{"id":3494,"date":"2025-09-03T15:28:39","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/?p=3494"},"modified":"2025-09-03T15:28:39","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:28:39","slug":"dave-connolly-from-pro-stock-to-suspension-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/?p=3494","title":{"rendered":"Dave Connolly: From Pro Stock to Suspension Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you hear the name Dave Connolly<\/strong>, most race fans think of Pro Stock horsepower, national event wins, and his sharp mind on the starting line. With 26 Pro Stock victories and stints as both a driver and championship-winning crew chief, Connolly has seen nearly every angle of professional drag racing. But these days, his focus is on shocks and suspension<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Why Competitive Suspension?<\/h2>\n

Connolly has always been hands-on, dating back to the earliest days of his driving career. \u201cI\u2019ve always been intrigued,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen I started crew chiefing in 2009\u2014first for myself, then with Erica Enders\u2014I wanted to learn more about shocks.\u201d That curiosity led him to learn under some of the best: Jeff Ryan of JRi Shocks<\/strong> and Ronnie Crooks<\/strong>, a well-known NASCAR shock guru, both of whom helped shape Connolly\u2019s technical foundation.<\/p>\n

That passion came full circle in 2022 when Connolly and longtime race promoter Jennifer Folk purchased Competitive Suspension Solutions<\/strong> from founder Shane Sweigart. What started as a side gig quickly grew into a full-time operation, now based in Bradenton, Florida.<\/p>\n

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What Racers Need to Know About Shocks<\/h2>\n

Connolly is quick to point out that shock technology has been overlooked for years<\/strong>. \u201cRacing has gotten tighter and tighter. Shocks are one of the areas where people can find the edge,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n

Unlike off-the-shelf parts, Connolly customizes every setup. Each shock is valved to the exact application<\/strong>\u2014taking into account the car\u2019s speed, weight, and suspension type. \u201cOn the rear especially, people forget you already have mechanical leverage from your 4-link or ladder bar. Shocks are the fine-tuning,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

And when you buy from Connolly, you\u2019re not just buying hardware\u2014you\u2019re buying his knowledge. He works with racers on 4-link settings, shock adjustments, and long-term tuning support<\/strong>. It\u2019s an ongoing relationship, not just a one-time transaction.<\/p>\n

Wide Range of Customers<\/h2>\n

From Pro Stock and Top Sportsman cars<\/strong> to 6- and 7-second 1\/8-mile bracket cars<\/strong>, Connolly\u2019s customer list spans nearly every corner of drag racing. He services brands like QA1, Penske, JRi, AFCO, and Strange struts<\/strong>, and works with racers in all racing classes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The results speak for themselves. Many racers see immediate improvements<\/strong>\u2014and even wins\u2014after putting Connolly\u2019s suspension setups to work. In a sport built on fractions of a second, that kind of fine-tuning can be the difference between loading up early or standing in the winner\u2019s circle.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Pro Stock Future?<\/h2>\n

With his deep resume behind the wheel, many wonder if Connolly will ever return to full-time Pro Stock competition. His answer: \u201cNever say never.\u201d<\/strong> While he isn\u2019t shutting the door on driving again, Connolly is content with where he\u2019s at now\u2014running Competitive Suspension and serving as a trusted crew chief for some of the biggest names in the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m happy with what I\u2019m doing,\u201d he says. \u201cHelping racers go faster, win races, and get the most out of their cars\u2014that\u2019s rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Closing Thoughts<\/h2>\n

Drag racing has always been a tight-knit community<\/strong>, and Connolly fits perfectly into that fabric. With Pro Stock-level knowledge<\/strong> and a hands-on approach, he\u2019s bringing suspension science to racers at every level. Whether it\u2019s a bracket racer trying to shave a few thousandths or a Pro Stocker chasing a Wally, Connolly is proving that shocks are no longer the forgotten piece of the puzzle\u2014they\u2019re the key to staying competitive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you hear the name Dave Connolly, most race fans think of Pro Stock horsepower, national event wins, and his sharp mind on the starting line. With 26 Pro Stock victories and stints as both a driver and championship-winning crew chief, Connolly has seen nearly every angle of professional drag racing. But these days, his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":3545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[59,50],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[55],"class_list":{"0":"post-3494","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-driver-features"},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dave1-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Dave1-600x600.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Kline Whitley","author_link":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/author\/klinewhitley"},"authors":[{"term_id":55,"user_id":4,"is_guest":0,"slug":"klinewhitley","display_name":"Kline Whitley","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Me.png","url2x":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Me.png"},"first_name":"Kline","last_name":"Whitley","user_url":"http:\/\/www.DragCoverage.com","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3494"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3494\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3494"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/DragCoverage.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fppma_author&post=3494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}