Team Green has something coming up in the near future that we're working on right now. It may work or it may not, but our end goal is to be the No. 1 DHRA Pro Street truck in the country. That means a driveable truck. I hate to see people come to the track not being able to drive it to the line. If you go down the track and you break, that's one thing. But this class was built on basically a borderline street-legal pickup truck. If it gets to where you can't drive it, it's not streetable. Team Green has taken the Green Machine through a drive-thru in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Is that a driveable truck? Yes. Who else is going to say that?
DP: What do you drive on a daily basis?PP: I'm a Ford person by heart, but I have resorted to an '04 Dodge Cummins four-door, black. I've got to have my 5.9L diesel. I eat, sleep, and breathe it. A lot of my gas buddies give me a hard time. But they respect it. People in other areas-even high-echelon gas racing and Outlaw and ORSCA (Outlaw Racing Street Car Association) and ADRL (American Drag Racing League)-we've gotten a lot of exposure. We're almost in the national limelight of ADRL.
DP: How does driving a truck compare with driving a car? You've done both at a high level.PP: There's a big difference because of the torque. Diesels just produce an amazing amount of torque, it seems. It's not comparable to a car in some ways-even the transmissions, the way they lock up. When everything clicks and it hits lockup, it's a feeling like you're in almost warp speed. It's amazing, the amount of torque-the weight versus the torque it has. That's what's really amazing when you realize the difference. You've got to respect what they can do.
DP: Can you describe what it's like to go 150 mph in a diesel truck?PP: It's got a top-end charge that's unreal. It really pulls hard.
DP: What's the scariest part of driving the Green Truck?PP: I guess the scariest part of it is just not making a mistake, not doing well, as far as the competition. As far as a fear of anything like a mechanical failure, I don't really have one, I guess. We're all about safety. We stay up on the cutting edge of any form of safety we can have, from shutoffs to 'cages to all SFI-approved stuff. We're real touchy with that. If it comes down to safety of someone or myself, we'll forfeit a pass in a heartbeat for safety.
DP: Did you anticipate this sort of success when you first started with Team Green?PP: When we first formed the team, we didn't know we were going to gel like we did and become as close as we've become. We've become real good friends, and not just acquaintances or business associates. We're every day-or at least two or three times a week-friends, and we've joined other friends from other states and other teams. That's part of it-the friendships and relationships between other teams and other businesses and other sponsors. That has been probably the biggest highlight, even over winning the championship. It has been good because you meet people. We like to meet people, and we like to help people. That's part of it, and I think that has been part of our success. We've been blessed because we don't mind helping somebody else.
There have been times we've been caught up under somebody else's truck helping them when we could be over there taking care of our own. As far as our original goal, we just wanted to see this truck live. Earl had invested a lot of time and effort in it. If we came across a shortcoming, we'd fix it and go again. We'd find another problem, fix it and keep going. If we ever hit a wall, we'd try to get over the wall, keep going and we'd never let it get us down, even through some of the hard times. That's what has paid off-the perseverance and sticking together and staying fresh and listening to each other's ideas and working together, trying things and being open to suggestions. That's what has got us to where we are.