Fresh Asphalt: Tom Hammond

From the NBA to NHRA Pro Stock, he is a player

The last three national NHRA events of 2007 confirm Tom Hammonds is not back in the game just for relaxation. In as much as drag racing has been referred to as simply an asphalt golf course, it requires more concentration, combined with technical savvy, the results of testing and improvements confirms that with the right sponsors, the predicament of possibly being an “also ran” is a characteristic that many NHRA competitors have to deal with.

Hammonds knows all about that predicament, watching or being a staunch competitor. The choice was to make the investment in a facility to house a racing operation in Florida to do what he loves- compete. The NBA is history, NHRA Pro-Stock competition is the future.

The primary “tool” one needs to compete in NHRA is a facility or “launch pad” for a racing operation. After several months of preparation, Tom Hammonds opened his new facility in Holt, Florida. It was something that people in the community had been waiting to get a glimpse of for quite some time. During the grand opening last year, which drew an extremely large crowd, (when you consider the population of Holt, FL) Hammonds also showed the crowd all the ins and outs of what he has to do and what his crew does on a daily basis to get ready for a race. Autographing T-shirts, taking pictures with the public and giving the public an inside view of NHRA competition was the norm for the day.

The facility consists of a dyno-room that Hammonds demonstrated in front of a crowd during the grand opening. Along with the dyno-room is a very large show room, located directly in the front of the garage for viewers to see when doing business with Hammonds Racing Enterprises. The facility is large enough to house the total racing operation. Large enough to be classified as a “must see” for tourists visiting the small town of Holt.

Grand opening over; close the shop and get down to business. But of course, what it takes now is sponsorship. Hammonds Racing Enterprises, unlike the myriad of competitors, has a niche market appeal. A recognized personality throughout the NBA and its affiliates and a standout in any crowd. Having competed in the NBA for 12 years before finally retiring, the ability to inculcate youth with positive images as well as abilities reach outside of the mainstream of the already diverse NHRA appeal is a benefit he brings to the sport. This second career will not find him sitting of the bench and standing around trying to figure out his next move, or “the next play”.

Without a primary sponsor and while the shop was under construction, Hammonds surprisingly qualified his Chevy Cobalt in all appearances except one on the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series in 2007. Having won enough rounds to complete the abbreviated 2007 season with 456 points at year-end, the tribulations throughout the year was not the power, but getting the chassis dialed in on the varied tricky physical surfaces of the many tracks across the country.

All aspects of NHRA competition are tough, Pro-Stock being one of the toughest in that there is no room for error. No “do-over’s”, no catch-ups. NHRA has set the parities and the primary components are at the tree and making the power. The chassis set-up must be so precise for each track, one turn on the set-up can cause an ill-handling chassis to react a bit different than your competitor, in a given lane, at a given temperature, with a given humidity and air density level, you lose. Boy, what a science!

Things began to improve after the Vegas event last October when the team stayed a few days after the event for testing. That learned was chassis settings aligned with varied track conditions divided into proven horsepower paralleled with driving ability equals a win light; whew!

It’s a tough business but we love it!

--Elliott Smith