Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Ousted Dupuy hooks on with Herbert’s team

Thursday, June 23, 2005 | 9:22 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.

It didn't take long for veteran crew chief Wayne Dupuy to land on his feet.

Dupuy, who parted ways with team owner Joe Amato and NHRA Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas on Sunday, has been hired to tune the Snap-on Tools Top Fuel dragster piloted by owner/driver Doug Herbert.

"We've already been working with Wayne as part of the deal we had with Joe Amato and when I found out he was planning on leaving to go work with another team. I did everything I could to convince him to work with me," Herbert said. "Wayne has been part of the major changes we have made to the car this year and he's familiar with the team and the car and I think it will be a real smooth transition.

"I have liked Wayne's approach at running a car for some time and for whatever reason he was leaving the Amato team. I wanted him to work with us and I'm thrilled he agreed to tune my car."

Dupuy replaces Rob Flynn, who was not retained by Herbert.

"I really like Rob Flynn and I hope he bounces back with another team real soon," Herbert said. "This is a performance-based deal and the timing wasn't perfect, I will agree, but I didn't want to miss out on a great opportunity.

"I don't think either Rob or myself was happy with the performance of the car and I think Rob just got caught in the middle of this deal because of timing."

Herbert is ninth in Top Fuel points going into this weekend's Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill.

AMATO TABS STEWART: Amato hired John Stewart this week to replace Dupuy as crew chief on the Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster.

Johnson has worked for Darrell Gwynn Racing, Connie Kalitta, Shirley Muldowney, Cruz Pedregon, Shelly Anderson, Tim Wilkerson, Dean Skuza, Jim Epler, Bob Vandergriff, Don Prudhomme's Snake Racing and the Carrier Boyz Top Fuel team during his career.

Lucas, who is fifth in NHRA Top Fuel points, said he was eager to start working with Stewart.

"I'm looking forward to this new experience," Lucas said. "It's the start of a new racing chapter in my career. The entire crew is upbeat about John coming on board our Lucas Oil racing team.

"I've known John Stewart for a long time. He has always been a really good friend and he's a standup kind of guy that does what he says. We can't help but look forward to the future and I think we can develop something good."

TOUGH WEEKEND: The late Darrell Russell no doubt will be on everybody's mind when the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series pulls into Gateway International Raceway for the Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals. This will be the first NHRA event at Gateway since Russell was killed at the track during a run last June 27.

The weekend will be especially rough on Dupuy, who was Russell's crew chief last season.

"It's going to be very difficult being back in St. Louis and I have been trying to prepare for this for a while," Dupuy said. "The only thing I can do is try to block out what happened last year and focus on the race at hand.

"We need to concentrate on the car and act like it's any other race. I realize that's easier said than done and I think it will be real tough at times. I don't want to be back in the same city (let alone) the track, but we have to keep going."

Dupuy, who left Joe Amato Racing last Sunday, said starting a new job will help him get through this weekend's race.

"Having a new team is going to help me because I don't know how I am going to handle being at the same track where we lost Darrell and I am going to need all the distractions I can get," he said. "Having a new team that I am eager to get a good start with should help keep me focused on the race.

"Every day I just try to remember on all of the good times I had with Darrell and I remind myself that one day I will see him again. But I still miss him every day."