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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Drag Racing Online editor, Jeff Burk, has asked
the Agent to pass along this message:
"I've had several people call me and ask if
the picture of the Miller Lite Top Fuel car
on the current cover had some hidden meaning,
such as that the magazine staff or I thought
the Miller car might have a traction control
device. So, I'm taking it upon myself to clear
up any misconception our readers might have.
I've known Dick LaHaie since 1976 and he is
absolutely the most old-school, hard-core, professional
racer I have ever known. I sincerely believe
that he wouldn't deviate from the rules even
with a gun to his head, and the only traction
control in that camp is the one between Dick's
ears. I have the ultimate respect for his talent,
dedication and strict adherence to the rules.
The photo was used as an illustration because
it was a cool shot by Ron Lewis of a racecar
smoking the tires. Got it? Good!" -- Jeff Burk
[8-5-2003]
MORE MAUNEY MAGIC
It's no secret that Jim Oddy and Fred Hahn
have had their hands full with their 2002 'Vette.
According to team owner and tuner Oddy, " We
just didn't know from one week to the next what
the car was going to do, and with the new rule
changes I knew we had to do something. I'd seen
how Tommy fixed some of our competition's ill-handling
cars, so I just went to Tommy and asked if he
could fix mine."
Mauney and his North Carolina crew of Dean
Jonas, Mike Seager, Ronnie Humphries, and Dwayne
Moore took the chassis, made a few minor adjustments,
and sent it right back. If Oddy and driver Fred
Hahn maintain their current points lead and
win the AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge
championship, it will mark the second straight
year that Tommy Mauney and crew have had a big
part in determining the NHRA Pro Mod Champ.
[8-5-2003]
GILBERTSON GOES GOLD
Funny Car racer Bob Gilbertson will be racing
the second in a series of Jungle Jim Liberman
Tribute Cars at the NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
at Indianapolis Raceway Park on Aug. 27-Sept.
1.
"The response to the blue Jungle Jim Tribute
Car we ran at the NHRA Supernationals at Englishtown,
NJ in May was overwhelming and I decided to
do it again as so many fans have e-mailed and
called asking when we were going to run another
Jungle car," said Gilbertson. "There's a lot
of Jungle fans in the middle of the country
who couldn't make it to Englishtown and I want
to make sure they get to see a "JJ" car in person."
Unlike the blue car, which had a paint scheme
that Jungle used in 1976, this car will be a
"what if" design, depicting what Jungle's car
might look like if he were around today. Noted
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motorsports
artist John Bell, brother of east coast sign painter
Steve Bell (who lettered the blue car), designed
a unique gold paint scheme that should really
stand out in the sea of "cookie-cutter" corporate-sponsored
funny cars out there today.
Liberman, who was killed in 1977 in an auto
accident, was recently voted number 17 in the
list of NHRA's all-time greatest drivers and
was one of the true pioneers of the sport. Gilbertson
has teamed up with Liberman's son Randy and
brother Bob to campaign a series of "Jungle
Jim Tribute Cars" to remember Liberman and keep
his spirit alive.
"I've really got to thank my sponsors, O'Reilly
Auto Parts and Quaker State motor oil for allowing
me to do this," said Gilbertson. "Without their
support these Jungle Jim Tribute Cars would
never have happened."
Gilbertson plans to run the gold body at the
NHRA Keystone Nationals at Maple Grove (PA)
and also is working on "something special" for
the west coast Jungle Jim fans at the Las Vegas
and Pomona races. [8-5-2003]
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