5/17/2016
Keith Haney
Runner-up at Throw Down has Keith Haney primed for PDRA Texas Nationals
Keith Haney and his Keith Haney Racing team return to Professional Drag Racers Association competition this weekend fresh off an eventful but successful Throw Down in T-Town. Racing on the track he co-owns with Todd Martin, Haney raced to the Pro Nitrous final at Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park.
Haney and his KHR team now head to Texas Motorplex, where the PDRA hosts its third race of the 2016 season
"Reher-Morrison already has the motor apart and put new sleeves in it," Haney said of an engine hurt at the Throw Down. "We're getting it all fixed back up, and we'll be in Texas this coming weekend trying to drag all their asses there."
Haney's Lucas Oil/RacingJunk.com Camaro, nicknamed Notorious, was plenty fast at Tulsa, winning the No. 1 qualifying spot and racing to the final round, but it was a wild weekend.
Haney was No. 1 after the first qualifying session before being bumped down, but in the final session, his pass of 3.785 seconds at 200.74 mph recaptured the No. 1 spot
"I don't think it came down until right around 450, 500 feet," Haney said. "All I was looking at was the sky. It was going straight, so I wasn't worried about it."
In addition to winning the No. 1 qualifier, Haney won a grudge match against Jim Sackuvich during Q2.
"I got a little revenge back there from my buddy," Haney said.
Haney won the first round of eliminations against Mike Cooper, but that's where his troubles began.
"Everything was going great, and then I had a big ol' nitrous explosion," Haney said. "The hood scoop pops off, the front end splits, but I ended up winning the round anyway."
Haney's team discovered a spark-plug wire had come lose, causing the incident.
"We came back and rushed, and with the help of a few other teams, we got it back together," Haney said. "They fixed the hood scoop while we were working on the motor. We got it back together and go up there for E2 and got lucky."
While backing up from the burnout for the semifinals, Haney discovered he had very low oil pressure and couldn't make the run, but his opponent, Bob Storie, had problems, too, as his car wouldn't start. Haney took the Christmas Tree, broke the beam, turned the car off, and got the round-win.
"In the meantime, we had a (cylinder) sleeve that was cracked from one end to the other," Haney said. "We had about 9 inches of pan vac, which is nothing; we normally run 20 inches. The only thing we could do to the sleeve was doctor it."
"Laptop Brandon" Switzer, tuning Haney's car through the Internet while being away from the racetrack, pulled fuel and nitrous out of the ailing No. 1 cylinder, knowing it was damaged.
"It was hurt bad," Haney said. "(Switzer) said, 'Hey, the car's probably not going to make it to the finish line in the final round. What do you want to do?' I said, 'Doctor it all you can and let's hope for the best.' "
Ron Muenks got off first, but Haney chased him down as the two were in a tight race for the win.
"I'd caught him at the 330 mark," Haney said. "It was neck and neck all the way down the racetrack, but just past the 330 mark, the motor goes away and starts sending a fireworks show out for all our fans."
Haney's pass was 3.816 at 192 mph -- on seven cylinders -- but he came up short.
"They only won because the motor gave out," Haney said with a laugh. "I still had the fastest car on the property all weekend."
Sponsors Lucas Oil, RacingJunk.com, Switzer Dynamics, Pesz Performance & Tuning, Reher-Morrison, M&M Transmission, and Adam Lambert from Precision Racing Suspension help make Haney's PDRA team possible, and he continues to appreciate the support from wife Dee and children Timber, Alex, Madison, and Logan.
Haney's family of car dealerships includes Suburban Chevrolet in Claremore; Classic Chevrolet in Owasso, Okla.; Miami Auto Supercenter in Miami, Okla.; Regional Hyundai in Broken Arrow, Okla.; Nissan of Muskogee, Okla.; and Bartlesville (Okla.) Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.
"We got a runner-up finish again," Haney said. "Not what I was shooting for. I was runner-up the year before, too. But we're hoping for better in Dallas this weekend."
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