DRAG ILLUSTRATED ROUNDTABLE
RICKIE ( LEFT ) AND RICK JONES ARE STANDOUT TUNERS IN PRO STOCK , BUT THEIR CLIENT LIST RUNS DEEP IN MULTIPLE CLASSES .
RICKIE JONES
“ IT ’ S NEVER JUST ONE THING THAT ’ S LIKE , ‘ HERE ’ S THE MAGIC BUTTON TO PUSH .’ IT ’ S ALWAYS THE WHOLE PACKAGE . YOU HAVE TO FIND THE HAPPY SPOT AS A PACKAGE . SO , IT ’ S A CHALLENGE .”
it works . I try not to get locked in that box . There ’ s always a better way to do everything . I don ’ t always think I do it the best way , but you have to think outside the box . A lot of people say they tune race cars , but all they do is pick up the phone and beg and ask for enough advice . If I have an idea , I go put it in a car and send it down the track . I ’ m not that smart , I ’ m just willing to go try things .
The way I run the car , you make it fast once the data is there and then you try to make it consistent . That ’ s the next step , not just going down the track , but doing it fast and consistently . If you do that , you ’ ll win a lot .
RJ : I ’ m just passionate about learning . The more I can learn , the more I can improve , the more I can help others . It doesn ’ t matter who you are , you ’ ve made a big investment to go out to the racetrack . I ’ ve been there and done it and struggled , and you chase your tail . It ’ s not fun when you ’ re struggling , so to be able to have someone that ’ s struggling and to come in and help them , and then see them go out and do well and see them be happy , there ’ s a lot of satisfaction in just helping people accomplish their goals .
The Pro Stock cars are probably the most refined as far as chassis goes . Those are the most sensitive to chassis stuff or suspension stuff . Pro Mod is a whole different story . You ’ ve got almost all the power in the world and you ’ re trying to get down the track , so it ’ s a whole different challenge . Then Top Sportsman , well , we ’ re just trying to be consistent . You don ’ t really care if we give up a hundredth in one area if it makes us go down the track 10 out of 10 times . Each car has its own challenges and goals , and there ’ s different ways to skin it and get it done .
Then behind the scenes you ’ ve got nitrous , you ’ ve got EFI , you ’ ve got turbos and ProChargers and screw blowers , and all the different power adders , and you ’ ve got some guys running 10.5s or radials . They ’ re running on a different track prep , or no prep , and it ’ s always different . So it never gets boring to me . It ’ s always interesting .
BS : To me , the more knowledge the better , no matter the type of car . The racing circle is small and there ’ s a lot of smart people . To keep up with them and beat them , you have to gain as much knowledge and experience as you can . The more runs you make with different things , the more you learn and the more you can get ahead .
I think it ’ s kind of exciting to have a lot more of a mix , and now you have ProCharger mixed in . There ’ s a mix of things and at different races there ’ s different advantages based on the time of year . It ’ s kind of exciting to be in it and see it ever-evolving .
Where did that passion to learn come from ? Are there lessons to be learned from the approach you ’ ve taken ?
BS : For me , it just started from being a crew
PHOTO : CHRIS SIMMONS
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