JEGS RACER OF THE MONTH, JOEL REYNOLDS

By Tim Glover

Thirty two year old Joel Reynolds began drag racing in 1988 with the help of his dad, David Reynolds, who is still involved with his racing. He has enjoyed several wins and championships along the way, and recently enjoyed the biggest payday possible for a bracket racer, by winning the 2002 edition of the B&M Million Dollar Race at Memphis Motorsports Park.

In 1989, with the help of his friends and father, he built his current ride, a red '78 Phoenix, which runs in the 6.90 to low 7.00 second range. He and friend Scott Wood took turns driving it at Lassiter Mountain until Scott moved to Atlanta. Wood took the car to its first track championship at Lassiter in 1993.

Reynolds earned his first track championship at Bama Dragway in 1994 with a '68 Camaro he used to own. Now he competes regularly with not one, but two Super Pro cars. His other car is a '95 Camaro that Jeff Kile built for them in 1995.

His first race car was a '70 Vega wagon, which his family still owns. His wife Barbara races it now and has enjoyed a few wins. "She even whooped me up in a final one time," Reynolds added (and she wouldn't split with him either; go figure). Earlier this year he got his Phoenix and his '95 Camaro into a final at Steele. He had his dad drive the Phoenix for the final, and he won with the Camaro, even though his dad tried to pull a fast one by switching the dial at the last second, hoping he wouldn't notice. No wonder the guy is so tough!

Reynolds might tend to disagree with folks who claim a door car can't compete with dragsters. He is a door car person to the core. "I don't really care for them (dragsters). I've been doing good in a door car." He did acknowledge a lot of dragsters show up for big money races, but knows they are not invincible.

He has always enjoyed racing at the B&M Million Dollar Race, and has experienced success several times in that event. Reynolds currently has the distinction of being the only racer to make it to two Million Dollar Race finals. In 1997, he took home the runner-up purse with his '78 Phoenix when George Tamasi Sr. won the Million. He kept coming back for more, and has only missed the Million once, last year at Atlanta, which he says is not one of his favorite tracks. The sixth time was the charm for Reynolds in 2002, when he took the final round win light at the Million against Claude Debonis' "motor on a stick." He put down a perfect .500 react, and went 6.971 on a 6.96 dial for the win. Debonis was .532 on the tree, and went 5.013 on his 4.99 target.

Reynolds definitely likes the Memphis facility. Until this year's Million, he had only been there once, and recalls he defeated Jeff Strickland in 1995.

Door cars are no stranger to B&M Million Dollar Race finals. The '68 Camaro formerly driven by Toby Barnes became the first door car in the first Million Dollar final, in 1996.

Reynolds laughed when asked to recall how his 2002 Million Dollar weekend went. "I didn't win a single round Thursday or Friday with either car. I didn't win any rounds Sunday either. I guess Saturday made up for it." Thinking back about the weekend, one word came to mind. "Wow!" He then added, "Racing with two cars is tough. I was going to have to show a profit this year, and this win (Million Dollar race) really helped. I've paid off my truck and trailer."

He did have a better time the weekend after the 2002 Million. He got both of his current cars to the semi-finals at Steele, winning the race with his '95 Camaro and finishing semi-final to Tim Archer in the Phoenix.

Although a Million Dollar Race win would make anyone's year, Reynolds already had a great year before entering the Million. Reynolds won not one, but two track championships in 2002. He is Bama Dragway's and Alabama International Dragway's 2002 Super Pro champ. He also came in second in Super Pro points at Alabama International Dragway with his '95 Camaro. He won twice this year at Bama, and has a total of eight wins at Steele now.

Reynold's day job is being the manager and a mechanic at Ray's Radiator and Muffler in Warrior, Alabama. Even though he has now experienced two Million Dollar finals, he still goes back to work Monday morning. Earlier this year, he had to make a choice between one of two races, the B&M Million Dollar Race or the NHRA Division Two ET Finals at Montgomery. Because either he or Marc Fischer has to be at the shop, they each chose the race they wanted to attend. Even though Reynolds was the 2002 Bama Dragway Super Pro champ, which entitled him to compete in the Race of Champions, he chose to attend the Million Dollar race at Memphis, which turned out to be a very good decision.

He and his wife Barbara have one child, Allyson, who is now four years old. She loves racing, and came with them to the Million. "We'll be getting a Jr. Dragster soon," Reynolds said. If she's anything like Mom and Dad, the Jr. Dragster field had better be on their toes when Allyson starts driving.

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