Lack of personal chemistry can cause this to occur as well. We see this quite often in racing. The pairing of people, drivers and crew chiefs, which on paper should be a perfect combination. However, there is a disconnect, and these pairings sometimes fail.

Just recently, we saw this take place as a successful duo of Tim Boychuk and the legendary Roland Leong have decided to part company for the second time.

Back in the early 2000’s, Boychuk and Leong collaborated along with Canadian mega-businessman Ron Hodgson on a Troy Lee Designs/ Castrol Firebird. This partnership resulted in numerous wins in nostalgia funny car racing.

However, four years ago Leong and Boychuk decided to go their separate ways after winning the March Meet in Bakersfield, after the win taken away by the NHRA which determined that the fuel pump on Boychuk’s car was illegal. It is a charge that to this day both Boychuk and Leong adamantly refute.

In 2014 the two decided to attempt to rekindle the magic they had years previously and go out on the IHRA tour, to chase the title and the big cash the IHRA has put up.  

However, as the money increases and stakes go up in nostalgia racing it also appears that pressure to perform seems to come to the forefront. Does this pressure cause “noise,” an item that blocks the receiver from getting a clear concise message from the sender? Communications scholars will state that, yes, it does. Will miscommunication affect how a team is run or a direction it chooses to go? Yes, it will.

There is a distinct possibility that the recent split between Boychuk and Leong did have a detrimental effect on Boychuk’s next race in West Palm Beach where they failed to qualify after going to two finals with Leong in the previous two events. Coincidence? Maybe.

This is the second time that this pair has parted company, and it is very unlikely that you will see them together again. Both parties seemed to be taking the high road on the subject of the split.

Leong stated that he and Boychuk are “going in different directions moving forward”. This was almost mirrored by Boychuk as he stated, “We were going in two different directions philosophically, but I am still OK with him (Leong).”

However, when both parties were asked about the status of the “Hawaiian” branding on the side of the car there appears also to be a disconnect. When asked if the Hawaiian would remain on the side of the car Leong stated “I really don’t know.” Boychuk’s take was different:“We talked and I am going to keep it on the car for the rest of the year.”

This has raised some eyebrows with many in the sport. The moniker “The Hawaiian” is linked to Roland Leong and has been for over fifty years. Having that name on the side of a car that Leong is not associated might not sit well with many fans and media in the sport.

So, seeing the Hawaiian logo on a car not associated with Leong is going to be… different.

Now to be emphatic, no one is assigning blame to either party in this situation. I am merely using this as an example of how a powerhouse team beset by some misunderstandings and miscommunications has gone by the wayside.

This is not to say that Boychuk and company will never win another race, because they will; there is a great deal of talent and resources and a change in personnel chemistry might result in better communications.

Does it mean that Roland Leong will never tune another nitro car again? His statement to me was “I was retired before I took this last job”. Nevertheless, for those who know Leong, that competitive fire burns as strongly as ever and it would not be a surprise to see him tuning another nitro car in the near future.

Once again this was not an exercise to assign blame on anybody. It was merely a way of showing how important it is to have good communications skills within any company to be successful.

Second Stop for the Funny Cars

The next test for the NHRA Heritage funny car teams on track will be in the middle of the month in Idaho. There is a revamped surface to the facility, and from what is being said it looks as though there could be as many as a dozen teams making the trek north.

One team that appears not to be coming is defending champion Dan Horan, Jr.  Business and personal commitments have made it necessary for the defending series champion to skip this race in the series.

One team thought to be skipping this event is that of March Meet winner Steven Densham. However, well-placed sources have confirmed the Densham’s decision to make the trip to Boise. Densham was dominant at Bakersfield and could do the same in Idaho.

Other teams reportedly coming to Boise include Bucky Austin, “California Hustler”, Roger Garten, and Twig Ziegler with Tim Boychuk driving, just to name a few.

With the possibility of a dozen cars and a new surface and good weather, it could be a super show in Idaho. Stay tuned to DRO for my updates over race weekend on social media, Facebook and Twitter.