RACE 101 Keeps Hoosier Racer Hungry  

CRA Street Stocks Series competitor set for Super Late Model debut soon (Special from RACE 101)

November 6, 2013

Denver, North Carolina (November 6, 2013) – TJ Flynn dressed up in full gear this past weekend, but it wasn’t for Halloween. The Greenwood, Ind. resident spent the weekend in North Carolina at the RACE 101 program for up and coming young race car drivers. Halloween weekend was the final trip for the students in the RACE 101 program. The majority of TJ’s time is taken up as a mechanical engineering student at IUPUI but he found the time to get away on a business trip. “I had an exam early morning on Halloween and then had to hop on a flight to Charlotte immediately after,” Flynn said. “Luckily there were no tricks in my travels.”

RACE 101 is a program designed to educate aspiring racers about the race cars and help tune their marketing skills. Learning more about the mechanical systems and terminology was most appealing to TJ, but he quickly realized there was more to absorb from this opportunity. Mock interviews were the toughest obstacle for Flynn but after practice he feels more comfortable about the situation. “This weekend Tony and Samuel, RACE 101 instructors, had interviewed us about what we have learned throughout the year and how our racing year has progressed. The toughest interview for me was when Samuel asked us tough questions about an unexpected situation and we had to think on the spot to cover ourselves. This caused all of us to feel uncomfortable but gives us that experience so if we were ever asked a challenging question, we understand how to respond” said Flynn.

The program has quickly changed how Flynn looks at his car and adjusts his setup. Learning how to adjust the setup is not something you learn overnight or even in a year, it’s an ongoing process that even the best have to stay on top of. “Tony Blanchard has done a great job to get us to really think about what occurs to the car as we are traveling through the turn; from the dynamics of the engine to powering the wheels to the suspension traveling up and down.” The CRA Street Stock division that Flynn competes in provides tough competition at each stop on the circuit. “There are multiple drivers that could win on any given night,” he said. “I think this is great because it keeps everyone on their best level and hungry to keep finding that last bit of speed. I came into the Street Stock class not really knowing what I needed to know. After attending RACE 101 I have learned more about the car and I understand what I need to further educate myself on.”

This season Flynn and his team have made key improvements to the #11T car and have made a list of items on the car to update for the 2014 season. “Finally getting a Top 10 in CRA competition was a milestone I wanted to achieve,” he said. “Cracking the Top 5 next year is definitely an achievable goal for us. I am confident in my team that we can bring a high quality car to the track but also adjust it throughout race day to put ourselves in a position to compete up front.”

“I would not have gotten to this point without Dewaine McGunegill providing me with an engine among the best out there. Thankfully that is a huge aspect I don’t have to worry about. Russell Winegar has helped me get my feet wet with setup and tuning the car. His support has helped me apply my learning experience from RACE 101 to my car. And lastly, Sonny Bratcher has provided me with some amazing fabrication updates to my car” Flynn said.

TJ is motivated to prepare his car this offseason for the 2014 campaign and is also excited about the last part of the RACE 101 program. Flynn will have the opportunity to drive a Super Late Model in North Carolina while working with Blanchard on his driving. This experience is invaluable to the 21-year-old driver who looks to be able to move up in a Super Late model soon.

To keep up with TJ and his racing adventures, you can “Like” his Facebook fan page or follow him on twitter at @TJFlynn11