Drag Racing Online - Agent 1320 Vol. IV No. 12 December 2002

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PHOTO EXTRAS

Gene Simmons shares his favorite reading material with Tony Pedregon. Now what is it in Spanish? (Jeff Burk photo)

DragRacingOnline really does cover drag racing from a different perspective! Here Ron Lewis puts it right on the line to get another great shot. (Jeff Burk photo)

FORCE'S CAR SHOW

On December 8th a bunch of John Force's friends got together at his spacious Yorba Linda, Calif. race shop and held the John Force Holiday Car Show benefiting the California Highway Patrol's "ChiP's for Kids" Christmas program. Some 400 hot rods and race cars were displayed, with the admission price a mere $10 unwrapped toy.

The show was a huge success as the lines winding around the nitro race shop for the guided tour attested. The show officially opened a newly remodeled John Force RaceStation retail store featuring the newest in diecasts, t-shirts, videos, and souvenirs. "Mad Man Billy's" rock & roll band and the mobile kitchen from In N' Out Burger gave a break for the throngs of fans. As part of the John Force "master plan," construction has begun on an adjacent hotel and race-oriented restaurant.

Current NHRA drivers and legends of drag racing like Tom "Mongoose" McEwen and Richard Schroeder signed autographs. Force, Coil, Bernie Federly, Tony and Cruz Pedregon, Jimmy Prock, Gary Densham, Bruce Sarver, Gary Scelzi, Scott Geoffrion, and Del Worsham all seemed to have a great time as more than one fan brought stacks of collectibles to be signed.

But, shame on those fans sneaking in without the obligatory $10 toy. Not only the Agent, but Santa is watching too, you know. (Zak Hawthorne photos) [12-10-2002]

CRITCHLEY MOVING ON

Agent 1320 has learned that Aussie Troy Critchley, who drove a team car and built engines for the Houston, Texas-based Patterson Racing team in 2002, has moved over to their in-state rivals Dave Wood's AMS Staff Leasing Pro Modified team. Critchley will build engines for and drive the '57 Chevy driven last season by St. Louis racer Bill Hill.

The Agent has also learned that the car will be making a trip to Alan Pittman's chassis shop for some serious modifications to improve the wedge shaped '57's handling which was a season long problem for previous shoe Bill Hill.

The Agent hears that there is a possibility that Hill may be involved with the AMS team driving his Nova which he campaigned as a Nitro Coupe on the Super Chevy circuit infrequently this season. [12-12-2002]

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