WORLD STREET NATS SCHEDULED FOR
2006
Promoter Carl Weisinger informs us that the 14th Annual
World Street Nationals at Orlando Speed World Dragway will
be held October 27-29, 2006. The Agent is marking his calendar.
[11-21-2005]
VAN DAHL MAKES HIS FIRST MISTAKE;
JUST ASK MR. PHILLIPS
DRO Australian correspondent Jon Van Daal, through a series
of unfortunate misadventures, mistakenly named John Zappia
as the number one qualifier in Top Doorslammer at the recent
Australian Nationals with a 6.10 lap when that honor actually
went to multi-World Champion Gary Phillips (shown) who ran
a stellar 6.071.
Van
Daal’s excuse for the goof is as follows: “When
I was standing start-line after John Zappia’s run in
the last qualifying session of Top Doorslammer the announcer
said he had gone into the top spot with his 6.10 - this was
incorrect. I returned on the Sunday and the race was called
off so as I had an 8 p.m. flight, I gathered up all the qualifying
sheets to start writing my story. There were four brackets
missing including Top Doorslammer. I made my way out to the
airport to try and get an earlier flight. Aside from paying
a king's ransom to upgrade my ticket I couldn’t get
on a bomber, so I restarted writing my story. I accessed an
online service at the airport but with two missing keys and
a space bar it was a rough trot. I trawled through the qualifying
runs on the net and noticed that the final order wasn’t
up yet. I somehow missed the fact that Gary Phillips went
out and did a one shot qualifier and ran a 6.071 top qualifying
run, NOT the 6.10 from Zappia.
"Anyway, he has had calls and emails all over the
weekend from the people at Lucas Oil and others in the USA
who are obviously not happy at my gaff. I feel like a total
ass as I have written thousands of stories over the last
31 years on drag racing without such a simple mistake. If
you could replace the photo of Zappia with this one and
make a note if you could then I’d be in your debt.
Again my profound apologies for such a simple mistake."
Fugetaboudit, Jon. You’re still on the masthead and
you don’t have to burn your fabulous DRO apparel.
. .yet. (Lee Davis photo)
[11-21-2005]
