What began as a technical alliance five years ago has grown into a full-time drag-racing partnership for Quebec driver Dan Mercier and tuner Rob Wendland, who built the Montreal engineer’s first Top Fuel car.
The Groupe ABS – Star Racer team will make its season debut at the April 28-30 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Concord, N.C.’s zMAX Dragway, the first of eight planned events on the 2023 Camping World Drag Racing Series tour.
Mercier, who raced in both the Top Alcohol Dragster class and the nitro-burning Top Fuel category, will make one more appearance in the Lucas Oil Series with his A/Fuel dragster at the season-opening Gatornationals in March at Gainesville, Fla. Then he’ll enter the four-wide spectacle, followed by the June races at Epping, N.H., and Norwalk, Ohio. Mercier will run at the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis during Labor Day weekend. Then he’ll compete at four of the six Countdown to the Championship events: at Reading, Pa’s Maple Grove Raceway (Sept. 14-17), again at zMAX Dragway (Sept. 22-24), The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Oct. 26-29), and the In-N-Out Burger Finals Nov. 9-12 at California’s Pomona Dragstrip.
“For me, Top Fuel was always the unknown,” Mercier said. “It was important for me to continue the Top Alcohol Dragster program to make sure I continued my long-term passion. But this year, with Rob’s commitment in partnering with our team, we will put the A/Fuel car aside after Gainesville and focus on the Top Fuel Dragster for 2023.
“The goal,” he said, “is to prepare for the years 2024 and 2025.” Until then, he said, his “ideal dream” is to qualify for all the events…and winning a few rounds.”
Wendland said Mercier is plenty capable of doing that: “Dan has the passion and resources to have a top-10 team. I am excited for the opportunity to be a part of this team and share my experiences and knowledge to help develop the future of Mercier Racing.”
For me, Rob is the best teacher for the team,” Mercier said. “He knows the equipment, because he built it himself. He is positive and never gives up. – Dan Mercier
Last season, Mercier competed at Epping, N.H.; Norwalk, Ohio; and Indianapolis – with mixed results. In his first appearance, at New England Dragway, Mercier qualified ninth but smoked the tires against Justin Ashley in the opening round. Later that month, at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, he missed the field by a mere three-thousandths of a second.
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