FIghTIng The Good FIghT
O
n the side of Tim Slavens’ trailer, there’s
a small sign that everyone on the crew passes fre-
quently. The sign is actually a game called the “Blame
Game,” and the rules are actually quite simply. You
screw up, you get a checkmark. ¶ There’s a spot for
Slavens, as well as Mark “Tydo” Werdehausen, who
has raced with his longtime friend for more than 25
years. Tuner Joe Oplawski isn’t safe from the “Blame
Game,” either, and they’ve also got a spot reserved
for Mark Menscer, who has played a pivotal part in
Slavens’ recent success. ¶ Lastly, there’s a spot for
a crew member and if it’s a brand-new addition to
the team, well, they already have an uphill climb. “If it’s a new guy, he
starts with a check,” Werdehausen says with a laugh. ¶ It’s also a list
that helps keep the mood light. Most importantly, the light-hearted,
tongue-in-cheek game serves as a reminder of how the team operates.
¶ Slavens is the driver of the famed steel-bodied Radial vs. the World
Camaro owned by Matt and Anita Zimmerman, and Mark Michael,
while Oplawski and Werdehausen share tuning duties on one of the last
remaining stock-body cars racing in the ul-
tra-quick radial class.
But in the time they’ve all worked together,
nothing has ever been in disarray. Sure, the team
has struggled from time to time – including a
stretch this season that included a rough outing
at Lights Out 11 – but egos have never gotten
in the way.
The “Blame Game” has worked because, simply
put, there’s never been any blame to go around.
“Everybody in our camp puts their ego aside,”
Slavens says. “It’s OK to make mistakes. Mark
and Joe play off each other very, very well and the
reality of it is, I typically just let go of the button
and break the thing. If we tear something up, one,
‘Why did we tear it up?’ We need to know why
so we don’t make that mistake again. But two,
if we tear it up, we have the ability to learn and
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I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 154