TEAM PTI PROFILE
by Tim Glover
Fans coming to watch races at Atlanta Dragway will quickly notice the presence of Team PTI. They currently field a team of three Super Pro dragsters, a Top Dragster, and three Jr Dragsters. The Team PTI pits stay in constant motion from the moment of arrival to, in most events, a while after they are over.
In fact, there were only five 2005 Atlanta Dragway bracket races that did not feature a Team PTI racer in at least one final; and Lauren Turner finished in the semi-final round during one of those races, making a total of four 2005 races that did not feature a Team PTI member in the final four. To date, Team PTI has two double wins (Russ Glover - Super Pro and Lauren Turner - 13-17 Jr Dragster on March 19; Clay Fancher - Super Pro and Lauren Turner - 13-17 Jr Dragster on April 9). The team almost enjoyed a third double win on July 23 when Russ won Super Pro and Justin Fancher finished runner-up in 8-12 Jr Dragster. To date, team members have been in 46 final rounds, 84 semi-finals, and have won 20 races at Atlanta Dragway in their four years of existence. Eleven of those wins came in 2005.
Team PTI has made a definite commitment to teenager involvement with the race team, as demonstrated by their present "enrollment." Currently, ten of the team members are either in high school or college. As George Turner states, "The idea behind this is simple: Get teens involved in something positive that will keep them out of trouble and give them team-building and mechanical skills."
The team enjoyed its beginnings in 1998 when owner, George Turner, bought two Quarter Midget cars for his children, Johnny and Lauren. George also competed in an INEX Legends car. This arrangement worked well for two years; then in 2000, George moved up into the Pro Truck class at Lanier Speedway. In 2001, he enjoyed double duty with the truck and a USCS Winged 360 Alky injected Sprint Car.
In 2002, Turner came back to his roots and first love, NHRA Drag Racing. He began with a Jr Dragster driven by Lauren and a Super Comp dragster, which he drove. His brother, T.J., also drove a Super Pro dragster in 2002. In time, two more Jr Dragsters were added, in which Johnny and a cast of several different drivers enjoyed competing.
As with many other teams, members come and go. The current Team PTI roster includes the following drivers: Lauren Turner (Jr Dragster), Jake Swaim (Jr Dragster), Justin Fancher (Jr Dragster), Clay Fancher (Super Pro/Comp Dragster), Johnny Turner (Super Pro/Comp Dragster), Russ Glover (Super Pro/Comp Dragster), Joseph Satterfield (Super Pro/Top Dragster) and Matt Tomlinson (AMA/Prostar Top Gas Suzuki). George Turner also enjoys occasional driving duties. The drivers would not be where they are without the help of many crew members. In addition to overseeing the entire operation, George is crew chief for the three Jr Dragsters, son Johnny's Super Pro car, and the Top Dragster driven by Joseph Satterfield. The rest of the crew includes, but is not limited to: Tim Morris, Tim Boyer, Joe Swaim, Casey Elliott, Heather Boyer, Jenny Swaim, John Swaim, Theresa Swaim, Cindy Turner and Davey Turner.
So far, the team has three championships in the books. Lauren Turner has two--the 2004 and 2005 13-17 year old Jr Dragster championships. They also earned the 2003 Southern All-Stars Touring Pro Truck Championship, with driver David Odell.
Team PTI has also won Best Appearing Crew at Super Chevy for three consecutive years, 2003-2005. The team's total wins for 2005 come to 11: Lauren has five, Russ has two, Clay two, and Jake two. Clay and his son Justin Fancher also scored one runner-up finish each, and the team has enjoyed five semi-final finishes, all in Jr Dragster. All three of Team PTI's current Jr Dragster racers have earned Rookie of the Year status.
Lauren Turner leads the team in wins and championships, hands down. She has never finished worse than second in the Atlanta Dragway points, finishing second to Matt Gillen in 2002 and 2003 in the 8-12 Jr Dragster class, and then winning the 2004 and 2005 championship in 13-17 Jr Dragster. She also won the Atlanta Dragway Rookie of the Year award in 2002 for her performance. Lauren is responsible for five of the team's eleven 2005 Atlanta Dragway victories. When she drove quarter midgets, beginning at the age of seven, she racked up 15 wins, including two regional Quarter Midget races. Along with her family, she is active in church and school. In the 2004-2005 school year at West Jackson Middle School, she was a member of the Honor Chorus and the Student Council Peer Mediation, received numerous awards, and was on the A Honor Roll.
Team PTI added Russ Glover, a former Jr Dragster Divisional and Track Champion ('98 Division Two Jr Dragster and '98 Track champion) in March, 2005. Glover's '81 Speedcraft dragster was not ready when he joined the team, so he enjoyed warming the seat in Turner's Super Comp car during the Drag News Allstar event on March 19. He put the car into the "four-second zone" for the first time (4.995) and won Team PTI's first Super Pro title his first time out in the car. After recuperating from burns suffered in June, he then won another Super Pro race in late July for the team with his own car. His Super Pro win total comes to four wins in six finals, and his combined Jr Dragster and Bicycle drag racing win total comes to 20 wins in 32 final rounds. Glover is currently a sophomore at Gainesville College, where he is working toward a Business and Marketing degree.
In 2000, Clay Fancher began racing in the Pro Truck series at Lanier Speedway. He has been with the team since 2002, beginning with a Super Gas '81 Camaro. The Camaro was later traded for his current ride, a '98 Horton dragster. Fancher has done well, enjoying his first Super Pro win only three weeks after Glover scored a win. Since then, Fancher made a good run for the track championship, won the 2005 Mopar Meet, runner-upped in another race, and finished fifth in the 2005 Super Pro points series. Fancher finished sixth in the 2004 Atlanta Dragway Super Pro points. In 2003, Fancher became partners with George Turner in his company, Prestress Transportation, Inc.
Fancher's son, Justin Fancher, began competing in the 8-12 Jr Dragster class in 2004, after making it to the semi-final round in one of Atlanta Dragway's rental dragsters late in the 2003 season. He also did well, earning the title of Atlanta Dragway Rookie of the Year for 2004. To date, he has one win and seven final round appearances, finished third in 2004, and tied for
fifth in 2005.
Johnny Turner has 18 wins in Quarter midgets, and raced Jr Dragsters from 2002 to 2004, winning two races in four final-round appearances. After he turned 16 in 2005, Turner took over the seat in his dad's Super Pro car and is easily the fastest student at Jackson County Comprehensive High School (JCCHS). His best ET to date is 4.984 seconds at 139.48mph. He is
currently a Junior at JCCHS, is on the Varsity and Junior Varsity Football Team, and an officer in the Jr. ROTC.
Jake Swaim is a sophomore at JCCHS and is also on the Varsity and Junior Varsity Football team. Swaim began his racing career in 2004 as a crew member , helping the team win their first Jr Dragster championship. He then stepped into the Jr Dragster seat vacated by Johnny Turner in 2005. He struggled a little early on, but then came on strong, winning two races in a
row in June. He then had the pleasure of being presented the Rookie of the Year award at the 2005 Atlanta Dragway banquet.
The Turner's first drag car was the Jr Dragster formerly driven by Joseph Satterfield. Later, Joe joined the team and drove George's Super Pro car in 2004. Satterfield is currently piloting the Top Dragster for Turner. In addition, Joe had the opportunity during the summer of 2005 to travel across the United States with the Hartman Enterprises NHRA Top Fuel Dragster. Satterfield attends Georgia Southern College, where he is earning a Mechanical Engineering degree. He is also an Eagle Scout.
Matt Tomlinson is the only two-wheeler guy on the team. He began his racing career in the WKA (World Karting Association), and then joined the team in 2001 as a crew member on the Turner Motorsports Southern All Stars Sprint Car. When the team switched to NHRA Drag Racing in 2002, he became the co-crew chief on Johnny and Lauren's Jr Dragsters. During that time, he also raced an INEX Legends car. Late in 2003, he and George became co-owners of an AMA Prostar Top Gas Suzuki, capable of running in the 8.00 second range at 170mph.
Last, but certainly not least on the team, is George Turner. Turner graduated from Grand Haven High School in 1982. He then graduated with a B.S. degree in Business Finance from Bob Jones University in 1986. He married his college sweetheart, Cindy Jones, in 1986 as well. He worked in the corporate world until 1991, when, along with wife Cindy, he became self employed with their company, Turner Data Processing. He then co-founded Prestress Transport, Inc., a small specialized prestressed and pre-cast concrete trucking company. Clay Fancher partnered up with George in 2003 as co-owner of Prestress Transportation, Inc.
Very few teams can afford to race week in and week out without help, and Team PTI is no exception. They especially want to thank Tara Fine Jewelry and Randy Fain of Fain & Mitchell Properties for contributing to the success of their team. They also want to give a special thanks to ABC Sign Source, Bruce Odell & Sikkens Auto Paints, Randall and Donna Davis, Bill Gillen,
Tony Moore, and Bill Satterfield.
Turner has done well pulling together a team of winners. To keep track of
their progress, you can also log on to http://www.ptiracing.com/ .
Fans coming to watch races at Atlanta Dragway will quickly notice the presence of Team PTI. They currently field a team of three Super Pro dragsters, a Top Dragster, and three Jr Dragsters. The Team PTI pits stay in constant motion from the moment of arrival to, in most events, a while after they are over.
In fact, there were only five 2005 Atlanta Dragway bracket races that did not feature a Team PTI racer in at least one final; and Lauren Turner finished in the semi-final round during one of those races, making a total of four 2005 races that did not feature a Team PTI member in the final four. To date, Team PTI has two double wins (Russ Glover - Super Pro and Lauren Turner - 13-17 Jr Dragster on March 19; Clay Fancher - Super Pro and Lauren Turner - 13-17 Jr Dragster on April 9). The team almost enjoyed a third double win on July 23 when Russ won Super Pro and Justin Fancher finished runner-up in 8-12 Jr Dragster. To date, team members have been in 46 final rounds, 84 semi-finals, and have won 20 races at Atlanta Dragway in their four years of existence. Eleven of those wins came in 2005.
Team PTI has made a definite commitment to teenager involvement with the race team, as demonstrated by their present "enrollment." Currently, ten of the team members are either in high school or college. As George Turner states, "The idea behind this is simple: Get teens involved in something positive that will keep them out of trouble and give them team-building and mechanical skills."
The team enjoyed its beginnings in 1998 when owner, George Turner, bought two Quarter Midget cars for his children, Johnny and Lauren. George also competed in an INEX Legends car. This arrangement worked well for two years; then in 2000, George moved up into the Pro Truck class at Lanier Speedway. In 2001, he enjoyed double duty with the truck and a USCS Winged 360 Alky injected Sprint Car.
In 2002, Turner came back to his roots and first love, NHRA Drag Racing. He began with a Jr Dragster driven by Lauren and a Super Comp dragster, which he drove. His brother, T.J., also drove a Super Pro dragster in 2002. In time, two more Jr Dragsters were added, in which Johnny and a cast of several different drivers enjoyed competing.
As with many other teams, members come and go. The current Team PTI roster includes the following drivers: Lauren Turner (Jr Dragster), Jake Swaim (Jr Dragster), Justin Fancher (Jr Dragster), Clay Fancher (Super Pro/Comp Dragster), Johnny Turner (Super Pro/Comp Dragster), Russ Glover (Super Pro/Comp Dragster), Joseph Satterfield (Super Pro/Top Dragster) and Matt Tomlinson (AMA/Prostar Top Gas Suzuki). George Turner also enjoys occasional driving duties. The drivers would not be where they are without the help of many crew members. In addition to overseeing the entire operation, George is crew chief for the three Jr Dragsters, son Johnny's Super Pro car, and the Top Dragster driven by Joseph Satterfield. The rest of the crew includes, but is not limited to: Tim Morris, Tim Boyer, Joe Swaim, Casey Elliott, Heather Boyer, Jenny Swaim, John Swaim, Theresa Swaim, Cindy Turner and Davey Turner.
So far, the team has three championships in the books. Lauren Turner has two--the 2004 and 2005 13-17 year old Jr Dragster championships. They also earned the 2003 Southern All-Stars Touring Pro Truck Championship, with driver David Odell.
Team PTI has also won Best Appearing Crew at Super Chevy for three consecutive years, 2003-2005. The team's total wins for 2005 come to 11: Lauren has five, Russ has two, Clay two, and Jake two. Clay and his son Justin Fancher also scored one runner-up finish each, and the team has enjoyed five semi-final finishes, all in Jr Dragster. All three of Team PTI's current Jr Dragster racers have earned Rookie of the Year status.
Lauren Turner leads the team in wins and championships, hands down. She has never finished worse than second in the Atlanta Dragway points, finishing second to Matt Gillen in 2002 and 2003 in the 8-12 Jr Dragster class, and then winning the 2004 and 2005 championship in 13-17 Jr Dragster. She also won the Atlanta Dragway Rookie of the Year award in 2002 for her performance. Lauren is responsible for five of the team's eleven 2005 Atlanta Dragway victories. When she drove quarter midgets, beginning at the age of seven, she racked up 15 wins, including two regional Quarter Midget races. Along with her family, she is active in church and school. In the 2004-2005 school year at West Jackson Middle School, she was a member of the Honor Chorus and the Student Council Peer Mediation, received numerous awards, and was on the A Honor Roll.
Team PTI added Russ Glover, a former Jr Dragster Divisional and Track Champion ('98 Division Two Jr Dragster and '98 Track champion) in March, 2005. Glover's '81 Speedcraft dragster was not ready when he joined the team, so he enjoyed warming the seat in Turner's Super Comp car during the Drag News Allstar event on March 19. He put the car into the "four-second zone" for the first time (4.995) and won Team PTI's first Super Pro title his first time out in the car. After recuperating from burns suffered in June, he then won another Super Pro race in late July for the team with his own car. His Super Pro win total comes to four wins in six finals, and his combined Jr Dragster and Bicycle drag racing win total comes to 20 wins in 32 final rounds. Glover is currently a sophomore at Gainesville College, where he is working toward a Business and Marketing degree.
In 2000, Clay Fancher began racing in the Pro Truck series at Lanier Speedway. He has been with the team since 2002, beginning with a Super Gas '81 Camaro. The Camaro was later traded for his current ride, a '98 Horton dragster. Fancher has done well, enjoying his first Super Pro win only three weeks after Glover scored a win. Since then, Fancher made a good run for the track championship, won the 2005 Mopar Meet, runner-upped in another race, and finished fifth in the 2005 Super Pro points series. Fancher finished sixth in the 2004 Atlanta Dragway Super Pro points. In 2003, Fancher became partners with George Turner in his company, Prestress Transportation, Inc.
Fancher's son, Justin Fancher, began competing in the 8-12 Jr Dragster class in 2004, after making it to the semi-final round in one of Atlanta Dragway's rental dragsters late in the 2003 season. He also did well, earning the title of Atlanta Dragway Rookie of the Year for 2004. To date, he has one win and seven final round appearances, finished third in 2004, and tied for
fifth in 2005.
Johnny Turner has 18 wins in Quarter midgets, and raced Jr Dragsters from 2002 to 2004, winning two races in four final-round appearances. After he turned 16 in 2005, Turner took over the seat in his dad's Super Pro car and is easily the fastest student at Jackson County Comprehensive High School (JCCHS). His best ET to date is 4.984 seconds at 139.48mph. He is
currently a Junior at JCCHS, is on the Varsity and Junior Varsity Football Team, and an officer in the Jr. ROTC.
Jake Swaim is a sophomore at JCCHS and is also on the Varsity and Junior Varsity Football team. Swaim began his racing career in 2004 as a crew member , helping the team win their first Jr Dragster championship. He then stepped into the Jr Dragster seat vacated by Johnny Turner in 2005. He struggled a little early on, but then came on strong, winning two races in a
row in June. He then had the pleasure of being presented the Rookie of the Year award at the 2005 Atlanta Dragway banquet.
The Turner's first drag car was the Jr Dragster formerly driven by Joseph Satterfield. Later, Joe joined the team and drove George's Super Pro car in 2004. Satterfield is currently piloting the Top Dragster for Turner. In addition, Joe had the opportunity during the summer of 2005 to travel across the United States with the Hartman Enterprises NHRA Top Fuel Dragster. Satterfield attends Georgia Southern College, where he is earning a Mechanical Engineering degree. He is also an Eagle Scout.
Matt Tomlinson is the only two-wheeler guy on the team. He began his racing career in the WKA (World Karting Association), and then joined the team in 2001 as a crew member on the Turner Motorsports Southern All Stars Sprint Car. When the team switched to NHRA Drag Racing in 2002, he became the co-crew chief on Johnny and Lauren's Jr Dragsters. During that time, he also raced an INEX Legends car. Late in 2003, he and George became co-owners of an AMA Prostar Top Gas Suzuki, capable of running in the 8.00 second range at 170mph.
Last, but certainly not least on the team, is George Turner. Turner graduated from Grand Haven High School in 1982. He then graduated with a B.S. degree in Business Finance from Bob Jones University in 1986. He married his college sweetheart, Cindy Jones, in 1986 as well. He worked in the corporate world until 1991, when, along with wife Cindy, he became self employed with their company, Turner Data Processing. He then co-founded Prestress Transport, Inc., a small specialized prestressed and pre-cast concrete trucking company. Clay Fancher partnered up with George in 2003 as co-owner of Prestress Transportation, Inc.
Very few teams can afford to race week in and week out without help, and Team PTI is no exception. They especially want to thank Tara Fine Jewelry and Randy Fain of Fain & Mitchell Properties for contributing to the success of their team. They also want to give a special thanks to ABC Sign Source, Bruce Odell & Sikkens Auto Paints, Randall and Donna Davis, Bill Gillen,
Tony Moore, and Bill Satterfield.
Turner has done well pulling together a team of winners. To keep track of
their progress, you can also log on to http://www.ptiracing.com/ .
posted by David @ 1:39 AM
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