Jerry Bickel Race Cars Having Standout Season On 2012 ADRL Tour

The American Drag Racing League’s (ADRL) 2012 season is at its halfway point and it has already been a successful year for ADRL sponsor Jerry Bickel Race Cars.

That should come as no surprise considering the time and commitment paid to each car by one of the premier chassis builders in the nation.

From ADRL winners like Robert Patrick Jr. in Pro Nitrous to Todd Hoerner in Extreme Pro Stock, Bickel and JBRC has produced cars for some of the most successful ADRL drivers in 2012 heading into the upcoming Summer Drags VIII, which takes place July 13-14 at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich.

One of JBRC’s big undertakings heading into this season was his new 2012 ZL1 Camaro, which Hoerner drove to become the first 2012 Pro Stock Camaro to reach the winner’s circle.

It took three trips to the General Motors (GM) wind tunnel and plenty of hard work to end up with a finished product that has drawn rave reviews.

“We built the car to look as much as a Camaro as we could and be as aerodynamic as we thought. When we took it to the wind tunnel the shape of the Camaro was a real challenge,” Bickel said.

“You want to keep the overall look of the Camaro, which I think we did a pretty good job

of, but you have to keep the car balanced. It was a pretty big challenge and it took three sessions in the wind tunnel to get it right.”

Hoerner’s 2012 Camaro has been impressive, as he won the Gateway Drags IV in St. Louis in just his third ADRL race.

That it came close to Bickel’s St. Louis-area based shop made it all the more meaningful for JBRC.

“I think we accomplished what we were trying to do. That Camaro is the best car that has ever been in GM’s wind tunnel,” Bickel said. “I think we did a good job keeping the Camaro look with it as well.

“I’m so glad he won in St. Louis and that was a pretty neat thing to see.”

Bickel and the employees at his massive, state-of-the-art 20,000 square-foot facility have also embraced the electronic fuel injection (EFI) technology that has become popular in the ADRL in 2012.

“The EFI is a cool deal, too, and I think it’s going to make an impact in drag racing. I think you’re going to see more and more going to EFI and hopefully more going to my Camaro body, whether I build the car or someone else does,” Bickel said. “This body is available to anybody.”

In addition to Hoerner, others using the EFI set-up driving a JBRC include Summit Racing Equipment Top Sportsman driver Chuck Mohn, who has been the No. 1 qualifier in the class at every ADRL race in 2012, and Aeromotive Fuel Systems standout Rickie Smith.

The list of successful clients includes several more ADRL standouts, including Pro Nitrous driver Burton Auxier and Bob Rahaim, who have each went to two ADRL finals in 2012, Pro Extreme driver Dan Millen and Lizzy Musi, who recently debuted her new JBRC Camaro in Summit Racing Top Sportsman.

“She was really great to work with,” Bickel said. “She did a great job. It took a little bit to get the set-up right, but when she ran that 4.15, we were so proud of her. She’s got a great combination now and I think she’s going to do a great job.”

The Summer Drags VIII at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park is the sixth stop on the 10-race 2012 ADRL Tour. Tickets can be purchased at www.adrl.us/tickets and discount tickets are available at any area O’Reilly Auto Parts store.

For more information on Jerry Bickel Race Cars, visit www.jerrybickel.com or call (636) 356-4727.

(Photos by ADRL/Richards)