CLASS RACER FORUM - Geoff Turk and the Blackbird

Nice article from competition plus:

http://competitionplus.com/drag-raci...event-notebook (bottom of page)

PRITCHETT’S HELPER A CHAMPION – Don Schumacher Racing’s double-duty driver Leah Pritchett entered this event one place out of the Factory Stock Showdown Series lead, thanks to consecutive victories at the past two races in her Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak. And one of the individuals who helped lay the foundation for her success this year is Geoff Turk, who drove his own “Blackbird” Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak to victory at the Sept. 23 National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) World Street Finals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.

“This season started out rough,” Turk said, “because I didn’t even know if I was going to have a season.” In late 2017 and early 2018, he assisted Mopar and Dodge engineers and DSR in on-track development of the combination that has carried Pritchett to success.

Turk said his NMCA title “is hugely special. The heavy hitters are here. It’s a high caliber of competition.” Wife Sandy, who has experienced serious health issues requiring extensive treatment, was able to attend the Indianapolis race. Dedicated to staying in Illinois, close by his wife, Turk said he doubted he would compete at all during the 2018 NMCA season. But as a last-minute entrant in March at the season-opener at Bradenton, Fla., with little time to prep his car, Turk became the first driver to break into the seven-second range with a 7.996-second elapsed time. He was runner-up at Bradenton, and added an April victory at Atlanta. Turk came from behind in the standings to dominate at Indianapolis. “It’s special in so many ways,” he said of his accomplishment, “but it’s special most of all that Sandy was able to be at the last race. She couldn’t be there at Bradenton or Atlanta, and for her to be there and be a part of what happened was by far the best.”