“We are very excited about having Jeff come onboard. Not only will he work with Mark, but he'll also consult with Craig Hankinson, the crew chief for Johnny Gray, who will be using our engines for the full 2009 NHRA Full Throttle schedule, and with Vinnie Deceglie and team owner Nick Mitsos, who will be running our motors on a part-time basis,” admitted Johnson after hearing the news.
Perley's strong CV should be argument enough that Johnson will no doubt challenge for the Pro Stock title next year. The 'new guy' used to be crew chief for Kurt Johnson from 1997 to 2001 and was part of KB Racing winning team during the 2003-2006 era. He is expected to co-crew chief with Mark Ingersoll for Johnson in 2009.
“This will really be great because now I can have someone to bounce ideas around with. We'll be working together on every area of the engine, clutch, and chassis tuning, and all our decisions will be made after exchanging our thoughts and input. We've always run good in qualifying, but it's no secret that we haven't enjoyed the same success during Sunday's eliminations. I think that someone of Jeff's experience and talent can help us get over the hump in that department,” commented Ingersoll on his new partner.
Perley admitted that returning to NHRA racing has become a new challenge for him and that J&J Racing Dodge seemed like the best place to start following his 2-year departure from the sport.
“I really enjoyed the time I spent with Kurt and the KB Racing team. But it had always been my dream to start my own business, so that's why I took two years off from racing. And now that the business is up and rolling, I'm ready to go again. I think that the Johnson family has put together a great engine-development program and feel strongly that they have top-four power. It's just a matter of dealing with a different type of mind-set when you race on Sunday, and I hope that I can contribute there,” concluded Perley.
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