Frequent Work Puts Snyder On Fast Path To Success

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Mick Snyder insists he could work and fiddle on his ‘63 Pro Extreme Corvette all the time and not stop having fun.The payoff for all that extra work has been pretty good, too, for the ADRL rookie, though he had his biggest success to date last weekend.Snyder, who just debuted in the ADRL in May, had plenty to celebrate on Friday, as he went an impressive 3.73 on his first qualifying pass during the ADRL Simpson Dragstock VII at Rockingham Dragway.A few hours later, he topped himself and continued to raise his own expectations, running a near-flawless 3.696 at 206.89 miles per hour that put him in the No. 4 qualifying position before rain postponed the event.“That’s the best pass we’ve ever run,” Snyder said.Snyder was all smiles after that run, and the Demotte, IN native had every right to enjoy the moment.The former Funny Car standout continues to improve at each ADRL race, but he raised the bar another level on Friday at Rockingham.Of course, it all came with plenty of work, which Snyder seems to enjoy almost as much as the racing.“We changed everything on the car,” Snyder said. “It seemed like the car would only run in the 80s and high 70s, so we kept changing and playing with it. We thought if we showed up, it would be alright. That first pass showed it could work.“This feels like a new car. It was pretty amazing. It just makes you want more. Now, we want to get in the low 60s.”After Snyder and his crew put in plenty of work on the car - Snyder said no stone was left unturned in their adjustments - they tested during the week of Dragstock in Charlotte, running only 330 feet.It was that portion of the race where Snyder had been struggling, but the changes - and Snyder couldn’t pinpoint just one after all the extensive work his team put in - obviously made a difference with how well he performed right out of the gates at Dragstock.That should make Snyder a major player in 2011.After missing the first three points races of the 2010 season, Snyder won’t have enough time to move into a top eight spot for the world championships.But there’s still plenty for him to accomplish this season and he’s already got an anxious eye on the 2011 campaign.“Right now we’re trying to win a race, get data and get ready for Dallas (in October),” Snyder said. “This is the coolest car I’ve ever seen in my life. I stay up late thinking of new ideas for this car.” A perfect way to get momentum heading into next year would be two impressive performances at the Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags IV, which take place Sept. 24-25 at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH.Dragstock VII will be completed on Friday and Snyder has positioned himself well for a strong weekend.Beyond that race, Snyder is enjoying every moment of racing in the ADRL.“I have guys asking me, ‘When are you going back to Funny Car?’ and I just tell them, I love the ADRL, I love my baby (his car) and I’m very happy,” Snyder said. “I’ll definitely take this.”

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