Competition Plus.com - Drag Racing's Internet Magazine

For the past 40 years, one of the most prominent figures in drag racing has simply been known as "Bunny." She has helped to shape the face of racing to what we know it as today. A symbol of determination, courage and inspiration, she has faced at times what seemed to be insurmountable obstacles to remain true to her beloved sport.

Born in the hills of West Virginia nearly 60 years ago as Carolyn Ruth, her family was forced to make a move to Virginia in search of work when the sawmill that her stepfather worked at closed down. Her mother opened a boarding house where then 15 year-old Carolyn met a gentleman by the name of Mo Burkett.

"On our first date we went 145 mph on the highway. Mo’s car had nitrous oxide. At only 15-years-old, I fell in love with speed," Bunny said.

Not only was she falling in love with speed, but with the man who introduced it to her as well. At sixteen, Bunny’s life was on track. She had three loves in her life: speed, the sport of drag racing, and her man, Mo.

Bunny’s first car was a 1964 ½ Mustang that was her pride and joy. Following the birth of her first daughter, she became a Friday night regular at tracks around the area. It was then that she got her first tastes of victory, bringing home a $3.50 trophy and the beginning of a lifetime quest to become the best.

"I was so proud of that trophy that I took it everywhere for everyone to see," Bunny added.

Winning 22 out of 23 races that year, she and Mo decided to step up to a 1965 Mustang. Still racing on Friday nights, Mo would come home from work and they would load up the slicks in the trunk and head off to the track.

Little did Bunny know that the first speed bump in her racing career would come at the hands of her beloved ’65 Mustang. In an unfortunate accident, a drunk driver slammed into the back of the vehicle, igniting the gas tank which then proceeded to explode and engulf the Mustang in flames.

Left without a vehicle and blessed with the arrival of their second daughter, the Burkett’s were faced with a decision. Bunny had not been working during this time and they were in need of work transportation and a race car. Fortunately, Baltimore was not that far away from their home in the Eastern part of Virginia. In search of work, Bunny heard that there was a Playboy Bunny Club there where she might be able to make some money.

"I knew all I had to do was push ‘em up and smile," Bunny said. "It was a classy place and it worked for me!"

Using a borrowed car for transportation, she worked just long enough to save up the $4,000 needed to purchase a 1967 Mustang. It wasn’t long before she took her new steed off the road and turned it into a racecar. With the purchase of a ramp truck they were off racing three nights a week.

In recognition of her desire to get back on the track, Nelson Grimes painted on the back of her car: "Lead Foot Bunny." Over time, it was the inevitable "Bunny" that would give her the identity that would stick with her undoubtedly for the rest of her life.

With no high school diploma, two children and a racing habit to feed, Bunny knew that in order to take the next step, she would need to come up with some more money.

Bunny decided to take a position with an office supply company. Applying the same dedication and determination to her work as she did to racing, it wasn’t long before she found herself moving up the chain of command.

"Working three days a week, I managed to get enough money to get to the track," Bunny added. "Eighteen years later, I worked my way to a Vice President’s position and I did it all without having an education."

Over time, it became a challenge to maintain her busy schedule, and Bunny was faced with a decision to keep her job or continue racing.

"It is very hard to juggle family, husband and racing, so I told the job to take a flying leap."

Being a female in the world of drag racing had a few perks for Bunny. She began match racing, which was an ideal situation seeing as how she was paid to race at a track as opposed to paying to race at the facility. At the time there were a few other females in the ranks, but as time went on, she and Carol Henson were the two that managed to hang on.

In 1973, Bunny started on her way to becoming a professional driver behind the wheel of a nine-second Pinto Pro Stocker. By 1975 it was too slow to keep her interest and she quickly tired of it.

A year later, she and Mo made a decision that would impact both of their lives as well as that of the sport. In a trade deal, she bartered her Pro Stock car for a Mustang Funny Car.

In 1986, Bunny’s racing career hit a high as she earned the World Championship in IHRA Funny Car. In doing so, she also became the first female IHRA World Champion. During the same season, she finished no. 4 in NHRA and won the Division 2 NHRA title.

It was a time for rejoicing and enjoying what seemed like a lifetime of hard work.

"I had wanted to win a championship my whole life," Bunny said. "We proved that we can do whatever we want to do. I worked very hard at it and it paid off."

After winning the championship, Bunny continued to chase her dreams on the national and local circuits, racing whenever the opportunity presented itself. Still working on a small budget, she began to make her living on the match-racing scene. A fan favorite still to this day, Bunny was known for putting her fans first and putting on a dazzling show.

In 1995 she debuted a new car and took it to a match race at Beaver Springs Dragway in Pennsylvania, a race that she had attended the previous 10 years.

As the competitors for the day’s race drew for lanes, a fellow racer drew longtime driver Carl Ruth. Not wanting to compete against Ruth, he traded his draw with Bunny, a move which would change the rest of her life. "Carl is my friend. I’ve raced him all my life and I said I would race him again," Bunny recalled.

"He was the slower car and got out in front of me. He bobbled some and I thought he was coming over. He was in high gear, crossed lanes and hit my wheelie bar. I made a dead left-hand turn and headed down into the grass running wide-open."

That was the last thing Bunny would remember about that day or the following four weeks that ensured.

With broken arms, legs and vertebrae, the fate of Bunny’s life was left hanging in the balance. If she survived, would she ever walk again? Would she remain in a vegetative state?

Racing wasn’t even a consideration. The one thing she loved the most, the thing that kept her going was irrevocably ripped from her. After 39 hours of surgery and 7-days of not knowing if she would live or die, Bunny’s spirit and determination continued to pull her through. After three weeks of being in a coma and despite the devastating injuries to her body, she had defeated the odds and would survive her ordeal.

"I received an overwhelming amount of support," Bunny said. "God was with me. I have no doubt in my mind that he saved me."

Bunny’s life had changed. No longer could she do the simplest of things. She spent the next nine months paralyzed, with a catheter and in diapers.

"I felt so sorry for myself, and had worked myself up into a fit of depression," Bunny said.

In the midst of trying to come to grips with the new chance at life she had been given, she was unsure of what her future would hold.

"In the middle of the night I saw a light in the corner of my room. A figure waved its hand over me and told me that I was going to be okay," Bunny recalled. "I thought I had accidentally turned on my clap light!"

It didn’t take Bunny long to figure out what her next move would be. Knowing that racing was the one thing that would motivate her to get better, she struck a deal with her husband, Mo. "Mo told me that ‘if you can get better, we will get you another race car.’"

"Mopar stepped up to the plate and said that when I got ‘my’ body fixed they would give me a new one," Bunny laughed.

One year later, Bunny climbed into a Junior Dragster and made her return official by making a pass down a racetrack.

For Bunny, nothing will ever be the same. She still suffers from paralyses and is forced to deal with the handicaps and ramifications of having her body nearly destroyed.

"I can’t drive the way that I used to and that is very hard. I see the disappointment in the crew and I want badly to go rounds. I don’t look at it as a tragedy," Bunny said. "It forced me to move on and set my goals higher. The Lord just nudged me along the way."

In 1997, Bunny Burkett climbed back into the seat of her Funny Car and made her comeback at Virginia Motorsports Park. After completing her first pass, the skies opened up and it began to rain.

As the 2005 racing season begins, Bunny Burkett has a lot to be happy about. Not only will she be celebrating her 40^th year of racing, but the soon to be 60-year-old is making fans of a whole new generation.

Anyone who knows Bunny knows that she has defeated the odds. She has stared death in the face and won. She has made a comeback in a sport that she was told would never be a part of her life again. For her accomplishments over the past 40 years, it is only fitting that she carries the name of "Bionic Bunny."

Bunny and the Boys would like to extend a very special thank you to their sponsor: Automotive Service Garage and Dennis Whitestone for all of his support throughout the years.

With the start of the 2005 season, Bunny will begin writing chapter 40 in the book of her outstanding career. Those that know her know there are many more pages to come.