Culp Looking Good in the Rocket / GRT.....eh

[zach51]

Surprised no discussion on this yet that I could find outside of the weekly follow-up on DOD (sorry CarDirt). How bad does that make GRT look that he couldn't drive his way into a feature hardly in that GRT car earlier this year, hops in a Rocket and is the hottest driver in his area right now. Not that GRT had much to lose, but this definitely doesn't seem to be a bright spot in their mission to re-enter the DLM world as a viable chassis option. Culp has been decent for a few years, won a couple of good regional races, but looks really good right now.

I'm not trying to dog GRT (actually have always been a fan) or be a bandwagon Culp guy, but it is an interesting story right now, at least to me.

Any thoughts?

[Josh Bayko]

GRT should just stop building late models and totally concentrate on modifieds.

[GRT62]

not sure how they sell any cars anyway. I called last summer to buy a new car got put on hold for 30 mins. I hung up and called Trakstar they took my order right away and picked my new car up 4-5 weeks later.

[george w]

I thought the same as above in my opinion he made grt look like clowns for letting him switch, why didnt things workout for one full season whats the deal. Culp comes off as a shy reserved type so far? They really missed the boat on this kid in there own backyard aswell dang.... I'm a grt fan always will be, but they really could of done somethen if they would of built a car around him.. ...as much as i hate to admit it he's hell on wheels in that new xr1...

[TTS_JF]

I've always liked Culp, and I'm glad to see him having success with the Rocket.

BTW I think he always has some of the best looking race cars year to year.

[castone]

Culp is on the drivers list to be at Duck River Thursday night Lucas Oil Late Model Series - looking forward to see Culp put-er in the wind.

[fastford]

theres no one to blame but joe , done it to himself......

[rickybrown1952]

Culp is on the drivers list to be at Duck River Thursday night Lucas Oil Late Model Series - looking forward to see Culp put-er in the wind.

Also according to his schedule he's going to Boyds on friday and at EAMS on Saturday all Lucus Races

[manwplan]

Another part of the story that is ignored, how about the fact that last year he was average at best in a Pierce?

[dirtcrazy4u]

How about the fact that xr-1 is probably the hottest car out there right now. Yea I no longhorn is running well, but they hit on something at rocket. Call try to get either one. So far, everyone is chasing those 2. Bloomers cars have and always will be fast. He just thinks there worth gold and you mite get one when he's ready. I have always wondered how much input is from randy sweet ? and how much is scott's ?

[zach51]

Culp bought a used Rocket and is winning races, that is kind of my point. The best GRT was junk (seemingly) compared to a used Rocket.

[huskerdirt]

Another part of the story that is ignored, how about the fact that last year he was average at best in a Pierce?

And he was average at best in a black diamond. Give Culp credit he found a car that fits him. I think there's more to the story than just performance issue he had with GRT.

[zach51]

He can run with those guys, doesn't appear to be a 1-weekend wonder. Still a long way to go but he's made a lot of ground up quick with the Rocket. Nice run last night, even though he slipped a bit at the end.

[dirtdobber45]

Glad to see Culp running well. Be nice to see him win Lucas ROY.

[Kwd1253]

Another part of the story that is ignored, how about the fact that last year he was average at best in a Pierce?

And he was average at best in a black diamond. Give Culp credit he found a car that fits him. I think there's more to the story than just performance issue he had with GRT.

Well tell you the truth you got remember. Culp raced mssc, supr, Com cams 2011-14. Culp just started travel outside of Arkansas, Mississippi, louisiana, Texas in the last two years. So he going run well most tracks that he has ran so far. The ones that he hasn't been to he been doing very well at. Sky is the limit for him, if keeps putting work into it.

[zach51]

It will be interesting to see how he runs at Batesville this weekend. That will be a good test to see where they are at. Like you said, Lucas doesn't come to many of the tracks he's ran at a lot.

... in GRT's backyard.

[zyoung25]

I'm sure Timmy is just thrilled to be mentioned on the famous 4m.

Keep up the good work!

[zach51]

Was GRT not the one that pulled the plug? It sounded that way....

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Was GRT not the one that pulled the plug? It sounded that way....

It was mutual it sounded like. They weren't getting along, and running crappy. And it wasn't like a Rocket house car. It was more of a 50/50 thing.

I wouldn't want to be the test dummy for anyone. Sh!t is just too expensive and time consuming to run like sh!t. You do that stuff from November till about February, and during the week in the season. Not try to fix something during the year that needs work. They just didn't go about it very well to me.

Rocket tested a long time, Bloomer does a lot, and so has Longhorn.

[zyoung25]

The XR1 has got like 16 months development time behind it(unless you count the time Longhorn put into it before then), he gave the GRT 2 weeks in Florida... If the dude wanted plug n' play he shoulda went with something proven, to begin with. When you sign up to be the development driver you should expect some highs and lows, NOT instant success at the pinnacle of the sport. He's a good young driver, but that's probably his issue too. Not a fair shake for GRT, IMHO.

Even though he wasnt named the house driver until feb, he drove the GRT at the end of last season, making his first world 100 in it. They had a little bit of time to change/develop the car to make it better over the winter, and it apparently didn't happen.

He didn't just drive the car for 2 weeks and call it quits, as you say. Culp and Arp are about the only nationally know drivers that wheel a GRT. If Joe wasn't getting feedback from Culp from the time he got one, til the time he decided to use him as a house driver, it's his own fault.