Drag Illustrated Issue 160, September 2020 | Page 40

Special Section
FRANK GUGLIOTTA HAS EXPERIENCED HIS FAIR SHARE OF HIGHLIGHTS BEHIND THE WHEEL OF AN 800-PLUS-CUBIC-INCH MOUNTAIN MOTOR PRO STOCK CAR . HE COMPETED IN IHRA PRO STOCK FOR MOST OF THE 2000S , RACKING UP EVENT WINS AND TOP 5 FINISHES IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS RACING FOR MULTIPLE CAR OWNERS . ¶ TODAY , GUGLIOTTA IS FOCUSED ON SUCCESS OUTSIDE THE CAR . AS THE LONGTIME CREW CHIEF FOR JR CARR , HE ’ S BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE WASHINGTON NATIVE ’ S OPERATION SINCE 2009 . THEY ’ VE DABBLED IN JUST ABOUT EVERY SERIES TO OFFER A MOUNTAIN MOTOR PRO STOCK CLASS , AND THEY EVEN DIPPED THEIR TOES INTO THE 500CI NHRA PRO STOCK RANKS . ¶ THE DUO IS CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON THE PDRA ’ S LIBERTY ’ S GEARS EXTREME
Pro Stock class , where Carr is locked into an intense battle for the world championship with Johnny Pluchino . Driving a brand-new RJ Race Cars-built ’ 20 Camaro with engines assembled and maintained at Gugliotta ’ s Mt . Airy , Maryland , shop , Carr qualified No . 1 and won the PDRA Carolina Showdown presented by ProCharger at Darlington Dragway in June . It was the first time Carr had accomplished both feats in PDRA competition .
In this interview , Gugliotta talks about the team ’ s road to success ,
as well as what ’ s left to accomplish with just two races left on the sixrace PDRA schedule .
Fans of IHRA Pro Stock remember you for your driving days . At what point did you really start to focus on the tuning side of things ?
Probably ‘ 09 . I was tuning my own car when I was driving , but when I started working for [ Carr ] I pretty much realized I had lost the passion for driving and started having a passion more for tuning . In the beginning , you ’ ll do anything
to drive a car . But that passion starts to go away .
What is it about Mountain Motor Pro Stock that appeals to you ?
Well , we ’ ve done both 500 and 800 . I just have a love for the class . I started there . They ’ re big motors . Big torque . Big power . I ’ m not taking anything away from 500-inch cars . They ’ re very impressive and those guys are very talented to run those cars , but I call that other car an animal . There ’ s nothing like a 6.20 car – naturally aspirated !
JR has been having a really good year with that new car . When I talk to him about it , he attributes a lot of that success to you and the consistent effort that you ’ ve put in . In your opinion , what ’ s been the difference maker this year ?
We ’ ve always had the same stuff that we have now . He gives me all the credit , but here ’ s the thing , like I tell him all the time : I can ’ t do what I do without him . We have our own R & D program . We have our own engine shop . A lot of it is because of him . He puts a lot of effort and finance into it .
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