| 
7.) In 1990, Darrell Alderman ran the first Pro Stock 7.1-second
time with a 7.184.
8.) In 1991, Jim White pushed Roland Leong’s Hawaiian
Punch Funny Car to a 290.13-mph run, the first FC 290.
9.) In 1991, Brooks Brown ran the first
unblown 5-second time with a 5.89 in the late Tom Topping’s
A/Fuel Dragster.
10.) In 1992, Cory McClenathan drove his
and Jimmy Prock’s checker-flagged Top Fueler to the
first TF 320, a 321.77.
John Force and perhaps a very
young Ashley Force rode Force’s scooter around the
pits. |
There are others, such as John Force’s 4.99 national record
(first NHRA Funny Car four-second record holder) at the 1993
Chief Nationals, but as in every competitive endeavor, you can’t
stay on top forever. In recent years, no one will dispute that
the best place for great elapsed times and mile per hours is
Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois, on a cool day.
What’s really ironic if not weird about this is that
we drag racing fans are not likely to see the likes of the
Motorplex again, certainly in terms of performance. The push
is on to slow the cars and not speed them up. So unless, the
hot rodding associations go to eighth-mile or 1,000-foot distances,
outbreaks of record times are a thing of the past.
That means that what we have left are the memories, and some
of the arenas as long as they last. It looks like the Texas
Motorplex will thankfully be with us, but one never knows
for sure. Billy Meyer is an enterprising guy and I think if
there was a chance to build a Wal-Mart super center or a golf
course or some such thing the old concrete super facility
might be reduced to some sort of Texas Landmark status. I’m
not saying that will happen; I flat ass don’t know.
The ‘Plex could very well be with us another 20 years.
… and God, do I hope so.
SHOOTING GALLERY
 The
late NHRA photographer Les Lovett and the formerly attractive
Jon Asher attended and photographed almost all of the races
at the 'Plex.
|
