Jack French, who was hired by Windom Motor Sports to work on all 2007 USAC National Sprint Car Series events on pavement, is one of the most legendary and respected mechanics in racing today.
“Working with Jack is great, ” Windom said of his new mentor. “He’s helped me a lot, we communicate well: he’s happy, I’m happy, and so I think we’ll have a good year…and he seems to think the same as I do. We got off to a good start during these pavement tests (at Anderson and Salem Speedways). I definitely would have been more nervous heading into the Winchester race had I not tested in Salem with Jack. I have to believe that if I was that comfortable at Salem, that I’ll be competitive running Winchester. I’ve been told the main difference for a driver will be that I’ll have to run a little closer to the wall, which should be exciting.
“I’ve heard Winchester Speedway is amazingly fast, and a track that you have to respect, ” Chris explained of his upcoming race at one of the fastest quarter-mile tracks in the world.
“There’s really no good way to prepare for a place that’s got such a big reputation – I’ll just try to take it easy and get used to it at first and, hopefully, that will allow my confidence to build so that we can start running competitive laps soon after we get there. “
French, whose 40 years of experience in the sport are revered by every driver in the short-track ranks, has the highest praise for Windom and his future. Working with young, developing drivers, as well as NASCAR champions on the way up the ladder to that ultimate achievement, French has worked with the best, and knows what the future can hold for his new driver.
“I’ve been with a lot of drivers and tested a lot of people, and the test we just had with Chris at Salem Speedway on Tuesday has been probably the best test I’ve ever been to, ” French said of his new protégé.
“Salem was unreal, ” French continued. “For a 16-year-old kid, Chris is way ahead of the others. I thought it would take two or three races to get him used to the (high) banks, but in 20 laps he was against the fence and going good. Most guys – even the veterans - want to stay toward the bottom of the track. He didn’t want to get out of the car. He always wanted to make the car better. If the car’s not working, he adjusts and adapts instead of just complaining about it. He’ll adjust better than 70% of the other drivers out there, which will mean the difference between winning and running second. He’s capable of carrying a car, and that’s a mechanic’s greatest joy. I’ve been around this sport for 40 years, and his talent is right there with the one’s who have moved on (to NASCAR). I think the boy’s gonna make it big soon. I’ve worked with a lot of young guys in my career, and he shows as much car control as guys with five or six years experience. “
The weather gods should cooperate for this huge three-race weekend, which kicks off Friday at Bloomington Speedway with their annual “Elliottbrand Clash, ” a non-sanctioned track event that draws an A-list of non-winged sprint car drivers from the Midwest for this early Spring race. Windom ran in the top-10 in points at Bloomington Speedway last year (three second-place finishes; ran in the top-five in eight races), so he should do well. He’s quite a veteran of the red clay at Bloomington, running the track for the first time in 2004 at age 14.
“I had a few races won at Bloomington last year and screwed up just because of rookie mistakes, ” Windom admitted. “But I’ve learned from those mistakes and am pretty comfortable at that track, so I’m looking for a top finish for our team on Friday. There will be a lot of good drivers there, but I’ve run with them so many times in the past at that track and places like Kokomo Speedway, and I’ve been pretty competitive with all of them. Even though I didn’t run any USAC National races last year (due to age restrictions), I raced with a majority of those guys each weekend, so the competitive situation should not be too different this week. “
With engines producing upwards of 800 horsepower, the USAC National Sprint Car Series rocket ships combine the thrill of raw power with the heart-stopping action of non-wing Sprint car racing. Dirt rooster tails, wheel stands and three-wide racing are the norm when these bad boys come to town. Sprint cars also run on paved tracks, and any driver with aspirations of a championship must be able to negotiate both dirt and pavement.
With the season-opening USAC National Sprint Car Series race being delayed to this weekend’s Lawrenceburg Speedway event, Windom and the rest of the USAC sprint car contingent are certainly looking forward to getting back to the business of racing in a points-paying environment.
“Although I ran at Lawrenceburg last year about 10 times, I know that I’ve got to be on top of my game racing against the USAC guys on Saturday, ” Windom said of the delayed season opener. “We’ve been racing throughout the winter, and that, combined with being comfortable with the track in Lawrenceburg, should allow us to have a good start to the USAC Sprint Car season.
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