DAVE WALLACE GETS “UNPLUGGED” IN VEGAS

Sean Bellemeur

The Agent wondered why the voice of DRO-columnist Dave Wallace suddenly went silent during first-round eliminations at last weekend’s Goodguys Nitro Nationals in Las Vegas. Now we know. Wallace, a 40-year-veteran announcer who has helped call Nostalgia Top Fuel action at Goodguys and NHRA events at Bakersfield for several years, was fired by Goodguys officials following a controversial race i n the Top Fuel-“B” category that saw Sean Bellameur appear to hang a holeshot-aided defeat on Rich Rogers.

While the photocells boxes were being checked in a super-close race, Wallace filled in some down time by reading off the incremental times from his computer screen, including a 1000-foot reading of 6.25 for Rogers—proof that his given 1320-foot e.t. of 6.21 had to be erroneous. Meanwhile, Robert Kornegay, Goodguys’ competition director, and Jeff Norton, race director, confirmed Bellameur as the winner. As soon as Wallace relayed their official decision, he was ordered off the microphone by Kornegay.

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Wallace followed him into Race Control, where, according to Wallace, the following exchange occurred:

Wallace: "What's the deal?"

Kornegay: "I get enough trouble from these racers as it is. They don't need to hear about problems with the clocks."

Wallace: "So, you don't think they're gonna read their timeslips?"

Kornegay: Silence.

Norton: "That doesn't mean you announce it to everyone else."

Wallace: "They could see that something was wrong when no mile an hour came up. Do you think these fans are stupid?"

Kornegay and Norton: Silence.

MICKEY THOMPSON MURDER UPDATE

A California State Appeals Court has denied a request for the immediate
release of Michael Goodwin, who is charged with the murder of racing legend Mickey Thompson and his wife Trudy in 1988. Goodwin has been in custody since his 2001 arrest, but a 3-judge District Court of Appeals ruled that Orange County prosecutors had no jurisdictional authority to charge the former motocross promoter and dismissed murder charges against Goodwin. The Orange County DA is pondering the options of whether to go to the California Supreme Court or to hand the case over to the Los Angeles County DA for prosecution. Goodwin will remain in custody until the end of June. [5-5-2004]