WORSHAM, BURKHART BACK TO TOYOTA

The Agent hears that Del Worsham and Phil Burkhart will be running Toyota bodies for the remainder of the season starting in Brainerd. Burkhart's Toyota was with him in Salt Lake City for testing; Worsham's was being wrapped and shipped to Minnesota. [8-8-2005]

KEPNER IS THE WILDCAT AT GEORGE RAY'S

Bret Kepner, ESPN's master mikester and for drag racing in general, finally cleared a hurdle that had tripped him for almost 10 years. On August 7 at George Ray's Wildcat Hot Rod Dragstrip in Paragould, Arkansas, Kepner's Sonny Leonard-looked-at Mercury Marquis captured the H/Pure Stock Automatic trophy at a track that runs nothing but heads up classes.

The St. Louis native, who was instantly recognizable to the thousands at the track for his ESPN work, was nonetheless gracious and almost conciliatory in his win, saying, "George always has a ton of great competitors at his track and I feel fortunate to win this handsome trophy. Sure, there was no one in this class, but what the hell. How many people have gone nearly 100 miles per hour at a dragstrip with a cup of coffee, a Chesterfield king, and two hot dogs on the console, and still come out with the gold? I didn't think so."

Bret Kepner, George Ray, Chris Martin and Jeff Burk (left to right) (Charles Jolliff photo)

On the other hand, team partner and DRO mogul Jeff Burk suffered a blower explosion and top end fire in the D/Sports competition, and that eventually resulted in 40 acres of burnt cotton and two shotgun-wielding farmers. Kepner's crew chief, Chris Martin, was too busy bugging Kepner for t-shirt money to grasp the significance of what had taken place. (other photo by Jeff Burk) [8-8-2005]