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DRO: DEAN, YOU SOUND LIKE YOU’RE RUNNING FOR OFFICE. SAY MAYBE
PRO PRESIDENT?
DGP: I thought about that ten years ago when they first formed.
It was an ineffective union then and it still is. You will never get
a racer to stand up against NHRA. Only an outside leader representing
the will of the group (under secret ballot vote) and someone who has
no fear of the wrath of NHRA might stand a chance to make a difference,
to further the group.
But the PRO board appoints their president. There are no elections.
Isn’t that strange? Dues paying racers don’t have a say? This
is what I heard; I hope I’m wrong.
So, let’s just say if the PRO group voted me in as their president,
I would immediately proceed on the following platform:
- PRO racers would be allowed to sell t-shirts and souvenirs out the
back of their trailers without any compensation to anyone; without
audits; without interference. No license fee for use of the NHRA logo
on T-shirts and apparel. The racer’s shirts are already promoting
NHRA at no charge. NHRA has no right to any moneys earned by race
teams. This extra money afford the racer the funds to race.
- PRO racers would never pay any entry fees. You don’t charge
Frank Sinatra to sing.
- PRO racers would receive free passes for their immediate family
members. Money saved is money earned. The Pros are the stars and should
not have to pay for passes for their family members.
- PRO racers would not pay any pit fees for their necessary rigs.
You don’t charge Barbra Streisand for her dressing room.
- Five percent of the gate would go to a PRO Retirement and Disability
fund. The Pros currently have no benefits for retirement or if they
are injured in a race.
- All rules, old and new, would be submitted to PRO for a three-quarters
vote approval. PRO will review existing rules and choose which ones
to keep and which ones to lose. The Pros are at the mercy of the sanctioning
body, yet their destiny relies on the whims of an individual, the
president of NHRA.
- All NHRA television shows would star the nitro cars only and will
not be part of any other class participation. Further, all racers
would be featured equally.
- All PRO racers would be treated equally by NHRA in all regards,
specifically tech inspection and pit preferences.
- NHRA would grant PRO their own hospitality tent for the selling
of PRO souvenirs and t-shirts, the profits of which would go into
a fund for purposes PRO would determine.
- NHRA would have to go through PRO in dealing with all situations
for any particular racer for any purpose. PRO would police its own.
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"NHRA made me shoot from the guardrail at the ’87
Keystone Nationals. My wife, Cindy, held my videodeck."
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DRO: HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF? IS YOUR WORK THE WORK OF A HISTORIAN
OR A CINEMATOGRAPHER?
DGP: By definition, anyone who slings a camera and records an
event is automatically a historian. The videos I’ve made stand
the test of time and will always sell. They captured a part of drag
racing history, I suppose. It’s nice to look at racers who have
since left us.
Cinematographer? Well, being self-taught and not knowing if you’re
doing it right or wrong doesn’t equate with being a cinematographer.
I’m more like an experimentographer. I follow my eyeball and look
to capture the essence in the shot. but, it’s really my editing
techniques that make the difference.
Alfred Hitchcock said he made his films for his audience and that’s
what I do. That’s why the action stands up over time and isn’t
dated. It’s always exciting because it was exciting to begin with.
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