'Poverty Stricken' team picks up second AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car title
NORWALK, Ohio (September 6, 2012) – Peter Gallen certainly did not have the kind of year anyone expected.
Coming
off a season where he ran away with the AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny
Car title, set records and won nearly every round of competition he
entered, Gallen's 2012 campaign was much rockier and featured a drama
that simply did not exist when the team was light years ahead of the
field in 2011.
After
all most of the other teams had learned to play for second when the
familiar purple and gold "Poverty Stricken" machine pulled into the
lanes. But this year was different.
Gallen wasn't as dominant in 2012, but still picked up his second straight PNFC title
Sure
he anticipated a few bumps along the way, what with a brand new 1977
Monza machine replacing the championship winning Vega from the year
before, but this was different. Some of the change could be blamed on
new cars blues, some could certainly be attributed to an increase in
competition, but whatever it was, it wasn't getting Gallen in victory
lane.
"With
the new car, new body, new front end yeah, we struggled to get balance
on the car and we struggled with consistency," the two-time Nitro Jam
champion explained. "We simply had some new car blues. It was silly
things like oil lines breaking and other oddball problems. And then for
the last few months I have been suffering with some disc problems in my
neck and at best I have been running on five cylinders, but my guys hung
in there and really gave this team their all and they have to be
commended for that."
And it is through that adversity that Gallen's team proved that true champions emerge.
Despite
all of the problems with the new car the team still emerged victorious
at the CarSafe Northern Nitro Jam in Michigan by holding off Mike Savage
and the "Candies & Hughes" team to pick up their second
championship in a row. While not as flashy as the year before, Gallen's
2012 title run proved that this team is capable of anything even when
faced with extreme adversity.
"This
year has been a real struggle, but my crew proved that even with
adversity they are still the best out there," Gallen said. "To pick up
the slack is my car chief John Benigini. Four years ago he had never
even smelled nitro and now he is the best car chief out there and I
would not race without him, period. Jake Slater, 14 months ago he was
riding his bike by my shop and when I returned from Bowling Green I
asked for some help and he never left. He has even convinced his brother
Clark to become part of this madness. Add in Steve Timosyski and those
four guys are critical to this operation and they have put in countless
hours to make this car the best out there.
"Then
you have Bob Rosetty who spent the winter building us a
state-of-the-art Monza body by hand and produced a real piece of art
that has held up to all of the abuse we could throw at it. While he
campaigns two Funny Cars of his own, he still manages to be there
through thick and thin. Again, I couldn't do any of this without my
incredible crew."
Gallen won twice in 2012 and held off Mike Savage to take the Nitro Jam championship
But it wasn't an easy road by any stretch of the imagination.
Random
parts failures and other car problems plagued the team with fast laps,
but no wins early in the season. To make matters worse, a few rare oil
downs frustrated the "Poverty Stricken" team and left them wondering
what was needed to turn the corner.
In
fact Gallen, who won at least once at every event in 2011, sat winless
after the first three races as a handful of drivers jockeyed for
position including Mike Savage and the "Candies & Hughes" team and
Tim Boychuk and the "Troy Lee Designs" crew.
But
at the Pittsburgh Nitro Jam in May Gallen finally broke through with
his first win of the season against IHRA legend Dale Pulde driving the
famous "War Eagle" Trans Am. But following a western swing Gallen simply
could not attend, the points tightened up and for the first time in
over a year someone else sat atop the AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny Car
standings.
"The
first half of the year was frustrating to say the least, but we were
able to get some of the kinks worked out while running against some
heavy hitters," Gallen said. "We were still very fast, but we couldn't
close the deal."
When
Gallen returned to competition in July at the MOPAR Nitro Jam Nationals
in Grand Bend, Gallen needed to have a big weekend to get back on top
and that is exactly what he produced. Gallen went to both finals,
splitting with Greg Jacobsmeyer to give his team a narrow 13 point lead
entering the final race of the year.
"It
was much different going into the last race because last year we had it
all sewn up so we could swing for the fences," Gallen said. "This year
we only had a 13 point lead so we had to be a little smarter in our game
plan."
To
make matters worse Gallen had a devastating engine fire just a few days
prior to the season finale that left the team struggling to get the car
ready. But with it all on the line Gallen laid down the quickest and
fastest lap during round one to advance to the final and seal his second
championship in a row.
Gallen is already looking ahead to 2013 and yet another Nitro Jam title run
Gallen
finished the year with two wins in the AMSOIL Prostalgia Nitro Funny
Car class, but it was championship runner-up Savage that had the most
victories with three. Boychuk and Jacobsmeyer also had a pair of wins in
2012 while John Hale, Mitch King and James Day found the winners circle
during the first half of the year.
"The
only real consistency we experienced this season was the Nitro Jam
fans. They are the best. Even with rain delays the fans are always so
involved. With the economy we are so thankful these great fans spend
their hard earned money to come out and support us," Gallen said. "And
of course my biggest hero in the pits is my wife Ashbey. She has put her
own dreams on hold to allow me to chase mine and I love her for that.
We have five children ranging from 31 to three, Kelly, Kristen, Peter,
Tyler and Ayden. They might get shortchanged while dad is racing all
over the country, but they have no complaints as they know how much I
love it.
"This
sport, I don't know what it is, it gets in you. Myself, the crew guys,
it just drives you to be competitive and want to be the best. You put
that helmet on and you turn into an animal and that is why I love
racing."
While
Gallen still has plans to attend a few more races in 2012, his primary
focus will be on perfecting the "Poverty Stricken" Monza and getting it
back to dominating fashion as the team continues to gain notoriety
around the country as one of the best nostalgia Funny Car teams in the
entire sport.
"This
championship would not have been possible without the love and support
of my family, crew, friends and sponsors," Gallen said. "TJ Rebert of
Ford 8&9, Pete Politashaus of Zacs Hamburgers, Funny Farm
Fabrication, Mickey Thompson Tires, Redline Oil, Boninfante Clutches,
Autolite Spark Plugs and everyone that makes this car go fast."
