Jim Head is back in Top Fuel (sorta)

Watching fans walking past the Jim Head Racing trailer in the pits, its fun to see them do a double take when they see the backend of a Top Fuel dragster taking up the spot usually reserved for Jim Heads Toyota Funny Car.
After seeing Heads Funny Car, normally piloted by Jonnie Lindberg, driven by Jeff Arend in Topeka and Blake Alexander in Bristol last weekend after skipping the Chicago event altogether, nothing is surprising anymore.
But have no fear, Head/Lindberg fans, the duo are still together and reunited this weekend and the dragster belongs to the sports longest-running still active hero, Heads longtime friend Chris Karamesines, whose Lucas Oil dragster was being fitted with one of Heads Funny Car engines.
We pit next to each other every race he runs, and Ive watched him struggle race after race with his own stuff, and me and a lot of other people have been over into his pits trying to help out, but I finally decided its easier for me to put one of my engines in his car than do that, said Head. Its not really always about someone having a bad tune-up; it; really about the parts. You have to have good parts, and everything has to be put together right.
Youve got change the tune-up pretty dramatically the timing curve, the clutch curve a whole lot of stuff. The way that Top Fuelers and Funny Cars are set up is really different for the first 400 feet. Its been a long time since Ive run Top Fuel [2003], but I think I can give him some starting points.
It was at this point that "the Greek" walked in, and in a grandfatherly way, handed us each a Werthers Original hard candy, and waved off any chance of a real interview.
Hes just trying to make a point that he can make the car run and I cant, he said good-naturedly, and walked off.
Once the Greeks car was outfitted and readied and turned over to crew chief Dennis Swearingen and team, Head and crew could turn their attention to the Funny Car for Lindberg, who is back in the saddle after finally receiving his resident alien certification to return to the United States from his native Sweden, which left Head semi-scrambling for replacement drivers for the Topeka and Bristol events. (I always have an A plan, a B plan, and a C plan, he said. The only person who is not going to drive my cars is [me].)
Its great to have Jonnie back, not that I didnt enjoy having Jeff and Blake drive the car, said Head. Jeff was already a known quantity to me to I knew hed do well in the car, but I didnt really know Blake from Adam before last weekend. He approached me maybe 10 years ago to drive my car and I told him I didnt need a driver, I needed a business partner. I was very impressed with him and what hes become. I like him. Hes going to do fine. Hes very serious about this and I respect that tremendously. Hes real people.
(Arend is also here in Norwalk, hot off of winning the Nostalgia Funny Car title at the Holley National Hot Rod Reunion last week in Bowling Green, Ky., assisting on Karamesines car.)
This weekend will be another chance for Head to get his car back up to the potential it show in 2018 before NHRA changed the track prep and threw Heads tune-up for a loop.
It really busted my ass, he admitted. Last year I just couldnt make the car run so we did some clutch experiments and that made it worse so I brought out a whole new clutch system this year in Houston thats showing some promise. Im pretty pleased. It hasnt gone real quick I think .96 is our best run but I think it will get to where I want it.
Head and Lindberg will sit out the next four races after this event though Lindberg will continue tuning Brian Houghs Alcohol Funny Car, which has been to the winners circle twice already this year and then return to the tour in Brainerd, when the weather and track conditions cool more to his liking.
But hell stay in Funny Car, despite having that dragster in his pit space.
Funny Car is a bad-ass class, if yall hadnt noticed, he said. In Top Fuel youve got three, four, five cars that run really good; in Funny Car its 10 or 11. Its really tough but I like the challenge.
泭