The NSCA faithful know who Mike Tritle is, but what do they know about him? Mike is most well known as the Auto Meter go to guy for advice on Data Acquisition systems, tach and gauge problems. He is also a fiercely competitive American Muscle and Nostalgia Muscle Car class winner. Entering his one owner blue 74 Barracuda at the last minute for the NSCA then Nostalgia Muscle Car race at Great Lakes Dragaway in 2001, Mike showed some stuff by winning the event out of the box. Not known for stellar reaction times, Tritle usually keeps a couple of tricks in his back pocket to compensate down track to make it happen. In the time since, he has visited the finals 4 times and maintains a .500 finishing average

EMPLOYMENT: As of 9/7/04, Midstates Regional Sales Manager, Triverity Data Fusion Systems, Chantilly, VA.

WHEN DID YOU START RACING: 1969 but my Dad always thought it was 72.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST RACECAR: I inherited the folks cast off 61 Bel Air 4 door six-stick and proceeded fill in the rust holes and make sure there wasn’t another six-cylinder car in the Forest View High School parking lot (also Tony Christian’s alma mater) that could keep up. Later on, I inherited a 61 Impala Convertible with a Power Pack 283. After an unscheduled destructive testing procedure of several key components of the rear suspension and subsequent related brake malfunction at 100 mph at Lake Geneva Drag Strip, transferred the drive train to a 68 Chevy II. The deuce was the first car I set up for strip only and did not drive to the track.

WIERDEST THING EVER IN RACING: Getting stuck in the seat of Morgan Shepherd’s Winston Cup car while venting a Liquid Filled fuel pressure gauge. Until then I had never noticed how slim and trim most of those NASCAR drivers are. Except for Jimmy Spencer and Buddy Baker, they’re all little fellas. It took a couple of guys to reach in and spread the lateral seat supports for me to use the cage as a chin up bar and pry my big fine body out of there.

Or, it could have been racing golf carts at Quaker City…

MOST SATISFYING MOMENT IN RACING: Everybody is going to think it was winning the first event, and until Salem this year that would have been true. That was replaced last year in Columbus when I got to accompany Randy Farrell with back up harmony at the JAMA service, then go on to sing the National Anthem the following weekend in Memphis. Since then I’ve been honored to do the Anthem at several Street Legal events this year including Quaker City.

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN YOUR CAREER: Mr. (Bob) Freeman, my Auto Shop teacher in High School picked me along with 4 other guys to build the 301 for his 57 Corvette during our Jr. year. I think he recognized our interest in all things performance and pointed us in the right direction. From that point on I was hooked on getting more out of less for next to nothing. It is for that reason that coaxing a couple more hundredths out of the current combination means so much to me. With the exception of a B first semester, I was a straight A student in his class. His style of teaching was motivating to the extreme including the way he handled the proverbial class clowns. I used the same philosophy with the students in the High School Automotive Class I taught from 89-94.

YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITE RACECAR: While my 4 speed Impala and Nova were fun and I would love to have either or both back, my favorite is the Barracuda, no doubt. My wife and I purchased it new in September 74 and drove it as a family car for several years until putting it away to keep the rust out from completely ruining it. Every time I put it on the trailer, jump in it for a round or crawl under to work on it, I think of the vacations and evenings driving our two sons around in the back seat to put them to sleep by the stereo sound of the resonator only dual exhaust and buckboard ride of the Monroe Handling and Cornering shocks.

YOUR BIGGEST RIVAL: Who ever pulls up into the opposite lane for an elimination round. However, Stan Bardo with the original 57 FI Chevy over in the PRO Series and I have this competitive thing going ever since I got him in the finals at Cordova in 02. His car has been in his family forever as well, originally raced by his dad. We run the same index and just bring out the ultimate competitor in each other!

THANKS TO: First and foremost to the God above for blessing me so lavishly in my life. I’ve never gone hungry and He has truly provided everything I need. All the competitors, officials, fans and crew at the events I’ve attended as the Auto Meter rep deserve great big thanks for their continued support that made it possible for me to be part of the NSCA and Street Legal family. A special thanks goes to Scotty Wright for holding up third round of eliminations at the NSCA St. Louis race in 02. He and I went on through our respective opponents to the finals and he beat me by just a couple of thou (no, I did not purposely return the favor, but didn’t mind losing to him quite as much). I would not have been there to Runner Up at all but for his thoughtful action. I’ll never forget that! Neither will Bob Darlington either, probably. To all my customers who let me help them analyze their data and thereby learn something from each and every one of them. Last but not least, my wife of 30 years who puts up with my frequent absence to do this deal.

WHAT’S IN THE FUTURE: I am involved in launching a brand new Data Acquisition system tailored to endurance racing. Triverity is a new company with new ideas and an incredible brain trust and focus behind it. While the system doesn’t quite fit the needs of drag racers yet there are a couple of really neat features that everybody will “just gotta have” when I get it out front for all to see.