Carpenter Aiming For Home Win At Rockingham

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Charles Carpenter did not have the summer he had hoped for in the ADRL’s Pro Nitrous class.But all of those frustrations could quickly be erased with one memorable weekend at Rockingham Dragway.The track is just 90 minutes from Carpenter’s home and the racing legend isn’t shy about admitting what winning ADRL Simpson Dragstock VII would mean to him.“It would be a dream come true to win in front of our home crowd,” said Carpenter, who has two career wins in Pro Nitrous. “It’s what we’re trying to do in every possible way.“This is always a great event and it’s definitely our highlight.”It’s the highlight for many racers and plenty of fans as well, but the proximity adds a little extra for Carpenter.Last year, he advanced to the quarterfinals at Dragstock VI before bowing out to eventual champion Mike Castellana. Carpenter, though, admits he might put a little more pressure on himself to perform even better in front of his friends and family.“It’s a big race, but it’s always hard to do well in front of your local fans and it’s hard to win at home,” Carpenter said. “But it can be done.”Carpenter, who sits third in the Pro Nitrous points standings, certainly has more confidence right now than he did at one point during the summer.His engine combination struggled to find power during the warmer months and Carpenter has been searching for that extra horsepower since then.After some rigorous testing, Carpenter and his team think they’ve found the solution, which wasn’t that far off to begin with.“We’re just searching for hundredths (of a second) here,” Carpenter said. “We feel better about it now. I feel like we can get back to the low .90s and our dream is to get in the high .80s.“But if we’re consistently in the low 90s, we’re going to be a player.”The other big change for Carpenter and his team was the decision to go to 36-inch tires instead of the 34 ½ he had normally used.Carpenter was one of the few Pro Nitrous drivers using the smaller tire, but after not getting the acceleration he wanted at the front of the track, Carpenter made the switch to 36-inch tires at the Hardee’s Gateway Drags last month.The change was immediately noticeable, though there’s still plenty to be ironed out before Carpenter feels totally comfortable.“It’s definitely a different animal to run with the 36-inch tires,” Carpenter said. “It’s a little harder to run because it’s so aggressive, but we’re starting to get a handle on it.“We’ve struggled some this summer, but we’re hoping to get dialed in and do well (at Rockingham).”Carpenter just missed a top eight spot in the “Battle For The Belts” last year, so that has continually pushed him this season.His current third position in Pro Nitrous doesn’t guarantee a spot since everyone is so packed together, but it’s definitely better than where he was a year ago.The goal for Carpenter now is making some noise heading into the LenMar Motorsports ADRL World Finals VI in October.“Anybody that qualifies in this class is capable of winning,” Carpenter said. “We’re fortunate to be in the top three in points, but everybody is on our heels.”That gives Carpenter one more reason to perform well in front of what will surely be a raucous crowd.That electricity at Rockingham Dragway brings a smile to Carpenter’s face, and he insists it is an honor race in front of the capacity crowd at the track.“This race is a definite treat and dream for all these fans that love the door cars,” Carpenter said. “There’s so many door car fans in the south and they always love this event. It really is spectacular.”

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