TEAM SIPPLE HITS 300MPH After several years of hard work, Sipple Motorsports and the Interstate Equipment Top Fuel dragster reached drag racing’s 300mph barrier.  The team reached the goal last Saturday in qualifying for the IHRA Spring Nationals in Rockingham, NC. After reaching the semi-finals in San Antonio two weeks ago, the team hoped to continue building momentum at “The Rock.”  The event would be the first quarter-mile runs on the new car since bad weather shortened off-season testing.  After the second of three qualifying runs the team was 10th and out of the eight car field. “Interstate Equipment had a lot of customers and guests in attendance,” said driver Kevin Jones.  “Our goal is always to qualify, but it was especially important in this instance.”  After reviewing the data from earlier runs, Crew Chief Mike Sipple made the tune-up decision.  It was a decision that would pay off in a big way. The car started strong and Jones guided it down the track with a time of 4.786 seconds at 300.86mph.  The run not only got the car qualified, but it was also the first time Jones and the Sipple Motorsports team had broken the 300mph barrier.  When the numbers lit up on the scoreboard, the crew celebrated at the starting line. “Finally, that was my first thought,” said Sipple.  “That thing has haunted me since we ran a 4.89 at 297.75mph and now I can finally say we have a 300mph race car.”  Sipple added, “Stephens Oil in Lexington and Darrin’s Computer Cars in Berea help us out tremendously and it is great to be able to show them what we can do.” Jones on the other hand had no idea they had achieved a drag racer’s dream.  “I went thru the traps, pulled the chutes and asked on the radio what we ran,” said Jones.  “Nobody answered so I figured everyone was disgusted and took headsets off.”  Jones didn’t even bother to ask IHRA officials at the end of track.  “I was just doing my routine stuff and here came the crew honking the horn,” said Jones.  “I couldn’t believe it when they told me because I didn’t think it was pulling quite as hard as previous runs, but we were happy we got in the field.” The celebration was short lived however as work immediately began for Sunday eliminations.  After working late to change motors the crew got a nice surprise when they were awarded “Best Appearing Pro Team” by IHRA.  The Interstate Equipment team hoped the good news would continue in the first round match up against Mike Strasburg. Jones got a slight edge at the starting line with a 0.099 second reaction time to Strasburg’s 0.124.  However, Jones had a cylinder out allowing Strasburg to quickly catch-up.  The cylinder re-lit, but Jones pedaled the car when the tires began to shake and Strasburg held on for the win.  The Interstate Equipment Dragster ran 4.947 seconds at 283.79mph to Strasburg’s 4.735 at 316.23mph. SIPPLE MOTORSPORTS HAS SOLID 2008 OPENER The Interstate Equipment Top Fuel Dragster competed in the Texas Nationals last weekend in San Antonio.  Despite Mother Nature hampering off-season testing, the Sipple Motorsports team advanced to the semi-finals. It was a weekend of hard work for the crew even though the event was shortened to eighth-mile runs.  Since the team went to Texas without the full compliment of testing, crew Chief Mike Sipple was still learning the completely rebuilt car and engine combination.  This meant Sipple would have to learn the car and adjust on the fly.     In Friday night qualifying, the car started off strong before losing the blower at about 250 feet.  The Interstate Equipment car finished the night in the 7th position.  Saturday afternoon was hot with track temperatures over 120 degrees causing most cars to struggle.  Driver Kevin Jones and team Sipple smoked the tires and fell out to 10th in qualifying.  The team needed to have a great run Saturday night just to make the eight car field. As the evening came the pressure mounted.  The Sipple Motorsports team did not want to miss the first race with Interstate Equipment as primary sponsor.  Jones was on a great pass until the supercharger backfired at about 500 feet.  Despite coasting the last 160 feet, the run was good enough to make the field at 3.259 seconds and only 213mph.  The field was extremely competitive with 1st and 8th separated by less than .015 seconds. When the car pulled back into the pit after Saturday night’s run, the crew discovered it would be an all-nighter.  Basically everything from the cockpit back was damaged in the explosion.  Going on only a couple hours of sleep, the team basically rebuilt the car including replacing the entire motor, fuel pump, hat and new wiring and air lines.  Crew Chief Mike Sipple was very proud if his crew.  “I am thrilled with my team,” said Sipple.  “We have the best team out there and I know everybody says that, but they do what is needed with no questions asked.” The long hours Saturday would not have been enough to go down the track Sunday without some help.  “We owe a big thanks to a few people and they know who they are,” said Sipple.  “We have some true friends at the track.  They are always there when we need them, and I can’t explain how much that means to me.” Sunday brought a first round match up against Bobby Lagana Jr.  The Interstate Equipment car trailed in the first hundred feet, but when Lagana went into tire smoke, Jones overtook him for the win.  Furthermore, there was no engine damage and it would be standard service for the semi-final round. Spencer Massey, driving for Mitch King was the opponent after he stunned defending champ Bruce Litton in the first round.  They were even off the tree, but Jones had a cylinder out on the hit of the throttle giving an advantage to Massey.  The cylinder relit and Jones closed in, but the shortened eighth mile race did not give him enough time to catch up, giving the win light went to Massey.  Jones ran 3.363 seconds at 250mph to Massey’s 3.330 at 223mph.  The margin of victory was .0447 seconds or about 16 feet. Massey went on the win the event, but the Sipple Motorsports team was satisfied with the outcome.  “I am never satisfied when we don’t win, but that is a good start,” said Jones.  “Coming down to the last run on Saturday night just to qualify is not a position we want to be in, but my team put faith in me and we pulled it out and made it happen.” The Interstate Equipment Dragster has a week off before heading to Rockingham, NC for the Spring Nationals April 18th-20th.  Sipple knows the Interstate Equipment car has room to improve.  “I am exactly where I thought we needed to be after the Valdosta test session,” said Sipple.  “We are still a few runs behind in being able to run the car in a fast and competitive manner.” “We have an obligation to perform well for Interstate, Kendall Motor Oil, Stephens Oil in Lexington and Darrin’s Computer Cars,” said Sipple.  “We don’t want to let them down.” Jones agrees and hopes the information and results at the eighth mile San Antonio race continue to improve in Rockingham.  “It was a confidence builder, but we have another 660ft to get to the quarter mile.  I mean you want to win them all but until we reach our 300mph goal I won’t be happy,” said Jones. For more information and photos, visit www.sipplemotorsports.com   Sipple Motorsports Heads West For Season Opener
		The Interstate Equipment Top Fuel team heads to San Antonio, TX this weekend for the season opening IHRA race.  The Sipple Motorsports team and driver Kevin Jones are excited to get a completely rebuilt car into competition. With Interstate Equipment coming on board as primary sponsor for the full season, the crew spent countless hours preparing.  The chassis was front and back halved over the winter and the Sipple Motorsports crew made other engine and design changes to improve performance.  Now the team looks to be competitive against the best racers the IHRA has to offer.  After two successful late spring test sessions, the Interstate Equipment machine was putting down some strong 60 foot times.  After bad weather cancelled two days at the ESTN test session, Crew Chief Mike Sipple still feels they have some catching up to do.  “I am hopeful that the Lord will bless us with a good weekend, but I am still a little on edge, said Sipple.  “I just want the performance to match the anticipation.” Driver Kevin Jones is also ready to finally get to the track.  “I think we all have a case of the pre race jitters.  Once that Nitro fires we will settle in and know that all our hard work this winter will pay off,” said Jones. The Interstate Equipment Top Fuel Dragster will also feature an all new paint scheme this season.  Kendall Motor Oil, Stephens Oil Company and Darrin’s Computer Cars join the team as associate sponsors for the 2008 season. For more information and updates on the Interstate Equipment Dragster and Sipple Motorsports, visit www.sipplemotorsports.com.

Sipple Motorsports Announces New Sponsor for 2008

Sipple Motorsports is thrilled to announce a sponsorship agreement with Interstate Equipment Sales & Rentals for 2008.  After sponsoring the team on a smaller scale the previous two seasons, Interstate Equipment will take on primary sponsorship for 2008.  With full backing, the Sipple Motorsports Top Fuel team will attend all 11 races on the IHRA schedule.

The Sipple Motorsports team and driver Kevin Jones competed in four races last year including their first ever win in Tulsa.  While struggling to post the numbers it wanted, the crew saw progress throughout the year.  The incremental times improved dramatically and the team ended the season with a semi-finals appearance in Rockingham at the World Finals.

Now with full funding, the team looks to build on that momentum created in the 2007 season.  “My main goal is to win more rounds than we lose,” said Jones.  “However we also want to earn the respect of the IHRA and our fellow competitors.  We are not looking to get it for free, we want to earn it.”

Crew Chief Mike Sipple agreed with Jones’ goals.  “We have not shown anything yet.  We want to prove ourselves and find the speed that the car is capable of running.”  Sipple said his number one priority is to qualify for every race.  “If we qualify for every race and make it to Sunday great things can happen,” said Sipple.

When the sponsorship agreement was finalized, there was a sense of excitement.  Sipple said his first thought was “is this really happening?”  After several years of running Top Fuel without a primary sponsor, a dream was beginning to be realized.  “We get a chance to see what we can do without constantly worrying about money,” said Sipple.  “We are thankful to Interstate Equipment for having confidence in us and we are working hard to give them a return on their investment.

Team Owner John “Doc” Sipple was also thrilled with the agreement.  “We are very lucky to have a sponsor that truly is as excited as we are.”  Doc went on to compliment the Interstate Equipment organization.  “In competition you have the ability to raise your standards and you do that by being involved with people of high integrity.  We are lucky enough to do just that this season.”

The excitement of the agreement extended into the driver’s seat. “I am confident we can get the job done for them,” said Jones.  “I know we can make them proud to be our full-time sponsor.”

The team plans to head south for two practice sessions by early March.  The IHRA season kicks off with the Amalie Oil Texas Nationals in San Antonio April 4-6.  For more information, please visit www.sipplemotorsports.com.

Owner: John "Doc" Sipple
Driver: Kevin Jones
Crew Chief: Mike Sipple

Please visit our sponsor site at www.interstateequipment.com.

The Perfect Storm: Sipple Motorsports Wins In Tornado Alley

It took a wild series of events, but the Interstate Equipment Top Fuel Dragster won the IHRA Skull Shine Sooner Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday. The number of circumstances that led to the win was staggering: a rain out, driver withdrawals, a rain delay, an oil-down and a borrowed blower.

However, driver Kevin Jones and the Sipple Motorsports team took full advantage as they picked up their first ever national event victory. It all started in May, on the original race weekend. The team qualified 12th and failed to make one of fastest eight car fields in the last 2 years. Heavy rains struck the area on Sunday and the eliminations were washed out and moved to June.

Then, the week of the rescheduled race Doug Foley, who was third in the point standings, chose to race in the NHRA event the same weekend. That left one spot open, but the Interstate Equipment Dragster was still three spots out of making the field. However, only three days before the race, IHRA officials called Jones and notified him that all three cars in front of him were unable to make the race. The Sipple Motorsports team was in the field as a fourth alternate.

In the first round of elimination Jones faced off against veteran Luigi Novelli. Kevin got a big jump off the line and held on for his first ever round win. Unfortunately the engine was badly hurt on the run of 5.12 seconds at 249.53mph. The damage was focused on the blower and a cylinder head. It would take a miracle to repair the damaged engine and be ready for round two, which was only 90 minutes away.

This is where the situation turned wild. Crew Chief Mike Sipple worked a deal with a competitor in the next pit stall, Bruce Litton, to run his spare blower. Then, with repairs under way, a rain storm hit the track and caused a three hour rain delay. The Sipple team worked feverishly to try and get ready, but the mood began to turn somber as the track dried. As the Sportsman Series cars resumed racing, a car leaked a large amount of oil on the track causing another 30 minute delay. That delay allowed the team to finish repairs and head to the staging lanes with less than five minutes to spare. However, the Interstate Equipment team was not able to do the normal start-up in the pits.

In round two, Jones went to the starting line against Mike Strasburg, not knowing if the car would even fire. It did and when Strasburg jumped the start and red-lighted, Jones coasted down the track and into his first ever final round appearance. The opponent in the finals would be the very man that helped team Sipple only a few minutes earlier, Bruce Litton.

The Sipple Motorsports team worked full speed ahead and got the car ready to go for the finals, but again, the team was forced to skip the pre-race start-up. Litton’s team and crew have helped the Sipple’s tremendously over the years, and even as they prepared to race for the win, Litton and his Crew Chief Mike Wolfarth, still came over to make sure the Sipple Motorsports team was in good shape.

As they left the start line, Litton had a small advantage over the Interstate Equipment Dragster. However, Bruce lost traction around the 200 foot mark which allowed Jones to overtake him. Despite losing the motor before the finish, Jones went across the line for the Sipple Motorsports’ first Top Fuel win. Jones’ run was 5.13 seconds at 260.71mph while Litton coasted across in 7.75 seconds at only 92.11mph. The fans in Tulsa witnessed a gigantic upset.

Among the laughter and tears, Jones was thrilled. “I am stunned, it is simply a dream come true. This is why you work so hard, staying at the shop until midnight and missing time with your family. Winning is the cure all.” Crew Chief Mike Sipple was also very emotional after the win saying “For me it is fulfillment, fulfillment of what you are passionate about and what you love. It is about getting the results you anticipated and expected all along.” Mike went on to add, “I miss my family when we go on the road to races, but when God allows you these high points I think you take them and enjoy them.”

Despite the thrill of victory among the crew there was the knowledge that a big piece of the team was back home in Berea. Owner John “Doc” Sipple missed a race for the first time due to health issues. “I miss him being here so much, it means the world to me for us to win this thing for Doc. I would give anything for him to be here with us right now,” said Jones.

Doc Sipple was celebrating, just not in Tulsa. He was still happy on Sunday, saying “It was very emotional not being there, but I think we have the best team in the IHRA. I have faith in every person’s ability to get the job done.” He added, “It wasn’t just the guys there in Tulsa that can take credit for this win. It took many people over the years to make this team a success. We want to continue moving forward and compete for championships.”

Jones was also very proud of the team. “It was a 120% team effort. Despite everything that happened and with our backs against the wall, those guys found a way to pull it out at the end. That is what makes a team great.”

The Sooner Nationals can be seen on SPEED Channel on July 7th at 2:30pm. Up next for Sipple Motorsports is the MOPAR Canadian Nationals in Grand Bend, Ontario Canada July 20-22. The entire Sipple Motorsports team wants to thank Interstate Equipment Sales & Rentals, Darrin’s Computer Cars and Kendall Motor Oil.