At the end of the 2001 season, there in the
pits at Pomona, on the eve of being recognized
as NHRA Rookie of the Year, he took time to
ask, "So what are you going to do during the
off-season? Have anything planned? A vacation,
maybe?" The fact that he would stop and ask
-- and listen to the answer (boring though it
happened to be) -- was impressive.
Even when he was undergoing the toughest test
of his short professional career -- when the
team's truck broke down on the way to Las Vegas
for the spring race and many of his original
crew members defected -- he didn't complain.
He had too much work to do. He wasn't joyful
about the turn of events, but he remained positive.
That alone should have earned him some award.
Darrell Russell was one person about whom nothing
ugly was said. He certainly never seemed to
have any enemies. And that is no small accomplishment,
especially in a sport that has its share of
petty quarrels, jealousies and gossip.
It's hard to imagine he has been taken from
among us.
When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded
in 1986, Senator John Glenn, one of the original
Mercury astronauts, said the nation was stunned
because we Americans are so skilled at what
we do that we seldom fail. That's one reason
Russell's death was especially surprising. He
and his crew weren't in the habit of making
reckless runs. Theirs has been an aggressive
but tidy program that kept Russell near the
top of an elite list. They seldom failed. But
something went horribly wrong Sunday evening
And the usually chatty Schumacher said Sunday
night, said, "I'm at a loss for words right
now."
Three-time bike champion Angelle Savoie, Schumacher's
Army teammate, said, "We all feel so helpless
in these type situations. This is a sad day
for the sport of drag racing. We've lost a wonderful
member of our NHRA family."
Funny Car driver Del Worsham described him
as "everything you'd ever want your own brother,
son, or good friend to be" and said, "The world
and our sport are worse off right now without
Darrell."
Worsham had a tough weekend on the track as
his points lead eroded, but he said that disappointment
"all takes a distant back seat to the hard reality
we're all dealing with.
"This is a very dangerous game. We all know
it," Worsham said, "but we do a good job of
putting it out of our minds and not dwelling
on it. When you lose someone as wonderful and
caring and genuine as Darrell Russell, you can't
put any of that out of your mind. We're gathering
and supporting each other, as this close community
always does, but it's hard."
Doug Kalitta, who took the Top Fuel trophy
at Madison, Ill., said winning and gaining the
points lead for the first time in his outstanding
career "doesn't seem quite as important."
Funny Car winner Gary Scelzi, another close
friend who had encouraged Amato to hire the
former Top Alcohol Dragster champion, said he,
too, didn't feel much like a victor. "Hug your
family," he advised, "because the trophy doesn't
mean everything.
"Darrell Russell loved what he did, and it's
unfortunate and sad and it really bothers me,"
Scelzi said. "But I've got to say he was doing
what he loved. I've been in this position before
several times, and I keep coming back. So, if
that's our destiny and that's what God's got
laid out for us, so be it. It's a tragic shame,
but Darrell touched a lot of people and that's
all I can say. He died doing what he enjoyed."
John Force said he hated to compare drag racing
to war, "but sometimes it acts like war," he
said after finishing as runner-up to Scelzi.
"I hope in time God gives us another (one like)
Darrell Russell."
Maybe Pro Stock winner Greg Anderson spoke
for us all when he simply said, "We loved that
guy."
We all did. 
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