7 “I enjoy having a hand in designing and implementing the greatest programs in Sportsman drag racing,” he said. “The concept-to-fruition cycle keeps it rewarding.” O’Neal calls one of the IHRA’s greatest attributes its accessibility. The division directors pride themselves on helping the track owners and operators in any way they ask. It may be as simple as a five-minute phone call about the best product to use for a specific task or it can involve a long road trip to help a facility rebuild its starting line. The job includes helping design and building track prep equipment in remote areas to spending hours with a broom and scraper in his own hand to train and help. “On one hand, there isn’t a better job on the planet for a car guy like me,” he said. “But, there are easier ways to get my kicks.” O’Neal was the first among his friends to scrape together enough cash to buy a car with a V-8 growing up. It was a mid-80’s El Camino with a stock 305 motor that he recalled, “Did glorious one-wheel, parking-lot burnouts.” He also had a mid-70’s Chevy Malibu with a 350 that he said, “Couldn’t get out of its own way.” However, with a new set of rings, reworked heads and intake, he joined the 100-mph club at Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio. “I was on top of the world when the 3,800-pound boat anchor went that fast,” he recalled. Working two jobs through college, it put a damper on acquiring many of the parts he wanted. Still, he made frequent trips to the Summit Racing Equipment retail store, where he often found good bargains in the clearance isle. But, his biggest impact on the sport didn’t come as a driver or a crew chief. It has been through other roles, whether it’s meant working at permanent drag racing facilities or helping convert the airport runway at Cleveland and pit road at Atlanta Motor Speedway to drag strips. It has given O’Neal plenty of great memories. “From seeing multiple class records fall while working on-track to seeing my girlfriend’s face after standing on the starting line between Bobby Lagana and Bruce Litton in their Fuel dragsters…,” he said. “From meeting the racers of Eastbound Dragway in Newfoundland during their first-ever Summit SuperSeries event to seeing one of them, Darien Legge, in his Autism Awareness Junior Dragster make it to the Summit Racing Equipment World Finals in Memphis, 2,770 miles from home, I could fill a book with memories.” Super Packages SUPER PACKAGES FOR 79-04 MUSTANGS & 78-88 G-BODY AND THE NEW 68-72 A-BODY SUPER PACKAGES The Super packages are designed for those owners wanting to run a bigger rear tire and upgrade from the stock rear suspension while also allowing the possibility of installing a mini-tub for the rear wheel openings. • Double adjustable upper & lower control arms • Allows for bigger rear tire through mini-tubing • Multiple housing adjustment points • Coil over mounts included • Built-in anti-roll THE NEW STANDARD IN PRO EXTREME AXLE DESIGN - EXTREME WARRANTY WITH AN AFFORDABLE PRICE! • 40 spline, Pro-flanged, gun-drilled axle manufactured out of premium quality alloy steel • Forged from Moser Engineering designed tooling, induction heat-treated to optimize torsional strength, and 100� magnafluxed. • Axles feature a shaft size of 1.705" and oversized 1.774" bearing seats. Moser Pro Extreme Axles MOSER PERFORMANCE DRAG BRAKE KIT OFFERS OPTIONAL STAINLESS STEEL ROTORS AND PAD COMBINATION • Competition Race Series 4 Piston Aluminum rear brake kit. • Dual pad pin design with 0-rings to eliminate pad chatter • 25% more pad contact area than other competing calipers • New Stainless Steel Rotor and Pad option give better control for aggressive braking styles Call TODAY! 260-726-6689 www.moserengineering.com