GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Casual drag racing fans know big-name drivers such as Antron Brown, Tony Stewart, Ron Capps and Austin Prock.
By the end of this year’s NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, they may know Dave Richards name more prominently.
The Wellington, Fla., native is entering his second season of full-time Funny Car competition with Paul Richards Racing while having the backing from SCAG Racing.
Last season, Richards only reached one quarterfinal and failed to make the top 10 in points. However, there’s more than what meets the eye.
For most teams in the Funny Car category, they’re prepared for the worst as they haul two, sometimes three cars to each event in case something goes wrong during a race weekend.
Richards didn’t have that luxury last year as he and his team’s full-time effort hung in the balance with every run.
“We basically went through the whole year with one car,” Richards said. “So it was tough knowing that in the back of your mind you only got one race car.
“We had new cars ordered, it was always a waiting and waiting and waiting. But really, I think last year was a building year and we ended pretty strong. In the beginning, we were fighting a lot of things. Some of it was tune-up related, some was car related, some was driver related.
“It was a lot, but at least we survived. We made it to every race, which was our goal. The performance really started to pick up towards the end of the year and we’re looking forward to carrying that over into this year.”
Does having only one car at the team’s disposal lead to being conservative?
According to Richards, no, but the threat of destruction still lingers.
“It’s just something that’s in the back of your mind, like, ‘Man, if we mess this thing up, we’re done.’
“And actually, we did try to be done in Seattle last year,” Richards explained. “Soon as I hit the gas, we never really could figure out what happened, but it made a hard right and it just got out of control and I smashed the wall.
“We thought we were done then, but we found a chassis builder, Steve Parker, out in Seattle. He took our car in and we fixed it Monday and Tuesday and hauled it down to Sonoma. So, we definitely have a never give up attitude. So we made it, and we finished the year with that car.”
Fortunately for Richards, he no longer has to walk on thin ice.
The team enters a new era as they’ve moved to an Indianapolis-based facility and for the first time, have two brand-new race cars.
“We tested in Bradenton (Fla.) with the new cars,” Richards said. “I’ve never had a brand-new race car. Even though everyone tells you, ‘Oh they drive great and you’ll be able to tell a difference.’ We don’t know until you get in it.
“The first couple full passes in Bradenton, I was like, ‘Wow.’ It actually drives. It turns when you want it to. Where a lot of times with an older car, you’re along for the ride. You’ll be muscling it and fighting it and it doesn’t want to turn.
“To have that new car, it’s just like the new car smell. It’s just nice.”
Now with the stars beginning to align for Richards and Paul Richards Racing, what comes next will be settled during the 20-race grind, which begins this weekend at the annual NHRA Gatornationals.
While the team may not have shown winning speed yet, Richards has high hopes.
“To know that we have the same equipment or better than pretty much everyone out here is a good feeling,” Richards said. “So now it’s like, we have no excuses but to do well and we’re gonna. We’re not gonna give up. We’re gonna work our hardest.
“I do really feel like it’s our time to shine. We got everything, we got the people that believe in us, and it’s like, ‘Why not us?'”
