Following a promising performance in Charlotte, Doug Foley and the Foley Lewis Racing Top Fuel team are ready to take on the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals, May 17-19, at Route 66 Raceway outside Chicago. United Garage Door Company, an Ohio-based wholesale company specializing in overhead doors, will serve as the team’s primary sponsor for the first time. CHI Overhead Doors and Liftmaster will also ride along on the Foley Lewis Racing Top Fuel dragster.
“Joe Clark and the United Garage Doors team joined us at Gainesville and we got to meet the new Florida division, which is Authority Garage Supply,” Foley said. “United also acquired a new location in Richmond, Virginia, which is exciting because that’s another NHRA national event market. United is really growing tremendously, and they’re taking their CHI and Liftmaster relationships with them as they grow. The three of them grow together. It’s pretty exciting that Foley Lewis Racing gets to be a part of that. I think Joe sees the effort that we put in and the accessibility that a small team like ours offers.”
Foley and longtime team co-owner Tim Lewis take pride in working with businesses to reach new customers through Top Fuel racing. Foley and Lewis have both grown successful businesses of their own in multiple different industries, giving them a perspective that can benefit the fellow business owners that sign on as team partners.
“It’s always enjoyable to bring a sponsor on and be able to add more races to the schedule because that’s my passion, but you never forget that what got me here was my business,” Foley said. “Without mine and Tim’s business, we wouldn’t be part of this. That’s what started this. We bring in these businesses, we understand them better every time we get together, and then we look at the relationships we currently have or try to cultivate new relationships on their behalf. Our partners know we don’t take these relationships lightly, and they know we’re going to work Monday through Thursday to justify the relationship off the track. They already see the benefits of the 60,000 fans, the million viewers, and the NHRA business model that also enhances their brand.”
Foley realizes the on-track component is also important, so the team has been continuing to build on its offseason changes to improve the car’s performance. The upcoming stretch of early summer races will provide Foley and his team the data they need to refine the setup that carried Foley to passes in the mid-to-low 3.70s at the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte.
“We believe we are on the cusp,” Foley said. “This started in testing in Gainesville and really showed some good promise. I’ve been working on getting better at what I’m doing because I’ve been hit or miss. We just don’t get a lot of runs on the racetrack, but that’s going to change soon. We have three races in the next six weeks: Chicago, Bristol, and Norwalk. That’s a great opportunity to work on enhancing that tune-up, and with some of the Friday night sessions coming up, I think we’re gonna be able to pour the coals to it.”
Foley credited co-crew chiefs Lance Larsen and Doug Kuch for their efforts to find more performance both at the track and between races.
“Lance and Doug are working unbelievably well together,” Foley said. “They’ve known each other for decades. It was a partnership that’s working out well. They seem to jell nicely and agree on a path moving forward, so we’re excited about that.”
Along with United Garage Door Company, CHI Overhead Doors, and Liftmaster, Foley Lewis Racing will also continue to represent the team’s complete lineup of partners including Alloy Employer Services, DDP Roofing, Red Line Oil, MR Drywall Service LLC, PROTECS, The BAMR Company, and Sander Engineering.
Nitro qualifying sessions at the Route 66 Nationals are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday and 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Nitro eliminations are scheduled for Sunday at 11 a.m.
This story was originally published on May 13, 2024.
The post Doug Foley Heads to Chicago with United Garage Door Company first appeared on Drag Illustrated.