TIM ENGLES STILL GOING STRONG AT TRI-CITY
by Brian Spaid

June 1, 2007 

   Seven years ago, when last interviewed for The Derrick and The News-Herald, Tim Engles was at a crossroads in his racing career.

   At the time, Engles was driving a DIRTcar Big Block Modified at Tri-City and was certain that his on-track racing endeavors were done.

   However, like NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Mark Martin, the Franklin driver can’t seem to get enough racing out of his blood.

   This Sunday, Engles will join his fellow E Mod competitors in the first E Series race of the 2007 season. The four-race series features a separate point fund and extra distance events for the open wheel class.

   So, why is Engles still racing?

   “That’s a good question,” laughed Engles. “I got back into it when (his son) Jason wanted to give it a shot. We wanted to get back into it for fun. But doing it for fun just doesn’t work. You need to be competitive. You want to run up front.”

   In 2004, the younger Engles, a former DIRTcar Big Block Modified rookie of the year, joined the Pro Stock ranks. His father couldn’t resist the challenge as well. In fact, in 2005, they purchased the championship winning car driven by Bruce Smith of Franklin. Tim Engles drove that car to a win in the Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Senior Series Pro Stock race at Tri-City. He was hooked once again.

   Soon, Team Engles included two race cars and lots of equipment. But the fun started to wear away.

   “I wasn’t sure what to do,” noted Engles. “This E Mod came along when Jason was racing, and I thought I’d give it a stab. (Former car owner) Bob Rial told me that he’d take care of it so that I could concentrate on Jason’s car.  Then, Jason decided he wanted some time off.  I already had an investment in this E Mod, and I decided to concentrate on my program, which is still struggling.”

   Engles, 51, debuted his E Mod in 2006. The car was fast out the box, but Engles quickly realized that he would struggle in a world of Pierce chassis that were favored by Tri-City E Mod racers after the dominance of 45-time feature winner and three-time track champion Brent Rhebergen of Clymer, N.Y.

   “I purchased my car in Salisbury, N.C.,” said Engles. “I found it in a trade paper and decided to go for it. It is a Rocket chassis. It’s actually a Late Model chassis that has been modified into an E Mod chassis by a Southern driver named Phil Gann. I’ve added a few modifications of my own.”

   And the Rocket chassis has given him some fits.

   “Right now, I’m frustrated because I’m not happy with qualifying,” said Engles, who performs sales and service for Mystic Pig Cycle in Reno during the week. “I tested last Saturday at Tri-City, and the car was fast.  During Sunday’s heat race, the car tightened up on me. I’m trying things that people tell me won’t work, but I heard the same thing when I raced in the DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds. What others tell me to do, has not  always worked for me.”

   So far in 2007, Engles has his white-and-green Rocket No. 68 sitting tenth in the E Mod point standings, with a top feature finish of ninth. To improve, Engles continues to work on chassis setup and ensuring that he has the right equipment to make his car run fast.

   Ironically, the “E” in E Mod stands for economy. But racers always want to go faster than the other guys on the track. To do so, they have to have the best and fastest equipment. It’s a never-ending cycle that results in increased costs and team frustration.

   “At the time I bought this car, I had driven about everything but a Late Model and an E Mod. A lot of people were talking about E Mods, and thought I could do it cheaper. Now, I believe I could have fielded a decent DIRTcar Big Block Modified for what I have in the E Mod.”

   Despite his complaints about cost, Engles knows what he got himself into when he bought his car.

   “Racing isn’t going to get cheap. I think the only way is to reduce costs substantially is to run crate motors. Everyone will cry about it, even me. But it’s the only way to make it cheaper.”

   How long does Engles intend to keep on track this newest venture in his racing career?

   “Maybe I’m too old. If I can turn this thing around in the next month, I’d consider myself happy with that. My goal this year was to consistently run in the top ten and get a few good top fives, but so far it isn’t happening. Last year, I only ran ten nights and I suffered from a lot of crashes and spins. This year, the crashing is down. It’s the driver and chassis performance that needs to improve.”

   Engles has experienced quite a few crossroads in his racing career. This time, however, it doesn’t appear that he’s ready to quit until he proves to all that he can make his E Mod run well, and maybe even win a few races.

   Sponsors on Engles' E Mod include Engles Trucking, Backyard Body, and Lowry's Auto Body of Franklin, Mystic Pig Cycle and Les Frickshun of Reno, and Hunter's Truck Sales of Eau Claire.