CORRECTIONS FOR SPORTSNATIONALS COVERAGE

In our recent Sportsnationals coverage well-meaning DRO editor Jeff Burk messed up. Seems like the old feeb had a brain cramp and referred to the SS/AA class cars as AA/SA cars (a class that he was very fond of in his youth). At the same time he neglected to report that Ronnie Davis won the Quick-Eight race that was run at No Problem Raceway on Saturday. Seems like they had two Quick-Eight races but neglected to put that info in the press releases the Burkster was getting his race info from. The ever humble Davis called to say they he had won the Saturday race. Now that we've given credit where credit is due, we return you to your regularly scheduled 1320 notes. . . [5-13-2004]

CARPENTER WRECKS 'WORLD'S FASTEST '55'

Charles Carpenter, owner and driver of "The World's Fastest '55" Chevrolet did something at Coastal Plains Dragway that he has not done in 28 years. He crashed his race car during the first round of eliminations of the Quick 8 event held May 8 at the Jacksonville, N.C., facility.

Carpenter, uninjured in the accident, was on a single run because his opponent, Tori Cagle, had shut off at the starting line. Near the 100-foot mark Carpenter hit the wall hard, punching a hole nearly 15 feet long in the barrier. His vehicle then slid across the track

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into the left lane where Cagle was to have been.

"The car was in sort of a skid in which I had no control," Carpenter stated. "If Tori had been in his lane, I think we would have got into each other."

Carpenter's car sustained heavy damage in the incident; the front end and right side door were torn off and both right side tires went flat. Debris from both the car and wall were strewn across the track and return lane.

"I think we might have broken an axle, or possibly a spool," Carpenter explaned. "It was a great run. Nothing was giving me an indication that trouble was coming.

"But I can say that the last time I wrecked my car, I had nothing left to fix. So, all in all, this is not nearly as bad as it could have been," said a dejected Carpenter.

Carpenter has been racing for 30 years, all in a '55 Chevrolet. He wrecked the first race car he owned in 1976 beyond repair. Carpenter has already vowed to rebuild this vehicle, but his car is the only '55 Chevrolet in Pro Modified competition so the body has to be custom built, a drawback to running the sole car of this type in competition. Limited funding may also slow the rebuilding process. (Jeff Burk file photo) [5-10-2004]