RPW Column: The Reasons Why Tim Hartman Jr. Is Making The Switch To DKM For ’21

Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – NISKAYUNA, NY – Why? After so much success…why make a change?

That’s what several people have been wondering ever since it was leaked out on social media that Tim Hartman Jr. and the Parillo Services Sportsman team would be making the switch from Troyer to DKM Cyclone chassis for the 2021 racing season.

Ultimately, it came down to this being the best situation possible for the team.

“The cars that we’ve been using over the last couple of years have a lot of laps on them,” Hartman Jr. said. “We’ve been averaging between 40 and 50 races a season. Our stuff was starting to get a little fatigued and we were in the market for a new car. DKM approached us with a deal that we couldn’t refuse.”

Was this the first time the Hagaman, NY chassis builder had talked with Hartman about getting him in one of their cars? Well, not exactly.

“It actually started last winter when Dave Constantino (part-owner if DKM) approached us about having me in a DKM car for 2020,” he said. “However, at the time, we were coming off a huge season and really didn’t need new equipment. Fast forward to fall 2020 and Dave approached us again. Now, we were ready to talk.”

Was this a spur of the moment decision, seeing as how the Parillo team has had so much success over the years in the Troyer camp?

“We talked quite a bit internally as a team,” he said. “Everyone seemed to think this was a good idea, so we decided DKM was the route we wanted to go. Dave had us up to the shop, showed us everything about the cars and we were impressed. We liked the direction of the company and the changes to their 2021 cars that I think will make them very competitive.”

In the end though, there was one final piece to the puzzle that made this a done deal for Hartman.

“Ultimately, it felt good to be wanted by a manufacturer,” he said. “Nobody else has offered that same excitement and willingness to have me behind the wheel of one of their cars. That goes a long way with me and it’s hard to say no to that.”

With the first major change within the team in a number of years, is Hartman nervous that he won’t be able to rekindle to the same magic they’ve had with Troyer?

“There’s no doubt the cars we have now are good cars,” he said. “But no…not at all. We’ve spent the last three seasons in a car that no one else liked. We heard it all. Nobody can get it to run good. Everyone who drives one hates it. Yet, those three years have been the most successful of my racing career so far.”

Hartman is looking forward to working with the guys at DKM for many reasons, but knowledge and information is high on the list. He says that while they may make certain decisions for their cars, they back up those decisions with solid answers.

“To be honest, I can’t look at the different chassis makes sitting next to each other and point out differences that makes one faster than the other,” he said. “I just know Dave has an engineering background and he won’t answer ‘why did you do this’ questions with ‘because it’s what we’ve always done’ or ‘this is what the competition does and they’re fast.’ He’ll give me an engineer’s answer.”

That goes a long way with Hartman.

“As an engineer myself, I appreciate the fact that he is able to back up his decisions with actual technical justification,” he said. “I’m confident that the cars will do what they’re supposed to do. Additionally, their quality of workmanship is great. Just looking over the car and seeing the welds and the CNC’d parts and body panels make me think that they know what they’re doing.”

Truthfully, Hartman’s faith isn’t just in the product DKM has designed. It’s also in DKM’s people.

“I want us to get better and trust people much smarter than me to point us in the right direction,” he said. “I don’t know how to design and build a race car chassis so I’m comfortable that when I ask a question about something, the answer these guys will give is supported by fact.”

Confidence seems to be very high for the former Albany-Saratoga and Fonda Speedway champion even as he and his team head into a year with this new variable.

“Yea, it really is,” he said. “I feel that we’ll be just as competitive as we’ve been. We’re going to have brand new equipment which always helps, no matter what kind of car it is.”

The convenience of this whole situation was a big selling point for Hartman’s team, and one that Tim feels will pay dividends for them in 2021.

”It’s nice that DKM is local and that they’re at our home tracks each week,” he said. “It’ll definitely help from a technical side that both Dave and Eric Mack (another co-owner at DKM along with Kyle Hoffman) have a lot of experience at the tracks we race at. They’ll understand any kind of feedback I give them.”

That convenience isn’t just from the competition side. It’s also perfect in regards to logistics.

“Their location to our shop will be a great help when we need to get parts,” he said. “We won’t need to get anything shipped to our shop like we’ve done in the past and hope that it arrives on time. That’s going to be huge.”

While it’s a big one, the manufacturer swap is the only change the Parillo team will be making in 2021. They plan to stay in the Sportsman division for 2021.

“I like running in the Sportsman division,” he said. “I don’t need the status of being a ‘Modified driver’. I’m still having fun doing what we’re doing.”

What’s going to make next year a successful season for Hartman and his team?

“Success will be not losing a step considering the change we’re making,” he said. “Our goal is to win every race we go to. We don’t go to the track without intending to win. Our expectations are to win races and championships. I’m very proud that’s we’ve set that bar so high to achieve.”

Final Thought From Tim…In His Own Words…

“I have an awesome group of people behind me and I’m glad to have them onboard again in 2021. Obviously, I have to thank Mike Parillo because he’s the reason why we’re able to do all of this.

I also have to thank my dad, Kyle Corbett, Mike Paquin, and Tommy Selva for being the best crew in the pits. I can’t forget my mother, my girlfriend, Jessica, and the kids, Jaxon and Brexley, for their support.

I can’t forget to thank my sponsors that help out our program immensely, including Bemiss Trucking and Irish Trucking. Everyone bit of support our operation gets is a big key to our success and I hope we can continue that in the new year.”