HS: Basically, I wanted a slingshot because of having been a fan in the 60's. I don't know how smart of a choice it is, but that's what I got. I love it. It's a great car. We'll probably end up match racing with it most of the time down in Florida. Because, when I do travel on the road, it's going to be to the NHRA events, and its going to be with our Top Fuel car. But, they are going to start a class, I read, in Comp Eliminator, for slingshots. That should be great - and I might hit a couple of those. I'm also looking for a Super Stock car, a door car that I may race. I'm looking at a Hemi Dart right now. So, I may race that in Pro Nostalgia in the NSCA. I love those cars.

What type of engine do you have in your dragster?

HS: I'm a Mopar guy, and I hate to say it, but it's a 454 Chevy, injected on alky, with a tunnel ram. It's good for a slingshot, because with that motor sitting right in front of you, the Chevy is a sturdy engine. But, it doesn't have the power that a Hemi has.

Did you ever get in trouble as a kid, smoking the tires at a traffic light?

HS: Well, at home I have a '70 Hemi GTX, which is somewhat like the '70 Roadrunner. I tend to smoke the tires around the country roads, now and then. But, it's something to do for fun, now.

Did George Steinbrenner ever pull up to a stoplight and mash the accelerator?

GS: No. I never was that. I went to a military school, so I never was even driving a car as a young guy. I never took on a race. I've driven harness horses, which I thought was pretty dangerous, and pretty exciting. My teacher was Billy Howton, who was killed while he was teaching me; not the same day, but at the same time. So, I've had my thrills at that. But, this (drag racing) defies description.

There's quite an addiction to adrenaline, with drag racing and horse racing. Hank, can you draw a parallel?

HS: Horse racing is exciting and thrilling. There's no question about it. Like the Kentucky Derby is considered the most exciting two minutes in sports - and it probably is. However, I don't know if there's any sport, no matter what it is; football, baseball, horse racing - whatever, and I don't think there's really any other motorsport that can compare with nitro drag racing. You just can't compare it. And for people that are into NASCAR, and other kinds of motorsports, that's great. All motorsports are good. But, if they ever came to one of these things, they'd never go back. I really believe that. Too many of them have never seen it live, or have never paid enough attention to it.

Having just watched Darrell Gwynn's car make a burnout and a launch, from your close-up perspective at the starting line, what are our thoughts?

GS: This was my first time ever (at a drag race). Unbelievable. Not just the noise, but what the thrust that the driver must go through. I mean, it must make a jet aircraft taking off from a carrier look like nothing. It's unbelievable. The power in that engine, and if they put two of them together going against each other, I imagine that people go wild.

Traditionally, motorsports have always taken a backseat to stick-and-ball sports. What do you see as racing's future?

GS: I think that motorsports is coming fast, as a sport. I used to think that it was just a bunch of guys that got together on Saturday, and went out on a little oval, and maybe a hundred people showed up. I soon found that wasn't the case with Indianapolis, and I soon found that wasn't the case with stock car racing. I mean, these guys are national heroes, every bit as much as the big, great football and baseball players.

George Steinbrenner, Jerry Gwynn, Hank Steinbrenner (l to r, back row) Mike Dunn and Darrell Gwynn (front)