On the run with Arthur Gallant, driver of the Pep Boys Top Alcohol Dragster

National Dragster, Feb 14, 2003 by Gallant, Arthur

If someone were to ask me to describe what it feels like to be the 2002 NHRA Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster national champion, all I am able to say is that it's a unique and wonderful feeling and one like no other I've experienced in my 30 years in the sport.

When the 2002 season began, my racing partners, Paul Wenclawiak and Steve Weiler, and I agreed to try our hand at 16 races and evaluate our progress at midseason. We would then decide if we'd go to more races or slow the pace. Originally, our high hopes for the season were aimed at finishing in the top five in national points with our Pep Boys-sponsored dragster. Chasing the national championship was not something we had considered.

Realizing that I was actually a strong contender for the Top Alcohol Dragster championship changed my life. In an instant, drag racing went from consuming 90 percent of my life to consuming 110 percent of it. Drag racing has always been a way of life for me, but it was always more of a hobby than anything else. Now, it consumes my life, and I can only hope that never changes.

Being chased around the country by Duane Shields was an honor. For him to feel that I was. such a threat that he would travel all the way from Nevada to try and take me out in person seemed incomprehensible. Duane's presence at some of my home races made my life a lot more difficult, but it also made it that much more interesting.

Though sometimes grueling, going head to head with some of the best racers in the country during the course of last season proved to me and my crew that we deserved to win the championship and that we earned it. Our championship seems especially gratifying when one considers that we have the only nitroinjected car to have made it into the top 10 in national points.

I'm the type of person who greets a challenge. My mind is always working. Some people are able to punch out at the end of the day and turn their minds to things other than work, but not me. I'm constantly thinking of ways to make the car run faster and improve on our combination. I've also learned how to do as much as I can with a sometimes small budget.

I love finding out how things work, and, over the years, I've tinkered with motorcycles, race cars, and even airplanes. In fact, the first plane I ever built was named Grand Champion at the world-renowned EAA Aviation Show in Oshkosh, Wis., in 1991. Grand Champion is the most prestigious award you can receive in the experimental aircraft industry; it's like winning the U.S. Nationals.

These days, my focus has shifted from building airplanes to maintaining the aircraft of others and building race engines. I do that with the help of my crew chief and brother, Gene, who maintains our shop.

Last season was an unbelievable one for our team, and, throughout the years, I've had some wonderful supporters by my side. This past year, I've had the support of many who went above and beyond to help smooth out some of the bumps along our road to the championship.

I want to thank my wife, Marion, who has put up with my motorcycles, airplanes, and race cars for more than 30 years.

I also need to thank the great people at Valvoline, Moroso, NGK Spark Plugs, Hogan Manifolds, Crane Cams, and MSD for helping me with anything I needed. Dan, of Dan Page Race Cars, was also a driving force behind our championship season. Together, he and I built my car, and he always goes out of his way to help me whenever I need him.

Others who deserve thanks for their help during the course of the year are Steve Lesueur at Sunoco Fuels, Brian Browell of Browell's Bell Housings, Mike at Rage Racing Engines, and Brad Anderson.

Finally, I'd like to thank my crew. Without the support of Paul Wenclawiak, Steve Weiler, Gene Gallant, and Bob Smullen, I wouldn't have been able to get the job done.