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Talk about Gonzo! The 2005 NHRA season has been just that
so far. 4.40's out of the Top Fuel set. 330-MPH from the floppers.
A woman qualifier in Pro Stock. No Greg Anderson or Jason
Line in a winner's circle. It's all weird, wild, maybe even
wonderful. How about that Robert Hight kid? He's fast, a bit
wild - every time I look, there is another shot of him sideways,
with the throttle WFO! If the Funny Car thing goes sour, he
would make a heck of a sprint car or midget driver. He could
turn the Chili Bowl upside down, all by himself. And how about
Tony Schumacher? His car is finally delivering the level of
performance needed to place Sarge atop the Schumacher Empire,
where he should be. Not Baze, not Scelzi, not Scotty, not
nobody but Tony should be the Lead Guy for Schumacher Racing.
It's a blood thing, see? Besides, Tony's paid his dues, like
few have. I for one am glad to see him at the top.
I am also glad to see DRO's old friend Jack Wyatt back at
it in the flopper wars. I honestly don't know how he is doing
it, but he is staying in the mix. Many people have asked me
why someone would try to compete against the "super powers"
of the day, with only a couple of spots seemingly open to
independents like Wyatt. I mean, why take the abuse and spend
the time when the prospect of not qualifying is more a likelihood
than a possibility?
For committed types like Wyatt, being there beats being on
the outside of the sport looking in. As a career wannabe,
I can't say I disagree. And, who knows? The BIG BREAK could
be around the next corner. One needs look no further than
Rit Pustari's pit space for proof.
Not too long ago (last year), if a race had twenty top fuelers
entered, Rit would most likely be the number twenty qualifier
when they closed the gates on Saturday. Not always, but far
too often to suit Rit. This year, things are different. A
new car, a sponsor (Menards), and he's in the show at Pomona!
The lesson is, if you aren't there at the track, doing whatever
you can to put yourself before the public, none of it happens.
It's a tough deal to put yourself in the position of being
a consistent non-qualifier. You doubt yourself, your friends
and family question your sanity, and the stress is there with
you when you turn out the lights at night. For Wyatt's sake,
I hope the big break comes, and comes soon. If hard work and
perseverance count for anything, Jack Wyatt will make it.
Another early 2005 success story has been written by Allen
Johnson in Pro Stock. It's been a while since Allen and his
dad were the outsiders in the Mopar Pro Stock family, using
mostly their wits to beat the guys who had the inside track
to the factory good stuff. After two events in 2005, AJ stands
atop the NHRA Pro Stock points chase, an event winner at Phoenix.
The kids like Erica Enders, Dave Connolly and Richie Smith
have been the off-season buzz in Pro Stock, but it looks like
an old vet may be the buzz killer. It's early yet, but I look
for Allen Johnson to be a real factor for a real long time
in this yea's Pro Stock points chase.
That's it for now. I'm looking forward to my next trip to
Terry Murphy Race Cars-it's only fifteen minutes east of the
house. And I'm looking forward to the start of the IHRA National
event slate-it's only half a month away (aagghhhh!!). Really,
they need to do something about that. How can they afford
to give NHRA that kind of an edge on the calendar, what with
NHRA kicking things off roughly two months ahead of them?
Why not have a NASCAR-type all star show at Rockingham in
February? They could even sell title rights! People would
come! Why not?
Later! 
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