The smell of old rubber fills Lanny Miglizzi's nose as it hovers inches above the black asphalt.
He lies on the pavement waiting for the rising sun to display the drag strip's imperfections. Miglizzi searches for bumps, dips, bald spots and tilts. He checks temperature and porous composition of the track material.
It's two days before high-priced machinery will scream down this very stretch at 300 mph. Miglizzi analyzes, scribbles and dissects every inch, because NHRA races are won by inches.
It's these moments when Miglizzi finds purpose and freedom. After all the 48-year-old track and clutch consultant for Don Schumacher Racing was born on Independence Day.
Lanny Miglizzi had his hands full as he fed track and clutch knowledge to the crew chiefs of Don Schumacher Racing teams earlier this season. Les Welch
"I'm not a scout, I don't like that term, but the biggest thing (crew chiefs) want or need is how is the track changing," said Miglizzi. "Is it cloudy or sunny? Has the temperature dropped? How are the other cars performing? That information will change the way they set up their cars. For instance they may change the clutch 23 grams or just three grams?
"These guys, though, they're never surprised. The track is always close to what they thought. I just give them a heads up."
Miglizzi is modest about his contributions, but ask six-time Full Throttle Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher about him and the word priceless would sum it up.
"He's won six championships," said the driver of the U.S. Army car. "He says he doesn't do much, but that's not true. We all know what we're doing, but you don't win by a football field, you win by inches and all the pieces of the puzzle are necessary.
Lanny Miglizzi
Team: Don Schumacher Racing
Position: Track and clutch consultant
Age: 48
Hometown: San Dimas, Calif.
He's helped us win five straight championships and set world records. He's pretty important."
It was the clutch that got Miglizzi into NHRA and it was the clutch that forced him to analyze tracks.
As a clutch consultant to teams buying clutches from L&T clutches, Miglizzi would get 50 to 60 calls a day about inconsistencies in his products. Miglizzi knew that couldn't be right and came to the conclusion the track was changing not the clutches.
Miglizzi has made track analysis a science. With binoculars, remote-controlled cars and myriad sketch books, he has eight years of asphalt knowledge stored. But he rarely looks back at last year's notes. Each year, each day is a brand new track.
"If I had my choice I would be at the track two days before racing begins to see how they prepped it and how many months of racing and rubber are on it," said Miglizzi. "I'd spend four to eight hours walking the whole thing. I'll lay down and inspect it for imperfections. I like to watch as cars go and see how they go through certain sections.
"We have track meters now that give us numbers. That time has finally come. Before we used our thumb or foot. Now we have real numbers."
Miglizzi still doesn't believe his diagrams help that much, but he enjoys what he does.
"It's a lot of head stuff," he said. "It's pretty cool and intense. I know how much we can learn and the doors are open with how far we can go. That's just one of the few areas that I get to work. Imagine what a crew chief has to go through."
JEREMY MILLSOP may be reached at jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5856.
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