Charles Carpenter’s new ’55 to make its debut this weekend

(5-21-2008) CHARLOTTE, NC – After nearly seven months, Charles Carpenter can’t stand it much longer; he has to drop the hammer on a Shoebox Chevy soon. Luckily for Carpenter (and everyone that is around him on a daily basis), he will get that chance this weekend at the Quick 8 Racers Association race at Farmington Dragway.

“It’s been a long offseason,” Carpenter admitted. “Between selling my other car and building a new one, we managed to stay busy. But when the weather started turning warmer here in North Carolina and everyone went racing, I got the itch really bad. I’ve got to get on the track.”

When Carpenter takes to the Farmington 1/8th mile this weekend, it will be in a brand new Terry Murphy ’55 Chevy. While the body and paint scheme may bring back vivid memories of the car Carpenter campaigned for more than a decade, the 34-year veteran is quick to caution against such thinking.

“This car is radically different,” said Carpenter. “The paint scheme is about the only thing that hasn’t changed dramatically. We’ve done a lot of things that we would have liked to have done to the other car, but that weren’t feasible. A lot has changed in Pro Mod since the other car was built, and we feel like we have caught up with that technology now. Add in the fact that this car is about 150 lbs. lighter than the other one, and we think we will have a bad hot rod. There is definitely no other car on the planet like it, and that’s a really good thing. I love that.”

While Carpenter is the type of guy that doesn’t like to miss any race, he feels that the extra time and effort that was taken to complete the car will pay off in the end. “I hate that we missed the first two races of the ADRL season and a couple other quick 8s, but it may have been a blessing in disguise. Right now we have almost two months to test and get the car worked in before we make our ADRL debut at the Independence Drags at Motor Mile Dragway,” Carpenter said. “We’ve got no sponsor as of yet so we are just taking it one day at a time. We won’t be going to Tulsa and you won’t see us in Martin unless something changes. It’s just the state of affairs in this game right now, and that’s unfortunate for the racers and fans.”

While things may go up and down in the sport of drag racing, one thing will always remain a constant: Charles Carpenter in the baddest ’55 Chevy he can put together.

“I have no doubt in my mind that we can consistently dip in the three-second zone with this car,” Carpenter said. “We’ve got all the right parts and pieces to do it, and we aren’t scared of hard work. Pat Doherty is still supporting our program, and Paul Albino has been down from Connecticut to complete all the wiring and finishing details on the car. He, Mike, and Terry Murphy will all be at Farmington this weekend helping me get this thing sorted out. I can’t wait.”

Carpenter had a lot of help getting the new car together, and would like to thank the following for their support:
Custom Autosound
Buddy’s Automotive Concepts
Santhuff Shocks & Struts
Goodridge USA
JAZ Products
Goodyear
RJS Safety Equipment
Stroud Safety
RH2Way / NitroRadio
Bell Helmets
MagnaFuel
WFO Racing & Machine
Total Induction Tuning Solutions
BatteriesAreUs.com
Terry Murphy Racecars
Liquid Powdercoat & Finishes, Kansas City

Carpenter is actively seeking primary sponsorship for 2008. For more information about Charles Carpenter Racing and the World’s Fastest ’55 Chevy, or for a copy of the team’s 2008 Marketing Partnership Guide, visit Charles Carpenter Racing.