Let's Put On A Show
9/8/03
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Darr
Hawthorne has over 20 years of experience
in the entertainment business and
television commercial industry as
a marketing representative, executive
producer, commercial producer, and
film editor. As a producer and editor
he won many national and international
advertising awards.
Darr
acquired his addiction to drag racing
in 1964 when he toured to the U.S.
Nationals with Wild Bill Shrewsberry
and Jack Chrisman. He also worked
on Division 7 Sportsman crews in
the 1970s & early '80s. He's been
a freelance motorsports journalist
covering NHRA, nostalgia drags,
NASCAR, and IRL. He's been a Touring
Professional Spectator, and is currently
helping his son build a '64 Chevy
II Funny Car.
He
will contribute his thoughts to
DRO as the mood strikes him. He
is from California, after all.
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 hat
a shame that the conclusion of the 49th U.S
Nationals had to move to the following weekend
because of torrential Midwestern rains. All
the racers were there hopped-up on the majesty
and adrenaline of the previous 48 U.S. Nationals
races. There were lots of fans; many of them
will probably not be able to make the trek to
IRP again for the next weekend. Everything was
there, all the NHRA staffers, security, vendors,
port-a-potty cleaners, and the ESPN crew; everything
to put on a show.
Oh yeah, the ESPN TV crew... LIVE TV! The ESPN crews are professionals;
they must react to curve balls in their planned productions on an hourly if
not minute-by-minute basis. Some of the announcers have the background and
understanding to bring something to the table when it comes to interviews:
perspective, history, and humor. Others would be better left on the cutting
room floor, as the old saying goes.
With this rainout and the much heralded 13 hours of ESPN coverage, there were
robotic cameras, cable, live cameras, camera booms, satellite uplinks,
microphones, production meetings, writers, logistical support, rental cars
and hotel rooms, make-up and hair people, cameramen, sound people, a video
truck or two, the rolling studio for Marty and Mike, all sitting there soggy
and waiting for something to happen at IRP. But wait, what happened? They
packed up the show and left. They left? We had one last interview with
Graham Light, the rain commentary from Marty Reid and, "We're outta here," was
the cry. For the last four or five ESPN shows we heard in brief snippets
from recent champs and drag racing legends how important the U.S. Nationals
is. Your NHRA Drag Racing career isn't complete until you won INDY, WJ said
that, but ESPN packed it all up to wait for the following weekend. Was
there no contingency plan for rain? Just run the Finals of the 48th Annual
U.S. Nationals in its place, what the hell is that? A re-run, we saw that
show last year!
ESPN, I'll give you one free idea that wouldnąt have cost anybody an
additional dime, the money was already spent. It's a contingency plan to
promote the Big Go at Indy and NHRA POWERade Drag Racing in a way that would
have been simple if somebody at ESPN or NHRA had been thinking on their
feet. While vamping between the first one hour qualifying show on Sunday
and the monster show that afternoon, the ESPN shock troops already in
attendance needed to snap into action and create the best damn live show
ever presented in the history of drag racing.
This show would be a live three-hour roundtable discussion of what Indy has
meant to racers, legends, and owners. Shirley was there in her last U.S.
Nationals, Garlits was there, Chris Karamesines was there, so many were
there. Just take a live camera into the Strange Engineering motor home in
the pits and have John Mazzarella of Strange Engineering lead a group.
In the next segment get Bob Glidden, Grumpy Jenkins, WJ, Bob Lambeck, Reid
Whisnant, and Bruce Allen together for their Pro Stock historical
perspective, led by Linda Vaughn and Bob Frey. Next up are George Bryce,
Byron Hines, Reggie Showers, and Angelle led by Steve Johnson to talk about
the history of bikes at the drags with special attention to pioneers like
the late Elmer Trett.
Waiting in the wings are the Snake, the Mongoose, Ace, Don Schumacher,
Connie Kalitta, Austin Coil, John Force, Raymond Beadle, Ray Alley, Dale
Armstrong, Frank Hawley, Jeg Coughlin Sr., and Kenny Bernstein talking and
swapping stories about their U.S. Nationals memories led by Allen Reinhardt
and Dave McClelland.
Next up are the reporters, writers and photographers. Chris Martin, John
Jodauga, Whit Bazemore, Teresa Long, Jeff Burk, Richard Brady, Bob McClurg,
Les Welch, Phil Burgess of National Dragster, all led by Dave Wallace to
talk about their most memorable behind the scenes memories.
My point is, all of us realize that drag racing needed to change to survive
as a part of the American entertainment dollar. However, ESPN has missed
one of the most important parts, their TV show and our history. Today's
show is still basically the show that Diamond P Sports developed decades ago
with Steve Evans and Dave McClelland. Use this platform to preserve and
provide a living history for future drag racing fans, a giant bench racing
session.
Someday, future drag racing fans will have no idea who Don Garlits or Shirley
Muldowney were other than that dusty, pink die-cast
dragster on Grandpa's shelf.
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