Pet Peeves: We all have some things that just about drive us crazy, like sanctioning bodies, at the drag strip, on the highway while we are towing and ordering parts for the racecars. Here are mine:

Ordering parts:

1. Free Shipping - Yea right! When the package arrives you find out "free shipping" cost you $3.50 to maybe $7.00 for "packaging fees" or "handling.".Not bad if you ordered a lot of stuff, but when all you ordered was a couple Aeroquip fittings that weigh 4 ounces, the $3.50 for handling doesn't seem FREE to me.
2. Nice advertisement for a new product that you have been waiting for someone to make; only you find out they are backordered for two months. Kind of makes you think they haven't made any of them yet, just wanted to see if any racers would be interested in it if they did.
3. The hassles you go through if you are shipped the wrong parts. By the time you pay UPS to ship it back and re-order it seems easier to let the part sit and look somewhere else for the right part.

At the Drag strip:

1. Racers who ask 50 questions at the entrance gate and then have to look for their checkbook for five minutes. While you sit behind them in line.
2. Racers who run a generator that is so loud you can't talk three pit spots away! Maybe we should sneak over and steal the spark plugs at night.
3. Racers who DO NOT tie up their dogs. This one really makes me mad as the dog could get onto the track and a racer could crash trying to avoid the animal and other racers' families and pets are at risk from loose dogs. This one has "kick the owner out" written all over it in my opinion.
4. The "Pit Hog." The racer who parks lengthwise along the return road when everyone else is parking head in to make more room for others.
5. Golf carts left sitting in the staging lanes. If you use one of the damn things, keep it out of the staging lanes. If the car won't run under it's own power long enough to get to the staging lanes, fix it!
6. Lazy track employees that don't make the effort to keep the starting line cleaned up.
7. Racers who swap lanes in staging in their efforts to find a "duck," as if they have a clue anyway.

While towing to the track: (There are a ton of these but these really get to me.)

1. The moron that pulls out in front of you thinking you can stop the tow truck and 8,000 pound trailer as fast as a Mercedes with anti-lock.
2. The D.O.T. (or whatever they call the Dept. of Transportation in your state) and their WEAK efforts at keeping our highways smooth. After a couple hundred miles of bone jarring interstate driving I wonder where in the hell my fuel tax dollars are going! Why not fix the old roads before spending a billion dollars on a new one that will be rough as well.
3. Large truck stops that don't have a gasoline pump at one of the truck islands. This makes a gas motor home and trailer block the entire auto island for about 20 minutes.
4. Drag strips that have no sign for their exit off the main highway or Interstate. Any track owners ever think how a visiting racer supposed to find the track with no signs?

There are a lot more "pet peeves" that I am sure bug you but time and space is limited. If you have a few good ones send them to me and I'll get them in the next column.

Safety Issues: After the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt at the Daytona 500 I think we all need to take a REAL CLOSE LOOK at our own safety equipment. How about this checklist.

1. Take a close look at your safety harness, the mounting hardware and condition.
2. Roll cage mounting plates, look over the welds and is there a way to brace it better? How about gussets where pipes intersect.
3. Is your fire jacket or pants in good shape? I know they are tagged but are they worn out or torn?
4. Checked the steering components lately? How about replacing the hiem ends on that rear suspension.
5. Take some time and tighten EVERY BOLT on the car. I did this last spring and was amazed what I found.
6. Are the fire extinguishers in the tow truck, trailer and racecar fully charged?
7. Take your time on safety…. your family and future will appreciate it.

That wraps up this month's "Dead-On." Hope you found it entertaining, intriguing or at least pretty darn good. Hope you will wander through the rest of our magazine while you are here. Be sure to check the progress on our "Project 4-Link", it is coming along nicely. We are now making plans to find a builder for our very own Spec-Dragster®. Any volunteers out there?

Race-On!!

Good Luck in 2000 and BE SAFE!!!!! (We need the readers!)

Fill out your Bracket Report Card!

 Copyright 1999-2001, Drag Racing Online and Racing Net Source