THE LEGENDS CONTINUE
The 2005 Winternationals was significant for some of legends
in our sport. The Snake's Skoal Funny Car won with Tommy
Johnson Jr. driving, and it was 40th anniversary of Prudhomme's
initial win at the '65 Big Go West. Dave Connolly's Cavalier
utilized Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins power and tuning
to grab his first Wally of the year. The "Bounty Hunter,"
Conrad Kalitta, tuned his son Scott to the Top Fuel crown
in the Jesse James Mac Tools entry.
In post-event interviews all three drivers saluted the
efforts of their respective legends and TJ got Prudhomme
to sit before reporters. Later the Agent asked why Connie,
who won the Winternationals back in 1967, hadn't made it
up into the tower with his son. The response from Kalitta's
PR rep was that NHRA had requested that Connie stay out
of the media center. Hmmmmm. [2-14-2005]
U-S-A! U-S-A! Z-A-K! Z-A-K!
The tip of the Agent's fedora to DRO photog Zak Hawthorne
who, with the assistance of NHRA's media relations dept,
got the black and white version of this photo of Tommy Johnson
Jr. published in USA Today. Good for Zak and good for drag
racing. [2-14-2005]
BOTTOM LINE DRAG RACING ASSOCIATION?
For
years drag racing fans (mostly kids) who probably couldn't
afford the price of a ticket for the NHRA's events at the
Pomona Fairgrounds have gathered on the "E Street"
sidewalk on the Brackett Airport side of the track to watch
the big screen and listen to the cars make laps. At last
year's World Finals there were some fans on the roofs of
the buildings in lawn chairs. All of this is slightly reminiscent
of baseball's Wrigley Field famous apartment building where
people have watched the games for years or ballparks where
young fans have peered through holes in fences to watch
games without fear of reprisal.
Evidently the new Bottom Line Drag Racing Association (NHRA)
felt that they were losing too much ticket revenue by allowing
people to watch and listen from the street and at the just-completed
Winternationals, they enlisted the local police to put a
stop to the practice. At least one cruiser, a motorcycle
cop and several patrolmen were seen enforcing the new rule.
The Agent wonders if the cities of Pomona or LaVerne can
really justify the cost of having those sworn to "protect
and serve" chasing kids (future drag racing fans) off
of sidewalks. Shame on you guys! [2-14-2005]
