Thu, 4 Mar 2010, 10:34 PM Embracing Change

By Kelly Wade Photo copyright 2010 Auto Imagery, Inc. & BME Photography

Duane Shields

Winning a national championship is a common aspiration shared by nearly every drag racer, and Top Alcohol Dragster pilot Duane Shields is no exception. The Boulder City, Nev., resident has come close to reeling in the big one behind the wheel of his Shortline Express A/Fueler and has, so far, fallen a bit short. Last season, though, a change of scenery perked up his program and renewed his quest to be the best.

Shields had frequently flip-flopped between Divisions 6 and 7 in more than a decade of competing in the alcohol class, but before the 2009 season kicked off, he decided to make a long distance leap and claim the Southeast as his home division.

"We have always raced as a family," said Shields. "It was a time to bond with my dad, Lee. He was an integral part of the team, but he died in December of 2008, and after that I decided that I was going to change my schedule and go to places I hadn't been before. I wanted to preserve the good memories we had together at the tracks where we had run, and it just felt like the right time to make a change."

Duane and Lee Shields

The first three events of the season didn't produce much success, but a win at the national event in Gainesville, followed by victory in Houston, laid the groundwork for what turned into a spirited chase for the world title. By season's end, Shields had racked up another national event title (Reading) and three wins in four final rounds in the Lucas Oil Series - a runner-up at Virginia Motorsports Park and wins at Cecil County, Atlanta Dragway, and Silver Dollar Raceway.

Complementing the adjustment in venue was a solid tune-up that was somewhat less aggressive than in years past but a whole lot more dependable, and the end result was the Southeast Division Top Alcohol Dragster championship.

Shields celebrates '09 Gainesville win.

"I had been a little too greedy the year before, and it cost us several races because we smoked the tires," lamented Shields, who won the Pacific Division championship in 2002 and 2007. "So at the beginning of last year, we decided that we wanted to be fast, but we had to be more consistent with the race car, and that approach seemed to bear fruit for us.

"We altered the tune-up, and we were able to win the division on tracks that we had never been to. I hadn't been to one of them, and it was very rewarding and satisfying for the whole group."

The national championship fell out of sight at the Lucas Oil race in Las Vegas when Bill Reichert clinched the title. Shields finished a none-too-shabby third in the nation, his best ending since coming in second in 2002 behind Arthur Gallant. Heartened by the performance, Shields made the decision to hunker down in the Southwest for awhile, where he would race in the thick of things at the beginning and end of the season and spend time with his family during the summer, when racing in his new home division is light.

Shields and crew celebrate Houston win.

Racing and family have always gone together for Shields, whose father Lee rarely missed a race and was often accompanied to the track by his wife, Tree, in support of his son. Shields grew up knowing he was fit for speed and got his start in MotoCross, branched out to compete in sand drags, and transitioned into drag racing an alcohol dragster.

"I've always had a side that is very competitive," admitted Shields. "I hate to lose, but I've always enjoyed this and it's been fun. People don't realize how much work it takes, though, and it really does take a full team effort to get good results. I'm fortunate to have a great team, and they're each passionate about racing, so it makes it easy to have fun but also be very competitive."

The hard-working crew consists of Bill Jones, who has been with Shields since the early days, Chris Zedaker, Ralph Freeman, crew chief Dana Hopewell, and Dana's wife, Sheryl.

Duane Shields

Shields' wife Besty, daughter Whitney and son Adam have actively supported his endeavors on the track through the years as well. Betsy attends a few events each year and keeps everything at home flowing smoothly, and Whitney travels south from school in Indiana as often as possible to see dad in action and will likely be driving her own Super Comp entry at some point this season. Adam gets to races when he can but, like dad, has a diverse thirst for driving and has found his home on the off-road circuit.

Some, if not all, of the collective support group have been there for some fascinating moments, including Shields' first win, at the national event in Sonoma in 1999.

"That one will never leave me," recalled the 13-time national event victor. "It was totally unexpected. We were new and had not been to very many national events, and we weren't great, but we were running pretty good."

Shields and crew celebrate first National event win in Sonoma.

In the final round, Shields drew Chris Demke, and when his worthy opponent fired up his car, it backfired the supercharger and he was shut off before making the burnout, handing Shields a single and his first win, but not without some excitement in his own lane.

"I went out there and did a very long burnout," said Shields. "I backed up knowing that I was just about to win my first race, and I couldn't believe it. I launched the car and it made it about 20 feet before blowing the supercharger off, so I idled down the track with the supercharger hanging off, realizing that it just must have been my day. My dad was there, and it was the beginning of him being an important part of the team. It will always be a very special memory to me, having my whole family there."

Shields vs. Jeff Wilson in '01 Allstar final.

His supporters cheered Shields to his career best run at the 2008 Seattle divisional, a 5.17 at 279.94 mph, and they've been there for the tough times, too. In the early days with the blower car, Shields and his team struggled to determine an effective maintenance schedule, and for the past few years, it's been a challenge adapting to regular rule changes for the A/Fuelers, essentially necessitating a fresh start with each new curve ball.

But with the challenges come great rewards and the opportunity to aim even higher. In addition to winning a national championship, Shields' to-do list includes another shot at competing in the JEGS Allstars - a goal the former Allstars runner-up will almost certainly achieve this season - and finally visiting the winner's circle at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

Shields vs. Bill Reichert in '08 Indy final.

"I've been very fortunate to win several of the bigger races that I've really wanted to win," said Shields, whose triumphs include a 2006 Wally at the historic Winternationals and four victories at the Houston national event. "But when it comes to the one that eats me up a little bit for not winning it yet, it's Indy. I've almost done it twice (2002 and 2008), but both times I screwed it up. One thing my team is very good at, though, is learning from our mistakes. If we get in that position again, I think we will do better."

This season, with the help of Hussey Copper and NGK Spark Plug, Shields is off to a respectable start. He made the difficult decision to opt out of the 50th anniversary Winternationals in favor of competing at the division-opener at Bradenton scheduled that same weekend, and it proved to be a wise choice when he won the event. At the Gainesville divisional shortly after, a part malfunction caused an early exit, but Shields was enthused by early efforts that netted the No. 2 qualifying position.

Shields defeated Darren Nicholson in the first Division 2 race this year at Bradenton.

With the Atlanta Dragway division race quickly approaching and the Gatornationals, where Shields will be the defending event champ, following close behind, the persistent racer will have the opportunity to make strides and extend his early points lead competing on his still-new playground.

"We're pretty optimistic this year," said Shields. "We have some very tough competitors out there, but when it's your day, it's your day. I just want to have fun on this journey, and if this stops being fun, I'll stop doing it."

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