DRO: That’s a significant savings.

LB: Yes, but the reality is that as time goes by, the scientists that we call crew chiefs have and will find more ways of producing horsepower, and the cost, part-wise, is going to return to what it was when we were running quarter mile.

DRO: As one very good HOF crew chief said when they made the original rule change, “Two or three months and we’ll be throwing bombs at each other again, so it doesn’t make too much difference.”

LB: So it may be just a temporary savings for a temporary period, I don’t know.

DRO: Would you be able to continue to show savings of tire use and engine part use, or are you going to continue to step it up until you wear them out again in the same amount of time?

LB: When you’re in a sport that success is based on winning, when you’re a crew chief, you can’t focus in on the expenses, you focus in on the success, and you let the team owner worry about the expense.

DRO: Do you miss being a crew chief on a car?

LB: I miss it because I’m a very competitive person. We were racing in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, and I remember the year prior to that, final round, and I’m there with Antron Brown, and I look over at Alan Johnson and Tony Schumacher, and we’re getting ready to start our engines, and that feeling you have, that I brought forth my A game, he brought out his A game, let’s see who’s the best here. That’s a particular high that’s hard to describe, and even though we’ve won a total of, what, six races this year, four Funny Car wins and two Top Fuel dragster wins and I’ve been right there on the starting lines, I don’t get that same high. I have a feeling of success and I’m very proud of the organization, but I don’t get that same high that I got being a crew chief.

DRO: Gentlemen, I think we’ll wrap it up with that. Thank you both.

DS. Did you get everything you need? Do you have any more questions? No? Well then, I guess we are done.

Click here to read part 1 of this InnerVIEW