Drag Illustrated Issue 153, February 2020 | Page 71

The biggest change in NHRA Pro Stock going
into 2020 is an influx of new competitors
trying to knock down established drivers
like Deric Kramer (pictured).
We’re starting to close out the 2019/2020 off-
season. Are there any major developments in
your part of the world since we last saw you
on track?
CHRIS GRAVES: Well, the Graves family, Tera
and I, have assumed control and ownership of
the Outlaw Fuel Altered Association [OFAA]
from Bobby and Nancy Marriott, who ran it for
23 years. That’s a big change in our world as far
as handling the making things happen on that
end. The good thing for us is more nitro. I was
named the official photographer of the series at
age 15 in 1999, so I’ve been a part of this group
for a long time. The Marriotts had been doing
it for 23 years and obviously looking to move
on and let it go.
We’re excited about that change for 2020, as
well as expanding the Funny Car Chaos series a
little bit again, adding one more race for a total
of eight. We’re replacing the Central Illinois race
with Eddyville Raceway Park, which is exciting.
We’re also going to run at Xtreme Raceway Park
on the south side of Dallas, which we’ve never
run at before.
TYLER CROSSNOE: PDRA is looking forward
to a strong 2020 season. A couple of changes.
Lots of new sponsors coming on board. Having
more people jump behind a program that’s been
February 2020
built and is continuing to go in the right direc-
tion is showing that the series is strong and has
good teeth underneath it to move forward and
show success.
2020 will see some changes with class lineups
at certain events. You’ll also see the introduction
of small-tire racing to the PDRA series for three
races this year. We’re trying to broaden our fan
base and show the world that we do house the
best doorslammer racing in the country. That’s
what we’ve been built on for the last six years.
Now moving into this year, we’re continuing that
and really trying to push it forward with new
classes, exhibitions and things like that that make
the event more fun. That’s where we have a lot
of focus in 2020. My goal in 2019 was to fix the
on-track, between-the-walls things. Now, I feel
like we’re as good as anybody between the walls.
Now we have to make outside the walls as positive
and as fun as possible to make fans want to come
out and enjoy a PDRA race.
The technology involved in the sport is con-
stantly evolving. Are there any rule changes
or new parts that you expect to see playing a
role in the 2020 season?
CLAY MILLICAN: Not really. I have not seen
anything coming down. I don’t know of anything
we’re adding to our car technology wise. We are
such a small team. We don’t have a CNC around
here and we’re not developing parts on our own.
Any technology, that will come from the factory
teams as I always call them: DSR [Don Schum-
acher Racing, Force and Kalitta. I’m not saying
we don’t come up with some little things here
and there, but I do not know of any large tech-
nological advances that’ve been made. I certainly
wouldn’t be surprised if the big teams come up
with something, some widget, that everyone will
be buying up.
CG: On a nostalgia side of things, which is kind
of our cup of tea, it really depends. Funny Car
Chaos is no rules, so I’m aware of at least two
Funny Cars that are going to compete for the
points deal this year that have put Davis [trac-
tion control] boxes on their cars. That’s pretty
cool. I’m interested to see how that works out,
especially given the purposely booked variety of
racetracks that we go to that will or will not allow
top performance on every pass. Not to mention
any track specifically, but there are some tracks
where you can run 3.50 at 220, or there are some
tracks that you cannot. I’m interested to see how
the racers use that technology to adapt to the
tracks as we go down through the season.
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