Wilkerson preparing for next year at season finale

Pomona, prerace: Tim Wilkerson comes to the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals with mixed emotions. It's the last race of the 2006 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing season and it's been a trying year for the Springfield, Ill. Funny Car favorite.

This year has been the toughest Wilkerson has ever faced, and he looks to the season finale to be an end and at the same time, a beginning. Although the highly competitive Wilkerson is always ready to race and always looking for ways to make his hot rod run better, he feels some relief that the end of this tough year is in sight. At the same time, he is filled with anticipation to be setting the groundwork for his Levi, Ray & Shoup Funny Car for 2007.

"There's not much to say about this season," said Wilkerson. "It certainly didn't go the way we had hoped it would last February when it all began. And several races ago I realized that all of our hopes for a good season were dashed, so I began to focus on next year and let this year fall as it may. I decided to get things straightened out on the car now, so that we won't waste any time next February and March figuring things out. I hope that what we've been working on lately will help us get next season off to a running start."

Wilkerson turned his focus to next year several races ago, and has been trying different things at each race, looking for that magic he's been chasing this year.

"We changed our combination in Las Vegas," explained Wilkerson, "looking for some consistency. We were too conservative, so we have another motor combination to try for Pomona. We're just testing for next year, and we'll see how it works out. It would be great if we ended the year on a high note."

Wilkerson would like to finish this year with a strong showing to help catapult him into the 2007 season.