Chris Wimmer a ‘Superman’ at Ford NCTS Test Session

Confidence is at an all-time high around the MB Motorsports compound in Forestell, Mo., as Chris Wimmer and the #63 Ford NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) team completed a successful round of testing last Tuesday and Wednesday at the Ace Speedway in Elon, N.C. The test session, hosted by Ford Racing, was done in preparation for the Truck Series’ upcoming race in Martinsville, Va., on April 17th. Team owner and crew chief Mike Mittler said Wimmer’s shy demeanor outside the truck and knowledge and ability inside the truck reminded him of another individual with a dual identity.

“I think Chris Wimmer is the ‘Clark Kent’ of racing,” he said, only half-joking. “Here’s a meek, mild-mannered young guy who doesn’t say much and instead of going into a phone booth, he slips on a driver’s suit, gets behind the wheel, and he becomes an entirely different person. He becomes Superman. When he’s behind that wheel, he’s an entirely different person compared to when you meet him at the shop or even at the racetrack. He’s very, very talented, he has a lot of experience, and I think he’s going to go a long way in racing.”

While Wimmer, forever modest, does not necessarily see himself as a super hero, he said the testing has provided the team with an important boost.

“It went good, real good,” he said. “We learned a lot in the two days we were there. To test with some of the guys we’ll be racing against this season was pretty neat. During the sessions, we just tried to stay away from each other and let everyone get their own laps in. Just watching (the other drivers) and watching their teams work and seeing how their trucks reacted to the track was pretty neat. It was a great confidence booster for us.”

Mittler said the times run by Wimmer were extremely close to those of the Roush Racing teams of Jon Woods and Carl Edwards, who finished 1-2 at Martinsville in the fall of 2003.

“We were right there with them,” said Mittler. “We ran within a tenth of a second of what those guys were running and we think we’re going to be super competitive at Martinsville. Our confidence level is really high right now and we think that we’ll be able to run really good there.”

Wimmer, who hasn’t raced since the final American Speed Association race of 2003, said he is getting anxious to get back in the driver’s seat.

“Oh, yeah, very much so,” he said, smiling. “I was just excited to get down to the test and I had a blast down there. I’m looking forward to (Martinsville).”

An added bonus for Wimmer is the fact the Martinsville NCTS race shares the weekend with the Nextel Cup Series, allowing him to visit with his older brother, Scott. The elder Wimmer is competing for the Cup Series’ Rookie of the Year honors with Bill Davis’ #22 Caterpillar team.

“It should be neat. I haven’t seen him for about three months now, which is about the longest we’ve gone without seeing each other, so it should be fun,” he said. “But our main objective for that weekend is to focus on the race. Our goal first of all is to just make the race and then after that, focus on finishing all the laps.”

Mittler’s NCTS team is renowned for the level of talent he has brought to the sport, Edwards being one of them. He said Chris Wimmer has the potential and the ability to equal their success, especially considering Wimmer works in the race shop six days a week under the hood of the truck when he’s not behind the wheel of it.

“I think it gives him more confidence in what he’s driving. He understands the setup because he’s worked on it himself and I think it gives him a big advantage,” Mittler said. “If you look back through the years at the guys who have been successful, the hands-on guys, you look at Rusty Wallace and Alan Kulwicki; you can’t question their success. (Former MB Motorsports driver) Jamie McMurray was bred from Day 1 to be a racecar driver; he worked in a racing chasis shop, he worked in a race engine shop and worked in the shop with us fulltime like Chris is now and look at the success he’s having.”

The only obstacle potentially preventing Wimmer from having a tremendous season is lack of sponsorship, an issue affecting many NASCAR teams in recent years. Currently, the Wausau, Wis., native is only scheduled to run approximately 16 of the remaining races on the NCTS schedule, having already missed Daytona and Atlanta.

“We’ve got some great sponsors onboard with us,” said Wimmer, “such as Dave Porter Truck Sales, Tanner Racing Products, ENERPAC, Advanced Signs, and Child’s Tire, but we don’t have that big primary sponsor. We’ve got some leads, but nothing’s panned out yet. Hopefully, we can get something signed soon.”

MB Motorsports is looking for new sponsors and anyone wanting information on how their company or organization can become a marketing partner with Chris Wimmer and the #63 Ford should contact Bill Politsch at 1-800-467-2464 or Brandon Mudd at 636-219-9676. For more information on MB Motorsports, visit them on the web at www.mbracing.net.