Summertime … When the Living is Hectic!

7/9/04

Jeff Burk Photo

I raise the welding hood and all of a sudden, it’s summer. Summer is usually a pretty slow time for the West Coast nostalgia scene, but maybe because there’s no racing going on, it seems like the pace of the stories coming at me (OK, let’s get real … the gossip) is reaching a furious frenzy.

First off, everyone is talking floppers. I have heard of one West Coast top alcohol Funny Car team wanting to make the switch to nostalgia F/C. I’ve also talked to one owner/driver who’s ready to jump the nostalgia top fuel ship to join the ranks of the Funnies! Even a fuel altered guy has expressed interest into getting an old F/C body and the parts and pieces to make it happen! It’s kind of cool that this class has generated the interest that it does. Hopefully, all involved will not let it get out of hand. I say no 392s! And make the guy who seems to be dominating the races lately, Dan Horan Jr., run a 4-71.

Speaking of which, the Dan and Dale show (Horan Jr. and Pulde, respectively) ran another 6.17 at 239 mph at the last Goodguys race, which was held at Pomona. I know, I know, they did it last year at Bakersfield, but this time they did it with all the same parts that the rest of us have! The bar has been raised yet again. Congratulations and thanks guys … now, we need to test! Oh yeah, we tried that. The Jeff Gaynor Racing/Hard Times car went to Irwindale for a little T‘n‘T. I screwed up the leave, broke the rear end and put my owner’s wallet on a diet. Pomona wasn’t much better, what with me missing the chute levers twice on one run and yes, John Drummond, the kitty litter is finally out of my shorts. The good news about Pomona? We had the best light of Funny Car eliminations. That and Pammy looked great doing backup duty.

That Pulde guy is getting around, and will be teaming up with another of those grouchy chassis guys to run the big show in a flopper. Look for the Pulde and Pleuger team at a western swing dance near you. These “looking forward into the past” thinkers will undoubtedly give some of the traveling pros big trouble. I wish these guys nothing but success!

Did someone mention John Drummond? The guy who loves to “boogie down in the trick traction compound” is back at Goodguys doing P.R. after a leave of absence. Welcome back, John! Do us a favor and get yourself and Dave Wallace back together behind the mics announcing for top fuel and Funny Car.

Actually, even though I said my reaction time was the best thing about Pomona, the real best thing about the race was the altercation just outside our pit space between Ron and Andy Marocco of Mopar Drag City and Drag Racing Online’s Darr Hawthorne. Amid shouts of “only real journalists will be allowed at our race track!” and some finger pointing at chests (but, thankfully this time, no belly bumping) it looked like it could get ugly until someone stepped in to break it up. Much to my amusement, that someone was Jeff Gaynor, the president of the “Banned from Banning for Life” club. I wonder if Andy and Ron know who gallantly rode to their rescue?

I mentioned Irwindale Raceway. The day after Pomona, we went to watch the new Estrus Racing nostalgia Funny Car do a couple of squirts. Look to the pages of DRO soon for an in-depth feature on this beautiful race car; a car so gorgeously retro, in fact, that it won “Most Nostalgic” at the Goodguys meet the day before. Owner, Richard Stannard, and driver, Ed Schwartz, have been around running NE-1 and A-fuel for years and are taking their time learning the nitro ropes with some very knowledgeable advisors.

Speaking of Irwindale itself, we also heard that the dragstrip portion of the complex is making more money with the Thursday Night Street Legal Drags than the roundy-round track is making on Saturday night and that is great news! I’m all for short-attention-span theater.

I also heard that the lawsuit former nostalgia top fuel driver, Rance McDaniel brought against Bobby McLennan, the owner of the car he was driving when he had an accident at the Boise race in 2002, was dismissed. It seems that the release form Rance signed did its job, at least in the judge’s eyes. Will there be an appeal? I hope not. This was a bad deal all around for everyone involved and I wish nothing but the best for Rance and Lisa McDaniel, Bobby McLennan and every one else who went through this nightmare.

It’s probably old news to you Internet-savvy folks, but NHRA has a page up for the 50th U.S. Nationals. They have a list of past class winning cars that will be there on display. They are calling it “The Golden 50.” Lots and lots of history here, even one car that Hansen and myself helped bring back to life, the Over the Hill Gang top fuel car that was driven by Kelly Brown in 1979. Check out NHRA.com for more!

To close out this month, I would like to honor the passing of C.J. “Pappy’ Hart and Darrell Russell. I had met both of them at different points in my life. My dad worked for C.J. at Lions. Lions was a magical place and C.J was a magical man. Pammy and I met Darrell and his wife at the NHRA awards show when he won rookie of the year. You’ve heard it before, he really was a genuinely nice guy, personable, easy to talk to and his wife was so proud of him and supportive.

We've lost an old Lion and a young Lion, R.I.P.