ATTENTION STUART SCOTT OF ESPN, CAN YOU SAY MULDOWNEY?

The Agent was watching ESPN's Sports Center last night when anchor Stuart Scott, who is usually one of the Agent's favorite anchors, was droning on about Danica Patrick and the IRL. The Agent came out of his chair when Scott looked into the camera and said that Danica Patrick became the second woman in history following Sarah Fisher to qualify for the pole of a major motorsports race. Uh, right? Uh, definitely wrong "Stu"!

Just for the record, four time Top Fuel World Champ -3 NHRA, 1 AHRA- Shirley "Don't call me Cha-Cha" Muldowney qualified in the number one at the 1976 NHRA World Finals besting a stellar field of male Top Fuel drivers including Don Garlits, Frank Bradley, and Richard Tharp, before Ms. Patrick and Ms. Fisher were even born. In fact Ms. Muldowney qualified number one twice that year, twice as many times as any male driver on the tour. [8-15-05]

NEW CARS FOR THE BIG DAWG

The Agent hears that Carl "Big Dawg" Spiering is having a whole squadron of cars built for him in order to keep his team on top. Rumor has it that Tommy Mauney, Jerry Bickel and Jim Salemi at G-Force Race Cars are all building a car for the Canadian Pro Mod hitter. The Agent has gotten word that Spiering's sponsor Eaton Industries of Canada is very happy with Carl, especially after his class win at Cayuga and Shootout victory at Martin, MI, last weekend.

Click here to check out DRO's coverage of IHRA
at Martin, Michigan. [8-15-05]

WHO GOOFED? I'VE GOT TO KNOW. KUDOS TO THE STARTING LINE CREW.

Did anyone besides the Agent wonder why Rick Stewart allowed Luigi Novelli to stage the car with fuel pouring out of the pipes on the left side? No wonder the engine exploded.

ADVERTISEMENT

What were Novelli's crew and Rick Stewart thinking allowing that car to stage? Everybody on that starting line needs a trip to the NHRA woodshed and if Luigi gets fined, which he should for driving right straight down the groove after the explosion, so should Rick Stewart for letting him stage in the first place!

While the Agent is on the subject, kudos to the NHRA track crew for never letting up until they got that lane repaired. According to everyone the Agent talked to the NHRA track guys worked tirelessly trying to fix the right lane and finally succeeded in time for the finals. Those guys don't get enough credit or pay in the Agent's opinion. [8-15-05]

DOWNSIZING FOR THE DON

A reliable source tells the Agent that all may not be happiness and light in the Don Schumacher mega-camp. The Agent's sources say the Don has too many teams, too much grief, not enough funding and is not having enough fun to sustain an eight-team program. Like any good business man, he'll evaluate his program at the end of the season, but the Agent hears he is leaning towards a force reduction for the Schumacher Army of Eight. [8-15-05]