for Mike to take it to the limit with no testing, no working it up, is freakin' insane.

Anyway, we made it to the finals, but after both cars blew the tires off the track at launch and had no traction, Mike tapped the wall. Paul Nokes shut down right after launch, and Mike tried to regain control of the car and passed Paul at the finish line not knowing he had hit the wall and been DQ'ed. Oh well, I guess a win and a DQ in a care never tried before isn't bad, and in a way, we really did feel like winners because we came in 2nd after overcoming a lot of adversity.

I wonder what Jody was thinking when he saw Mike heading to the wall... AGAIN ????

Anyway, here are some pics of the car....

Great article on the Pro's of Race Sponsorships in Canada

Wed, 17 Aug 2005 15:24:44 GMT

Here is a great article on www.DragRaceCanada.com by Bruce that talks about sponsoring. If you have friends who'd be interested, send them this article and have them call me.

August

Eaton Cutler-Hammer "Cause & Effect"

Bruce Biegler

The successful pursuit as well as the long term preservation of sponsorship in drag racing is anything but an exact science. I couldn’t begin to tell you what is or isn’t the formula for success and as we all know theories abound around what does or doesn’t work.

DragRaceCanada recently did an interview with Clayton Tychkowsky, of Eaton Cutler-Hammer, the primary sponsor behind Carl Spiering’s outstanding Canadian-based Pro Mod effort. Clayton is the General Manager for Eaton Cutler-Hammer‘s coast-to-coast Canadian Operations, who recently moved back to Canada from North Carolina. Being a relative newcomer to the 1/4-mile sport, Clayton’s comments about sponsorship in drag racing were not only completely objective but also offered a rather fresh perspective. I found his views to be certainly food for thought, which other Canadian racing teams with similar sponsorship aspirations may find helpful.

Q: What is about drag racing that a company like Eaton Cutler-Hammer finds attractive?

Clayton: “If you look at our industry in general you will see that it tends to be very traditional in how it markets itself. Drag racing is certainly an untraditional approach to marketing our brands and services. What caught my interest is how we use drag racing to more involve our customer as well as their families. There are not may marketing initiatives out there that typically consider a customer’s family. It gives our company representatives more quality time with our customer while at the same time not taking them away from his or her family during non business hours. You get to know your customer at a different level.”

Q: What are your initial impressions of the sport of drag racing?

Clayton: “What caught my attention almost immediately was the cross section of people who attend and enjoy this sport. They came from all levels -- trades to business executives and everywhere in between. I think that is really great because there are not many sporting events out there that do a really good job at that. Most sports and entertainment focuses on a more narrow and particular type of target audience.”

Q: Has Eaton Cutler-Hammer seen the positive effects it was looking for?

Clayton: “We’ve certainly seen increased focus on our company name and that is nothing but a good thing. There are benefits in terms of customer clarity around what products and services our company offers. Drag racing has really helped with that type of communication. The name Eaton Cutler-Hammer is fast becoming known synomous with drag racing in Canada. I have to credit our marketing department, Steve Boccadoro, Rob Conway and Paul Tlustos for that. Their vision met with much resistance from our sales organization initially -- but I can now say with confidence most everyone is now converted. That speaks volumes about the program itself.”

Q: If you had a message for other Canadian companies sitting on the fence about drag racing what would it be?

Clayton: “Think outside the box! I think our current tag line “Challenging Current Thinking” describes perfectly what we are doing. I would also suggest that looking at different venues to promote your company name and the products you service is paramount to success. The sport of drag racing certainly can provide you with that opportunity.”

Eaton Cutler-Hammer is the electrical division of parent Eaton Corporation. Eaton Cutler-Hammer specialities range from power distribution and electrical control products to industrial automation, all of which utilize advanced and global engineering services and support.

Parent Company Eaton, which is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, are a diversified global industry manufacturer that is a leader in fluid power systems; electrical power quality, distribution and control; automotive engine air management and fuel economy; and intelligent drive train systems for fuel economy and safety in trucks. Eaton has over 50,000 employees worldwide.

Competition be damned if friends are around !

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 22:55:58 GMT

So, the car is being rebuilt, and we missed the IHRA Canadian Nationals. No way to get back racing when the money is from your own pockets. More sponsorships would've had us back in the series, but what can you do? Our current sponsors are great, but they can only help so much.

But, on the bright side, we have friends helping us out with body work, welding, stripping, whatever.

On person though has gone above and beyond, and you may be surprised who it is...

Jody Gucwa from Michigan.

So, who is Jody? He's a competitor. A racer with the Reflexions Race Team.

Seems Jody had a spare rolling chassis, body, tranny, and bell housing. He was trying to sell it, but decided that we could put it to better use this season, so he loaned the whole kit to us to get back into the season. He even brought it up here for us, free of charge. We'll be ready for the Grand Bend "THUNDER BY THE BEACH" during the first weekend in September now.

I don't know of too many sports where your competition comes and loans you their equipment. Maybe it's just Jody, but either way, you gotta think it's kind of special.

Anybody want a paperweight?

Sat, 23 Jul 2005 20:03:22 GMT

Well, after taking the car apart and looking at the engine, the guys have found a lot of parts that would better be used as paperweights than engine parts.

If you're looking for autographed parts like cracked carbon fibre brake rotors or pads, aluminum pistons, or even crankshafts, let me know. We're selling them off, first come, first serve.

So, after taking the car apart, the damage doesn't seem that extensive, and with the help of friends, supporters, and sponsors, Mike and the guys are busy putting the pieces back together.

There was an article of the accident in the online drag magazine www.dragracecanada.com that mentioned the crash. It was written by Mark Ackert and had a great picture of the body (of the car of course) lying on the ground next to the wall. You can see the front end damage to the carbon fibre and the scrapes on the windshield where it came crashing back down on top of the safety barriers.

Here's an excerpt from Mark's article:

The other semi final saw Canadian Mike Etter from Brantford Ont., up against Wayne Mellinger who came from Ohio to compete. Etter had a large quantity of smoke coming from the zoomies on the right side of the engine as he staged his car. Shortly after leaving the line Etter's Firebird made a right turn and made hard contact with the wall. The body came off and soared into the air which sent some fans running. The car sustained major front end damage but the safety equipment did its job as Mike walked away in good health.

WAR (World Alcohol Racers) which sanctioned the event had another picture on their website www.worldalcoholracers.com which shows Mike right after the crash standing beside the body. Can you say HAM?

Pics are below....

Nasty weekend at the track....

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 14:21:00 GMT

Saw the online updates for the IHRA Race in Detroit on the weekend. We couldn't make it due to the damage to the car that we still need to repair. Glad we didn't based on the news I saw of all of the serious crashes.

www.ihra.com

Al Billes, a Pro-mod driver and friend from Barrie had his chutes fail and he barrel rolled the car 4 times in the sandtrap at the end of the track. He's okay, but went to hospital for a checkup.

Then, Clay Millican had a blowover in his Top Fuel Dragster at over 200 MPH when the front wheels lifted and caught the air underneath. He's okay too, but the car looks like it's done for good.

That's 4 cars, 4 drivers in 3 consecutive weekends !! Pontieri's Pro Mod from Bolton, Ontario, Mike Etter's Funny Car from Brantford Ontario, Al Billes from Barrie Ontario, and Clay Millican from Tennessee. Is there something going on here or just a round of bad luck?

Jim Oddy who is the team owner of Al Billes car was quoted www.competitionplus.com website:

Team owner Jim Oddy was visibly distraught as he loaded parts into the team’s transporter to drive back to Elma, NY.

“That’s it for me,” Oddy said, as he gathered various parts of the car. “I’m through with drag racing. Two was enough for me. I am not going to get my driver killed.”

Here are the pics from 2 websites.

IHRA Funny Car Team

Sun, 17 Jul 2005 18:21:54 GMT

Ok, so as a newbie on this, I thought I'd start off with one of my more serious hobbies and let everyone know what's going on.

In my spare time I work on a pro race team running at 3,000 HP alcohol funny car in the IHRA, WAR, and UDRA series. On the team, I'm a mechanic responsible for the drivetrain and safety systems such as parachutes and fire suppression.

It's an expensive sport and we're always looking for sponsors, so, if you know of anyone who wants to use a pro race team for marketing, let me know.

The team is called Etter Motorsports and the car is called "Nerves of Steel". www.mikeetter.com

I took the sport up 3 years ago and in our first year we won the Featherlite Trailers Can Am Nationals in St Thomas Ontario. This year we took some time off as one of our crew who is also the sister of the team owner and driver, Mike Etter, was ill with cancer. It was a long three year battle and she passed away just over a month ago. She was a part of the team since inception, and she'll be missed.

We decided to get back into racing, and won our first race of the season, the UDRA Thunderfest at Toronto Motorsports Park. We beat our good friend in the finals, Jody Gucwa, and we know he'll have some payback for us later in the year.

Our second race 2 weeks later was a complete 180 from the first. We made the qualifiers and in the second round, a rod from #6 cylinder shattered and punched a hole in the block spraying oil under the right rear wheel. The caused the car the veer hard to the right and hit the wall at about 130MPH. All of the safety equipment worked, but the car was heavily damaged and we're repairing it now. (Now you see why we need sponsors). Mike walked away unscathed.

Anyway, such is life when you're running a car that can do the 1/4 mile in under 6 seconds at over 235 MPH.

The pictures below are from various races including the UDRA Thunderfest taken by professional photographers Rob Potter and Mike Goodwin. I'm planning on using some of these for business cards and hero cards. If you have an opinion, please let me know which ones you like.

The picture of the autograph session shows Mike in the red shirt with fellow funny car driver Jeff Lancaster from Hamilton to the right of him.