Tribble Racing Group announces driver line-up and unveils new liveries

**Wes Tribble** · 02-12-2008, 06:00 PM

02/12/2008
Lexington, Ohio

Tribble Racing Group announces driver line-up and unveils new liveries

The ILMS 2008 season is all set to get underway as teams decend on Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. One such team is the Tribble Racing Group, founded by father/son duo Mike and Wes Tribble. TRG has campaigned sports cars in smaller series like the Australian Porsche Carrera Cup and the M3GTR Challenge with great success but this will be their first foray into the big leauges of sports car racing.

Wes Tribble sat down with our crew and spoke about the upcoming season.
"We are both nervous and extremely excited to get this season underway. We have had plenty of time to test our new stable of Ferrari's and I am very pleased with our progress. The Ferrari is very balanced and is easy to drive on the limit. I can't wait to get this season started."

On the driver line-up for 2008,
"We have Jeff Chandler joining our team for this season driving the number 033 car and everyone is excited to see what he can bring to the table. He jumped right in and started laying down fast laps right away. He's a great talent and I think he will fit in nicely with the rest of TRG. The rest of the team is comprised of myself in the 10 car, My Dad Mike in the 02 car, and my Brother Kris in the 69 car."

On comments made by Champion Motorsports and Uranus Racing earlier in the week,
"You know, lots of people ask me about the Tribble thing. Do we really eat spaceships? Does my Dad really have 3,000,000,000,000 kids? How do we drive a racecar with only fur and no appendages? I always say 'hey you freakin Star Trek dork, my last name is Tribble but I'm not a furry pink animal. I am a human being damnit and no I will not go with you to the next Star Trek convention!'"

We also sat down with Jeff Chandler to get his thoughts about joining Tribble Racing Group.
"TRG is great, they have given me a great car and I am ready to win some races and hopefully have a lot of fun this season. Mike and I have been friends for a while and when they needed a teamate for the ILMS series I jumped at the opportunity. The only problem I've encountered so far is all of the pink fuzz in the seat during driver changes." Our interview was cut short after this last statement due to "important team business". I got the feeling that Wes was not happy with Jeff's reference to the "pink fuzz", but he declined to comment on the matter.

TRG practices at Mid Ohio
(left to right: Wes Tribble, Kris Tribble, Mike Tribble, Jeff Chandler)

**Rich Lee** · 02-12-2008, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by Wes Tribble

'hey you freakin Star Trek dork, my last name is Tribble but I'm not a furry pink animal. I am a human being damnit and no I will not go with you to the next Star Trek convention!'

urrrr... Trekkie hater, you are... Let go your hate; for that leads down the path of the dark side...

**Tom Cinnamon** · 02-12-2008, 10:59 PM

Always ready to comment, Team Uranus co founder Tom Cinnamon seemed pleased with the recent press release by Tribble Racing Group:

"Seems like those boys are expecting to take a serious shot at the ILMS GT2 Championship this season."

"I think it is terriffic that TRG has managed to think outside the box and offered up a ride to a non family member. Heaven knows they would have had quite a few of those to choose from."

"The addition of Jeff Chandler takes me back to the days when Ted Field helped Danny Ongais make the conversion from drag strips to road courses. I have watched Jeff quite a bit in the preseason and he seems to be going extremely well once he remembers to turn the car into the first corner at each track."

"By the way, does any one know which planet Jeff is from??? Every time I see a photo of him in a car, the front wheels are off the ground and it looks like he's headed for home!"

**HenryHudson** · 02-12-2008, 11:06 PM

Congratulations TRG!

Whilst sympathizing with Mr. Chandler, PetroMALT Racing Crew Chief Neuville Noire á Blanc regretfully declined his request for a shipment of PetroMALT Small Animal Hairball Medicine. Neuville agreed that judicious dosing of his new teammates would probably reduce the accumulation of "pink fuzz" during the race as he had not yet received his February payment from PetroMALT Racing. He also said that extended grooming sessions with a good brush would help matters, but that is something he should discuss with Monsieurs Tribble before attempting such action to avoid an awkward situation.

**Jeff Chandler** · 02-12-2008, 11:17 PM

My, what a tangled hair ball we weave

**Mike Tribble** · 02-13-2008, 05:24 AM

ILMS News Flash!

Mike Tribble, Senior driver for Team TRG appeared outside the team trailer, quickly donned his "Roll Tide" baseball cap and stated.."Any rumors about hair weaves are hereby denied adamantly!... I don't know where these rumors get started." The senior Tribble refused to answer more questions and was last seen escorting team driver Jeff Chandler back into the trailer rather forcefully while having an animated discussion.

**Tom Cinnamon** · 02-13-2008, 09:54 AM

Shortly after Tribble and Chandler dissappeared into their trailer, Ron Schuermann from the Hamilton County Community Mental Health Board arrived carrying a massive amount of electronic equipment.

Schuermann who also will drive the ILMS series had been interviewed earlier in the week and although did not go into detail about his work with the Mental Health Board did say that, "Basically anything that has a plug on it, I have to maintain."

Rumors abound in the paddock as to why Ron was at the TRG trailer. Kris Tribble was quoted as saying, "Oh, uh, Ron, yeah, he was just delivering some curling irons." Members of the Uranus Racing crew who are paddocked next to TRG said, "We were just sitting here with our feet up watchin the chicks go by when we saw Schuermann enter the trailer. A few minutes later the TRG generator started reving up like mad and we heard what sounded like muffled screams from over there." Uranus chief mechanic, "Guy" (no one seems to know his last name) stated, "That sound just gave me the Willies!"