Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Phone call changed life of racer Wilson

Friday, March 29, 2002 | 10:32 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Gene Wilson was at home earlier this month, preparing to begin defense of his International Hot Rod Association Pro Stock championship, when the phone rang.

On the other end of the line was David Nickens, who asked Wilson if he would like to audition for the seat in the NHRA Mopar Parts Dodge Neon R/T Pro Stock that was vacated when Mark Osborne retired.

"My jaw hit the floor," the 29-year-old Wilson said of his reaction to the offer. "I had been with the IHRA for the past four years and I was all set to go and defend the title for 2002 but that phone call changed all that.

"Obviously it's a tremendous opportunity for me because the NHRA is definitely where I wanted to be."

Wilson was one of several drivers to interview for the job and finally was offered the position the week before the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. With only a few runs in the Nickens Brothers Racing Dodge, Wilson went to Gainesville and missed qualifying for Sunday's eliminations by a mere 2/1000 of a second.

"That's one of the biggest differences between the (IHRA and NHRA); the fields are so tight," Wilson said. "Our car was at the top of the list in every session that we ran, but the first session that we ran had the best conditions for the Pro Stock cars and that was the session we really needed to get in on. That was my first pass in the car and I didn't get down the track on the first attempt.

"All the other three attempts I had, we were in the uppermost part of the list but we just missed it by two-thousandths of a second."

Wilson said he is confident he will qualify for his first NHRA national event next weekend when the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series visits The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the third annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.

"Las Vegas is going to be a different deal," Wilson said. "I know I've got a car that can do it and I've got a team that can do it and that does a lot for a driver's confidence.

"I'm not one to sit back and make announcements about what we'll do (this year) ... but hopefully we can get a couple of wins this year. I don't think anybody should count us out -- we've got the capability to do well in these races and I think we can do it."

The quartet will join previously announced drivers Tony Schumacher, Doug Kalitta, Cruz Pedregon, Darrell Russell, Del Worsham and Johnny Gray at the event. Schumacher's U.S. Army-sponsored Top Fuel dragster also will be on display during the autograph session.

Gordon, who drives the No. 31 Chevrolet for Richard Childress in the Winston Cup Series, on Thursday announced that he would drive a Dallara/Chevrolet for team owners John Menard and Childress in the Indy 500. Cingular Wireless, Gordon's sponsor in the Winston Cup Series, also will sponsor his Indy entry.

It will be the third time Gordon has attempted to run both races on the same day -- but his previous two attempts were hampered by weather. A rain delay in the 2001 Indy 500 forced Gordon to miss the start of the Coca-Cola 600. In 1997, rain postponed the Indy 500 until the next day.

"I'm really pumped up about the chance to run the double again and hopefully win both races with Cingular Wireless," Gordon said. "I've been competitive in the Indy 500 every year and have come within a lap of winning it; we've just let a few slip away from us.

"With John Menard's experience at Indy and Richard Childress's winning experience in Winston Cup, I think the Cingular Wireless car is going to have a good shot at winning both races."

The team was forced to park Bodine's car following the Las Vegas Winston Cup race -- after Bodine won the pole. Nemechek ran three more races before the team closed its doors.

Waltrip will reunite with former crew chief Jeff Hammond and will drive the No. 17 Duck Head Footwear Dodge in the Advance Auto Parts 250. Waltrip and Hammond serve as analysts on Fox's NASCAR telecasts.

"Jeff and I want to thank FOX Sports' David Hill and Ed Goren for letting us take advantage of this opportunity," Waltrip said. "We were supposed to be in Nashville broadcasting the NASCAR Busch Series event for FX, but they were kind enough to let us go racing. This is going to be fun."

Waltrip earned 11 of his 84 career Winston Cup wins at Martinsville and finished fifth in the Truck Series race at Martinsville in 1996.