NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Vincent Nobile is always up for a challenge, and early in the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season the Pro Stock standout is facing a pair of them.

Along with the rest of the Pro Stock class, the standout driver is adjusting to the sleek new cars, which feature fuel-injected engines, shorter wheelie bars, flat hoods and a 10,500 RPM rev-limiter. But Nobile and his Mountain View Tire Chevrolet Camaro also ran into trouble in Pomona, colliding with the wall during a second-round loss at the season-opening event.

The car got repaired quickly and Nobile expects it to be fine at this weekend’s CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. As for the class changes, Nobile welcomes the challenge, noting that the rewards and victories will be that much sweeter.

“I enjoy the challenge and that’s what I like most about Pro Stock,” said Nobile, who has nine career victories. “You don’t really get that satisfaction of winning if there’s no challenge behind it. There’s really no easy class in NHRA and when you win a race, you know everyone did their job as a team. It’s all about everyone working together and getting these wins, it’s not easy to do. I think wins are going to be even more gratifying with these changes. Greg (Anderson) can say he’s the first one to get a win in this new era and that’s something we all wanted.”

Nobile hopes returning to a facility where he has previously won will aid his quest to return to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2014.

Nobile went winless during an up-and-down 2015 campaign, but he’s happy to be a part of the Elite Motorsports team that also includes two-time defending champion Erica Enders, five-time world champion Jeg Coughlin and last year’s top rookie, Drew Skillman. Past success in Phoenix won’t necessarily dictate this year’s performance, but it does give Nobile confidence heading into this weekend.

“Having that history there gives me a little more confidence and I’m looking forward to making the best of the weekend,” Nobile said. “It helps, just as far as having good notes and understanding the track. When you go back to a track where you’ve done well, maybe you know a few little secrets as well. It’s just having that experience. It doesn’t play a huge role but when you win there you love going back there. It’s mostly mental and maybe it does give you a little more confidence.”

It’s a good advantage to have and drivers will take as many as they can, especially with the number of changes in Pro Stock, and Nobile and his team are quickly working to get the car back in sync following the collision in Pomona.

There wasn’t major damage and Nobile has no doubts his car is capable of performing at a high level in Phoenix. The team tested well before the season but they ran into trouble during qualifying in Pomona even before the obvious disappointment during eliminations.

“It might take a run or two to get going but I think it will pretty much be back to normal,” Nobile said. “I think the Elite guys did a great job in a short amount of time. We have a little catching up to do with the Summit (Racing Equipment) guys and hats off to them, but I’m confident our team will get there and we will be just as fast.”

Nobile was referring to Anderson’s impressive showing in the season-opening win at Pomona, qualifying in the No. 1 spot in the new EFI era. His teammate Jason Line advanced to the final round to make him one of the favorites as well this weekend in Phoenix, and Nobile will also have to deal with the likes of Enders, Coughlin, Skillman, V. Gaines, Chris McGaha, Bo Butner and Allen Johnson.

Adjusting to the changes is a major challenge, but Nobile is ready for it and he is also excited about the direction the Pro Stock class is headed.

“It’s definitely good and definitely created some interest in the class,” Nobile said. “There’s definitely a learning curve, but it should be good for the class. I’m happy to see it’s already really competitive and, naturally, it’s only going to get even more competitive.”