Epler Finds His Niche in Youth-Driven Series

Jim Epler says he feels a little out of place when he walks through the garage area these days. Epler, 47, was the first driver to reach 300 mph in a funny car in 1993, and is now team owner of the front-wheel drive Saturn Ion that Lisa Kubo is pushing toward 200 mph in the NHRA Summit Sport Compact drag racing series.

In a different world aimed at a different demographic, Epler is an old dog learning a new trick.

“That’s exactly what it is,” said Epler, who won the 2000 U.S. Nationals in a funny car but hasn’t driven in competition since 2001. “I didn’t know anything about the cars, but I knew about racing and how to win.”

He became director of motorsports for Saturn Motorsports in 2002 to compete in the NHRA series and spearhead the development of a line of aftermarket products aimed at “The Fast and the Furious” generation that had been dominated by imports Nissan, Honda and Toyota.

“Hardly any of the young people know who I am,” said the four-time national event winner. “Most of them know and respect the Powerade series, but they’re in their own world. I have two teenage daughters, so I’m used to it.”

Epler, though, may not be done with the more established Powerade series and the nitro classes.

“I’m thinking about doing it in about a year,” Epler said. “Who knows, maybe there could be a Saturn funny car.”

Kubo, of Chino Hills, was the first to drive a front-wheel-drive car into the seven-second range with a pass of 7.963 seconds, and her 197.76-mph pass ranks as the fastest in class. This is in a two-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine that produces 1,300 horsepower. Her last chance this season at 200 mph will be this weekend at the Nitto NHRA Sport Compact World Finals.

Kubo, the defending event champion and the most recognizable name in the compact series, would figure into Epler’s nitro plans.

“The problem is, it’s really difficult to get in a funny car,” Epler said. “She’s never been in a rear-wheel drive. I would love to have a two-car team and get her involved, but that will depend on how it goes next year.”

Epler has designs on a pro rear-wheel-drive team next season for Kubo, and she would graduate from there.

“I would go into an alcohol funny car for a year, and from there move into a top-fuel funny car,” said Kubo, 30.

Championships remain to be won in three of the five classes. Kubo is 42 points behind Nelson Hoyos, the defending series champion. Stefan Papadakis of Redondo Beach is tied with Ara Arslanian in pro rear-wheel drive. Scott Mohler holds a six-point lead over Jesus Padilla in all motor.

Stock Cars

NASCAR’s Grand National Division West Series has its season finale Saturday at Irwindale Speedway with a 150-lap main event. Mike Duncan of Lamont, Calif., holds a 63-point lead over Austin Cameron of El Cajon. Duncan has won once this season, Cameron four times.

Three Mexican drivers were last-minute entrants, and showed up Thursday at Irwindale to learn the track in the driving-school cars. Among them was 11-time Mexican champion Ruben Garcia-Novoa. There will be a Busch series race in Mexico City next year and Garcia-Novoa, Mara Reyes and Carlos Pardo are using the Irwindale experience as a step toward getting their competition licenses for that race.

Racing begins at 6 p.m.

Southland Scene

Frank Galpin, Parky Nall, Clay Smith, Johnny Mantz, Bill Sedgwick and George Jefferson are among the inductees tonight at the Holiday Inn in Monrovia for the third annual West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.... Rip Williams of Yorba Linda will take a 74-point lead over Damion Gardner into the Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint Car race Saturday at Bakersfield Speedway.... Billy Janniro of Vallejo won the U.S. National Speedway championship at Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

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Shav Glick is on vacation.