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CF Racing
BEAR LAKE, Penn. (February 4) - Chub Frank will chalk up his 2008 racing debut as just one of those weeks he can easily put in his rearview mirror.
With only one top-five finish to show for his seven nights of dirt Late Model action in the 'Super Bowl of Racing IV' at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Ga., Chub was all-too-ready to move on to what he hopes are brighter days ahead.
"It wasn't a great week for us," Chub said of his performance in the 'Super Bowl' meet that ran from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2 (10 events paying $10,000 to win were scheduled, but three nights were rained out). "We had a couple good runs, but we never really got going."
The 46-year-old star from Bear Lake, Pa., registered his top finish of fourth in the Super Bowl's third 50-lap A-Main, on Jan. 28. He won a heat race that night and started from the pole position in the feature.
Chub also felt good about his outing in the program's sixth night of action, on Feb. 1. He qualified for the O'Reilly Southern All-Stars Series 50-lapper through a consolation, but charged forward from the 22nd starting spot to finish an uplifting 10th.
The popular driver known as 'Chubzilla' qualified for two other A-Mains, finishing 23rd in the opener on Jan. 23 and 21st on Jan. 25. He suffered three DNQs - on Jan. 29 (done in by a flat tire while running third in a consolation), Jan. 30 and Feb. 2 (scratched from the consolation).
Chub spent the Super Bowl activities jumping between two of his Lester Buildings/Corry Rubber/All Star Performance/Corry Laser/Slavic Corporation/Farr MotorSports/Lake Shore Paving/Custom Race Engines Chevrolet Impala SS Rocket Chassis No. 1* machines - a brand-new car that he debuted at the rebuilt four-tenths-mile oval and a 2007 mount from his stable.
Unfortunately, much of Chub's energy for his season-opening stretch of racing was dulled by the pit-area drama that plagued the Super Bowl action. After Scott Bloomquist had his time-trial lap disallowed during the Jan. 28 program due to a tire that registered too soft for UMP DIRTcar Racing rules, the talk of tire-softening that was already swirling through the pit area grew even stronger. Then came the news that UMP was no longer sanctioning the Jan. 29 and Feb. 2 programs - thus allowing teams to use the Southern All-Stars' open Hoosier tire rule rather than UMP's two-compound 20/40 Hoosier mandate - and an announcement from UMP that a four-compound Hoosier rule would be put into effect for the upcoming Alltel DIRTcar Nationals (Feb. 11-16) at Florida's Volusia Speedway Park.
Chub was hampered by the Super Bowl's move away from UMP sanction, saying, "I only brought enough open Hoosier tires for a couple nights of Southern All-Stars shows." He also was irritated by the tire-doctoring speculation that overwhelmed the week.
"Something's gotta be done about the tire-softening that's going on whenever there's a tire rule," said Chub. "Anyplace there's a tire rule, there's gonna be people doing it (softening tires) - a series, tracks, wherever. It's just ridiculous.
"Just look at the go-kart world. They're spending all this money soaking their tires - they call it 'tire prep' - and that stuff is coming over here now.
"A tire rule is supposed to help the little guy, save them money and make them think they have a chance against the big guys. But that's not happening with all the stuff that's going on.
"Myself, I just refuse to do it," Chub added about illegal tire-softening. "That's why I don't like running races with a tire rule, because we'll end up at a disadvantage to some guys who do it. But we do run some tire-rule shows, and if something isn't done to stop it, then it's like they're gonna make us do it."
Chub is spending the next week relaxing in Florida rather than racing. He'll return to action Feb. 11-16 in Volusia's Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, which include the season-opening events of the 2008 World of Outlaws Late Model Series on Feb. 14 and 16.
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