On the run with Nelson Hoyos, driver of the Bothwell Motorsports Sport Compact Chevrolet Cavalier

National Dragster, Mar 7, 2003 by Hoyos, Nelson

The 2003 NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series is about to begin, and you can count on everyone at GM Racing and the Bothwell Motorsports team to be ready. We feel that it's absolutely going to rock 'n' roll for us this year. We learned a lot as a team last season on the do's and don'ts of these front-wheel-drive race cars and how to make them work effectively. We also now have a year's worth of unity within the team, and we know how each individual works and what to expect from each other.

We plan to debut a front-wheel-drive '03 Chevy Cavalier this spring in NHRA's Pro FWD class. I will go on record in saying that this new Chevrolet will be the fastest frontwheel-drive car, period! The amount of technology that is behind this Cavalier is awesome, and when we debut it, a lot of jaws will drop.

This race car is even safer than the car we raced last year. GM Racing Safety Manager Tom Gideon was involved in the car's construction from day one. With his guidance, GM Racing developed a structure that from the firewall back to where I sit is signif- icantly stronger than my previous car, yet it is lighter.

From a technology standpoint, a lot of the things we couldn't do last year have been incorporated into this car. This Cavalier was built from a clean slate - built from the ground up exactly how we thought it should be based on what we learned in 2002. I'm confident that on the first runs we make, the competition will be impressed.

Being part of the GM Racing program has been a lot of fun. Everybody I've been involved with, from marketing to racing to the team within GM, has been absolutely fantastic. I can safely say that I've never met a more enthusiastic group. GM has approached it on a super-professional basis from a safety standpoint to an all-out performance point of view. It also has been fantastic in tying in all of the marketing behind the program to really get out the message about what a great up-and-coming series this is. When GM looks at this market segment, it sees a huge potential in car and aftermarket parts sales. The 16-to-30-year-old segment is a tremendous demographic in terms of sheer numbers, and we have to market to it a little differently. What's going on now with the NHRA Sport Compact Drag Racing Series is very similar to what was going on during the hot-rod craze of the 1950s and '60s.

We've had such good success with the Ecotec engine program that people are beginning to look at the Cavalier or Sunfire as an option to purchase instead of an import car. The Sunfire is also making huge headway; Marty Ladwig is doing a great job with that program in the series' Hot Rod class.

NHRA's Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series is growing daily. I see it in my business, Ferrea Racing Components, and I hear it from individuals in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series who are extremely interested in what's going on. NHRA has addressed the Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series well, and it is moving forward with some new lifestyle events that will appeal to our audience.

One example of how NHRA is committed to growing the series was its decision to separate the FWD and RWD cars. This will give the front-wheel-drive cars an equal playing field and goes back to the roots in which this sport was founded: as a four-cylinder, frontwheel-drive phenomenon. I think it was the best move NHRA could have made, and from a competition standpoint and for the fans, it's going to be better.

We're looking forward to the two Extreme Rush exhibitions at NHRA's national events in Chicago in May and Dallas in October. That's going to be a tremendous, series showcase for the race fans and for NHRA's other racers who have been hearing about us. It will give drag racing enthusiasts a firsthand look at what's going on within the Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series and what we're all about I think the Chicago and Dallas events will provide an outstanding stage for our series and for our brands.

With our season set to begin, I would like to thank Steve Bothwell of Bothwell Motorsports and Don Taylor, Josh Peterson, Russ O'Blenes, and Tom Gideon of GM Racing for providing me with the opportunity to compete in a first-class racing program. I also want to thank Marty Ladwig, the best teammate any racer could have, and everyone at Ferrea Racing Components for taking care of the business while I'm away. I also want to thank my wife, Tania, and my two kids, Jennifer and Alexander, for putting up with the long hours that are inherent with a professional racer's life; I couldn't do it without your love and support.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the races this season. If you have a question regarding safety, the Ecotec powerplant, or anything else, please don't hesitate to stop by the GM Racing pits. We'll be working hard to win a Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series championship, but we always have time to answer questions.