Image courtesy NHRA/National Dragster

Todd Lesenko has been in demand lately, in drag racing and away from the track.
 
The St. Albert, Alberta, NHRA Funny Car driver has found a way to take advantage of an unbeatable business opportunity with Fountain Tire, the Canada-based company with which he has been associated for three decades, and continue racing.  
 
He forfeited his seat in the Jim Dunn Racing-owned Tap It Brewing/Grime Boss Monte Carlo Funny Car at the end of the 2012 season, his first full one on the NHRA tour. He said just before Christmas that once he settled into his new routine with his 9-to-5 job, he would pursue a part-time racing arrangement.
 
Lesenko didn’t have to wait long to fill in his 2013 calendar. He’ll reprise his role with longtime Southern California team Chuck Worsham Racing, driving a Grant Downing-built Dodge Charger for about 10-12 races in the newly renamed Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
 
He drove for Worsham in 2011, stepping up from Nostalgia Funny Car competition. A former International Hot Rod Association racer, he owned and drove the Jolly Roger Nitro Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragster from 2009 to 2011.
 
Lesenko said from his suburban Phoenix home that yielding the Jim Dunn Racing ride “was my decision. I have a huge business opportunity, and it’s just impossible for me to have a full season. I couldn’t be away from business that long.”

He referred to Canada’s healthy economy as, “…the land of milk and honey, where things are really good right now.”
 
He said, “My stores are part of a large corporation. There are 170 stores, There’s the opportunity to be the director of a large portion of those and become involved in corporate more. They’ve invited me to that particular opportunity. I’ve taken the opportunity, so that’s the reason I’m moving away from a full season in the NHRA.
 
“To say that I would have loved to have gone drag racing on a full-time basis, sure, of course. Anybody who has been bitten by the nitro bug would want to do that on a full-time basis,” Lesenko said. “Unfortunately, because of my business commitment, that won’t work.
 
“I was able to race in the NHRA because of my business and my ability to do work,” he said, adding that he enjoys the new Fountain Tire challenge.

Image courtesy NHRA/National Dragster

“I guess I’m not doing it for the money. I’m doing it for the opportunity. To be a director at such a large company, to go from the stores I have to 180 stores, a percentage of those, that’s a pretty big opportunity,” Lesenko said, adding that his Fountain Tire deal will allow him to “have an interest in the whole program.” 

Jeff Arend took over in Dunn’s Grime Boss car after being let go from Kalitta Motorsports in its post-season reorganization.

Lesenko said he told Jim and Diane Dunn and team manager Jon Dunn around the end of October what was happening in his corporate life.
 
“There’s no animosity. We separated quite amicably,” Lesenko said. ‘We’re still friends. We’re great friends.”
 
According to Lesenko, several team owners approached him during last season to gauge his interest in switching organizations.
 
“When you’re a driver and you’re driving in the NHRA and you’ve got a good attitude or whatever the case may be, people say, ‘You know what? We’d be interested in you driving one of our Funny Cars.’ That happened a couple of times last year. I never, ever would have considered it at that point, because I was committed to the Dunns,” he said. “They were like a family. Now scenarios have changed, and I’ve had to move on with my business adventures.”
 
Lesenko described the difference between himself and Arend, saying, “Jeff is a race-car driver. My game is I’m a retailer who drives a race car, and Jeff Arend is a race-car driver who drives a race car.” Lesenko said.
 
“Jon [Dunn] and I worked together to get the sponsorship money for 2013, but because of my commitments in business I can’t take advantage, but I’m glad that Jeff Arend has that opportunity. It worked out well.”