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RACING
Enter Max Naylor, a former drag racer, drag strip owner and UPS manager who decided, along with his wife, Jane, that Pro Stock racing is where they wanted to be. Although Naylor's name may be new on the NHRA Pro roster, he's well on his way to making the grade. Naylor's background is extensive. He competed throughout the Northeast in the '70s and early '80s with his beautiful '69 Plymouth Roadrunner. A capable driver who won numerous Super Stock and Sportsman racing events, Naylor turned the tables and went from behind the steering wheel to behind the desk, purchasing Numidia Raceway in Pennsylvania back in the '80s. He operated Numidia for 18 years and did well enough to earn a NORA "Track of the Year" award. Naylor, now 53, wasn't completely happy being a racetrack owner. The urge to race kept gnawing at him, so in 2004 he sold Numidia Raceway and bought a brand-new Pro Stock Dodge built by Rick Jones. He was on his way. Naylor burst onto the Pro Stock scene late in 2005 with his Dodge Hemi entry. He surfaced at Maple Grove's Toyo Tires Nationals in September, just a few races before the season's end. He ran well, and used the remainder of the 2005 season to learn the demands of competing, calling the experience his "learning curve." "Driving a Pro Stock car is not easy," Naylor said. "It took me a good 40 to 50 runs of practice just to get to the point where I felt comfortable in knowing where the car was going. It was then that I could concentrate on cutting a good light and my shift points. But these things are not easy to drive. When I tried to qualify at Maple Grove last year, I had enough experience that I didn't come out to my home track and make a fool of myself." In early 2006, Naylor announced the signing of a major sponsor, Jagermeister, a popular alcoholic beverage. He and Jagermeister worked on a hospitality and entertainment program, and each race weekend the Naylor/Jagermeister Racing Hospitality Tent is the center of attention with music, guests and a party atmosphere. Naylor rewarded his sponsor by qualifying for his first Pro Stock race at the Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals in Phoenix early that season. But suddenly, things took a turn for the worse. On a practice run March 15 in his brand-new car, Max crashed at Georgia Motorsports Park following a 6.71-second, 207-mph run when the chutes failed to deploy. The accident forced Max to go to a backup car, thanks to Larry Morgan, fellow Dodge Pro Stock racer who provides engines for Naylor's efforts. Naylor quickly bounced back from the accident, repaired his crashed car and has run very well. He went to the quarterfinals in one event, and returned to Maple Grove for the 2006 Toyo Tires event in September, where he qualified in what would go down as the quickest Pro Stock field ever. His best run to date is a 6.637 at 207.27 mph, and he's in the running for the NHRA Rookie of the Year, a title that would certainly be deserved. Max and Jane, who reside in New Buffalo, Pa., are prime examples of reaching for a dream ... and getting it. Write to Greg Zyla in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475, or send an e-mail to letters.kfws@hearstsc.com. (c) 2006 King Features Synd., Inc. |
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