NOTABLE QUOTES

The Agent was watching the ESPN broadcast of the NHRA event from Seattle and heard a couple of quotes that really got his attention.

The first came from NHRA VP Graham Light who, when explaining why three Top Fuel teams didn't get a second lap Friday night, said regarding rules and decisions, "It's never going to be fair for everybody!" Yikes!

At the same event, in his top end interview after his upset win over teammate Gary Scelzi, the always quotable Whit Bazemore said, "I just want to thank Don Schumacher for not implementing team orders today. He lived up to his word and you know that's what he said. It (team orders) ain't happenin' over here anymore, I guess."

The Agent can only assume from Whit's quote that "team orders" have been implemented in the Schumacher camp before. (Jeff Burk photo) [7-25-2005]

ANOTHER ANOTHER NEW SO-CAL DRAGSTRIP?

Bright and early on Monday morning the Agent got a call from one of his California operatives with a good one. For some time there have been rumors about the closing of Los Angeles County Raceway to facilitate gravel mining sometime in the near future.

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But, according to the caller, LACR owner Bernie Longjohn has been secretly buying unwanted land near the existing Palmdale Regional Airport and is rumored to be building a new world class drag racing facility based upon the plans for Drag City in Banning. (What! They're not going to use the plans in Banning?)

The caller also said that, as the new Strip at Perris Auto Speedway, there will be no official sanctioning body affiliation at the rumored new Palmdale strip.

A call to an operative at Building 51 in Palmdale got the Agent this info. LA County owns property adjacent to the Palmdale Airport which isn't zoned for housing and doesn't have enough water for farming, and the county has been looking for someway to develop the land for several years.

According to the Agent's operative, a multi-purpose dragstrip, oval track and road course facility has been seriously discussed by Bernie Longjohn and the City of Palmdale. [7-25-2005]