DRO PUTS BOUNTY ON PRO MOD RACER LITTLE

Pro Mod vet and Drag Racing Online favorite Donnie Little (he put the magazine's name and logo on the front spoiler without charging us) won the first of four CMTS Outlaw Pro Mod shootouts at Gateway International Raceway May 22. Little drove his nifty '69 Camaro to the win in the final using a 4.307/173 lap to beat Ed Hall, who ran a 4.334/167 losing effort. Little's 4.281 in the first round and his 173.05 charge in the final earned him both the Low E.T. and Top Speed bonus of $100. DRO will be sending him a tear-stained check for $200 and immediately posting a $50 bounty to be awarded to the first driver to take it to Little in eliminations in the second race of the series on June 19. (photo courtesy Donnie Little) [5-26-2004]

'READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP, MR MILLER'

Twelve-time Funny Car Champ John Force headed for Hollywood (well, Burbank) to the NBC Studios for a visit with CNBC host Dennis Miller. Through friends at the studio, DRO's West Coast Editor, Darr Hawthorne, arranged to drop by and say hello to the Route 66 Nationals winner in the Green Room prior to taping the show.

John had driven himself in his Jaguar sedan following the black limo carrying his posse so he could "get some time to relax" alone. Once inside Force offered to pay $50 to anyone who'd jump in his or her car and grab him a Starbucks coffee as he nervously readied for his five minutes with Miller.

While he waited for the show to start the Champ pulled out a well-worn photo of himself and daughter Ashley, when the rookie A/Fuel Dragster pilot was a two-year-old in her dad's arms. He enlightened a show producer and NHRA's Jerry Archambeault (center above) about the importance of families in drag racing.

Later, Force asked if Archambeault and NHRA could do something to help Funny Car shoe Cory Lee with his $5,000 fine arising out of a tussle with a gate security guard earlier this year. As Force put it, "I've helped Cory, but this fine is a big deal to him, it's a matter of

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eating. The guy needs a break. Can't you say something to Tom Compton?"

The show began with Miller's comedy and commentaries, Hugh Heffner and his three blonde "special ladies" and a political Varsity Panel analyzing the previous evening's Presidential speech. Then, during a commercial break one of his Mustang coupes was rolled out onto the set and the fun began with comedian Miller. (Darr Hawthorne photo) [5-26-2004]