Competition Plus.com - Drag Racing's Internet Magazine

Susan Wade's second annual Naughty and Nice List
She's checked her list, checked it twice…gonna tell you who’s been naughty and nice…
By Susan Wade ; Contributions from Bobby Bennett, Jon Asher, Brian Wood and Roger Richards

The Beach Boys sang about him: "A real famous cat all dressed up in red. And he spends the whole year workin' out in his sled . . . Just a little bobsled we call it Old Saint Nick, but she'll walk a toboggan with a four-speed stick. She's candy apple red with a ski for a wheel. And when Santa hits the gas, man, just watch her peel." (Ha! You're humming the song already, aren't you?) Well, Ole Saint Nick is coming to town. But will he have goodies for our drag-racing family or big lumps of coal? Find out who deserves what by reading Competition Plus' second annual . . . Naughty and Nice List

NICE

The HANS device, for preventing several serious, if not fatal, injuries to several drivers this season, including Kenny Koretsky, Bruce Allen, and Mel Eaves. Kudos to the Safety Safari personnel, as well, and to the doctors at Parkland Hospital in Dallas.

Larry Dixon, for giving Don Prudhomme his 100th NHRA victory; for winning the U.S. Nationals Top Fuel title and dedicating it to his father, Larry Sr., who's fighting cancer; for keeping up his amazing streak of winning on Fathers Day and celebrating with his children.

Evan Knoll, for sponsoring everything under the sun including the e-zine you're reading. On more than one occaison the President of Torco Race Fuels stepped forward with enough backing to keep a few of the struggling and underfinanced teams in racing. He also brought back the nitro Funny Cars in IHRA.

Knoll also purchased the Bullet Motorsports team and enabled the program to contend for the 2005 title.

Rhonda Hartman-Smith and John Smith, for the birth of their son, Dylan Joseph, Aug. 30. Dylan joins sister Megan.

Rod Fuller, Connie Cohen, GT Tonglet, Richie Stevens, Angelle Sampey, among others, who focused on their racing careers and responsibilities this year during extremely difficult circumstances. Fuller was tentative top qualifier in Top Fuel one day at the NHRA season finale, just days after his mother unexpectedly underwent a liver transplant at the Mayo Clinic. Cohen, underfunded all season, came back from a broken wrist at Atlanta early in the season to compete in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class. Sampey, Stevens, and Tonglet raced at the U.S. Nationals and beyond, while worrying about their own homes and about their families, friends, and neighbors back in hurricane-battered New Orleans.

Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown, and Angelle Sampey for vocally supporting our U.S. Army and other troops, talking about the accomplishments they've made in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Doug Herbert for regularly entertaining various members of the U.S. Military at NHRA national events.

Pro Stock Bike contender Chip Ellis and his G-Squared Motorsports team, for their grit and grace this season when confronted with unpleasant circumstances. Ellis struggled early on and said when he won the spring Chicago race, "Drag racing is a real mental sport. And my mental wasn't being too good." It was that day, as he dedicated his victory to key crew member Ken Johnson and later presented him with the "Wally" trophy. Johnson's left leg and knee were injured severely June 4 in a non-race related accident, and days later he underwent surgery to amputate his leg above the knee.Johnson was back in action by Labor Day weekend at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Then after the Sonoma race, their hauler and all its contents were stolen near Omaha. The team soldiered on, police in Iowa and Nebraska worked to recover some of their belongings, and Ellis earned a top-five finish in the standings, just 46 points out of second place.

Racers, fans, friends, and family of G Squared/Star Racing’s Ken Johnson who supported him, cared for him, and provided a way for him to return to the race track after he lost a leg due to an accident. Tracey Slemker, of Prosthetic Design Inc., and Jesse and Chuck Hegwood of Ohio made major contributions to Johnson's rehabilitation and recovery. Slemker invited Johnson and his wife to move to Ohio from Georgia so they could devote all of their time to his recovery and to the process of becoming mobile once a prosthetic was fitted.

Johnson eventually was fitted with two legs, one a "carbureted" leg designed and developed by PDI, and the other a "fuel injected" leg that was donated by the Hegwood family. Their son, Nick Hegwood, was a motorcycle racer and an amputee. He was killed in a racing accident, and the family wanted to make the donation to someone involved in motorsports, particularly motorcycles.

Fred Simmonds, Tommy Johnson Jr., Warren Johnson, Cory McClenathan, and Jim Yates, for their GM-sponsored USO trip to visit American troops in Germany.

At Germany’s Ramstein Air Force Base, a wounded soldier asked the drivers to sign the inside of the case of his Purple Heart. "That was quite an honor. That caught all of us by surprise. I don't think that young man really knows what that meant to the four of us to be able to do that," Yates said.

"The soldier who had us sign his Purple Heart box - that really got to me," said McClenathan. "When you're at home thinking about what's going on you're thinking, 'God bless them.' When you actually come to the hospital and visit with the patients you get a better understanding of what they've gone through. These soldiers are tough, they're upbeat and they are ready to go. You meet up with them face to face and you get a better perspective on just how tough they are. Almost every one of them is more concerned about their friends and comrades who are still 'downrange' and are wanting to go back. It was a fantastic experience to be able to do this. I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I do for a living and know that my wife and daughter are safe at home. And that makes it tough to see the ones over here, not just the wounded soldiers, but the doctors and staff who are separated from their loved ones. That hits home with me."

"I was so impressed with the politeness, respect, appreciation and dedication these soldiers have for this country," said Tommy Johnson. "From the commanders on down, everyone was such a good person and very dedicated to their mission. I was impressed with everyone's attitude and commitment. To do what they are doing and to ask for so little in return is amazing. I definitely look at our Armed Forces in a new light. I was blown away by the number of men and women in uniform that are drag racing fans.

"This was one of the most positive experiences I've ever had," said Warren Johnson. "Seeing the troops gave me a greater appreciation for the job they're doing. First of all, I think all of us were impressed with the commitment that all of the personnel had for their jobs. Whether it was vehicle repair or the care our troops receive at the medical facilities we visited, everyone is committed to absolutely doing the job to the best of their ability and that was what impressed us all - there were no slackers. It was always positive. I didn't hear a negative comment from anybody I came in contact with. The commanders took great pride in their troops and everyone is committed to doing what they know is right. The commanders down to the people doing the work, everyone was going in the same direction and that was the ultimate testament to what teamwork can accomplish."

"I have never seen a more skilled, motivated and focused group of young men and women," Simmonds, GM Racing group manager of drag racing, said. "They are simply America's best, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It was our honor and pleasure to personally tell them how much we value what they do to protect our freedoms."

The Army Special Forces Association, Randall Shughart Chapter 64, based in Carlisle, Pa., spearheaded the support mission -- "Operation Support Our Wounded." The drivers distributed nearly 1,000 goody bags and signed autographs.

Dick Lahaie, for his nearly 50 years of commitment to drag racing and the NHRA.

Andy and Mark Carrier, for keeping Pro Stock contender Dave Connolly on the track at Topeka after Connolly's team owner suddenly disbanded the operation.

Dave Connolly, for handling his difficult financial situation with grace.

Mike Ashley, for declining to participate in the Auto Club of Southern California Finals at Pomona to take part in a cancer fundraiser. Earlier in the year, when Mike lost family friend Ashley Graziano to a rare and aggressive form of cancer, he donated 100 percent of his winnings in 2005 to the Ashley Graziano foundation for research of pediatric cancer.

Gary Scelzi, Ron Capps, and John Force, for treating NHRA fans to the greatest Funny Car championship chase in history.

Clay Millican, for earning his fifth consecutive IHRA Top Fuel championship and Tony Schumacher for earning his second straight and third overall on the NHRA side. Both set numerous records in the process.

National Street Car Association racers, for generously donating their purse money and auctioned off team merchandise to provide much-needed money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. They raised several thousand dollars and sent the donation to JAMA Racing Ministry pastor Mark Walter, who, along with his family, spent many weeks working to provide spiritual and emotional comfort to hundreds of needy people in the stricken areas around New Orleans. Many from the NHRA and IHRA families opened their wallets and hearts -- and homes -- to hurricane victims. Two-time and reigning Pro Stock Bike champion Andrew Hines shared his house with teammate GT Tonglet, of Metairie, La., for example.

Greg Anderson, for earning his third straight NHRA Pro Stock championship. The Summit Racing Pontiac GTO driver won eight times in 11 final-round appearances to become the first NHRA Pro Stock driver to win three consecutive titles since Bob Glidden’s run in 1985-89. General Motors swept the top five spots in the final Pro Stock standings with Anderson, Kurt Johnson, Jason Line, Warren Johnson, and Dave Connolly.

John Force, for hosting his annual Holiday Car Show, at which more than 18,000 participants and fans donated 10,709 toys to the California Highway Patrol's "ChiPs for Kids" toy drive. It was the most successful show yet, featuring more than 780 show cars, trucks, boats, and motorcycles. A two-hour autograph session featuring the 13-time NHRA Funny Car champion stretched to four hours to accommodate everyone attending. Also at the event were Brandon Bernstein, Eric Medlen, Robert Hight, Ashley Force, Brittany Force, and Courtney Force, along with legendary racer and designer Carroll Shelby.

Melanie Troxel, for qualifying the Don Schumacher-owned Skull Gear/Torco Dragster No. 2 twice and reached another semifinal round in just 11 races in 2005. She became the quickest and fastest female driver in drag-racing history (4.458-second elapsed time, 330.31 mph) and the first female driver to reach 330 mph. For dessert, she was chosen to be part of Hostess' Race Divas sponsorship program. She joined IRL favorite Danica Patrick and NASCAR’s Leilani Munter as the faces of the future of motorsports.

Mark Pawuk, for cutting the first perfect light of his career, against Mike Thomas at the Auto Club Finals at Pomona in November. "He was living right today," Thomas said. Eddie Guarnaccia, Thomas' crew chief, said, "There's not much you can do against a .000 light."

Mike Thomas, for filling in respectably twice this season for Pro Stock owner/driver Kenny Koretsky, first when Koretsky had a sore back this summer, then following Koretsky's accident at Dallas.

Cory McClenathan, for continuing to compete in the last three or four races of the season and the Top Fuel class' Budweiser Shootout, despite painful medical conditions.

Route 66 Raceway crowd at Joliet, Ill., for helping Dave Dobson. The ESPN associate producer sang the national anthem to at the Saturday morning qualifying session. He had a marvelous voice, if only the fans could have heard it for his full rendition. Unruffled by microphone glitches that made his voice cut in and out over the loudspeakers, Dobson continued singing. The crowd joined in, a bit reluctantly at first. Sensing Dobson was going to continue having electrical problems, the fans became bolder, and their singing reached a crescendo on the final line of the song. After a rousing ". . . And the home of the brave," the grandstand singers got an appreciative cheer from the folks gathered on the starting line to observe the first round of the King Demon Crown specialty race for Pro Stock cars. NHRA President Tom Compton clapped for them and said with a broad smile, "That is cool!"

George Smith, George Bryce and the G-Squared/Star Racing Team, for their display of professionalism after the decision by NHRA to nullify team rider Matt Smith's apparent first career victory at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. And to Steve Johnson, who was subsequently declared the winner, for his professional way of handling the situation. The jubilant G-Squared team celebrated in the winner's circle and later in their pit area, unaware that video of the race showed Johnson had indeed crossed the finish line first. A timing system glitch had erroneously signaled a victory for Smith. An NHRA official later notified them that the sanctioning body had overturned the on-track decision.

"We want all to know that we accept that decision and think it was justified," Bryce said at the time. "NHRA did a lot of reviews and all reviews pointed out that Steve had crossed the line first. Perhaps it was a matter of time before an incident like this took place and becomes the precedent for the NHRA version of 'instant replay' review. Looking back, we wish that Steve could have had his time in the winner's circle, but happy that NHRA corrected, what in hindsight, was obvious – Steve was the winner."

Funny Car champion Gary Scelzi, for making an investment in teenager Cole Sarver and helping him start his racing career following the unexpected death of Cole's father, Bruce Sarver. "Bruce and Cole had talked about Cole getting started in some kind of racing, whether it be go-kart or Winston West or some kind of stock-car racing, and it just never seemed to come about," Scelzi said. "So after Bruce's passing, I talked to Bruce's mom and Cole and Cole's step mom, Christine, and said I had a go-kart that was race ready, that I used to chase my son Dominic around on the go-kart tracks. Well, Dominic has switched to Junior Sprint racing and the go-kart doesn't do me any good anymore. So I gave it to Cole Sarver so he can start racing and learn the mechanical abilities that it takes to be a racer, understanding how to set up a go-kart and those kinds of things. So I delivered it to Bakersfield (Calif.) to a friend of mine, Matt Dewing at MCR, who built Dominic's go-kart motors. They're going to help teach Cole how to set cars up, how to work on the engines, do all that kind of stuff, so that Cole has a start, even if it's a small start, in go-kart racing." Scelzi and Bruce Sarver were teammates several years ago.

Troy Critchley and AMS Staff Leasing for allowing Ben Bray to drive Critchley’s second car at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Bray, a two-time Australian Top Doorslammer champion, was on a month-long fact-finding trip to the U.S. in order to familiarize himself with Pro Modified, North America's quickest and fastest doorslammer class. Bray and his father Victor, a six-time Australian champion, are planning a possible foray into Pro Modified on this side of the ocean. They were hopeful of getting Ben the opportunity to drive a car in competition while on his trip. With time running out, it seemed unlikely that such an opportunity would present itself, but thanks to fellow Aussie, and former Victor Bray teammate Critchley, it all came together at the last minute, and just in time for the biggest race of the year. The Brays and Critchley, along with members of both teams, worked night and day for the best part of a week to prepare Critchley’s AMS-sponsored back-up car. After a short test session in St. Louis, they rolled into Indianapolis ready to take on the best of the U.S. teams. It was the first time Ben had ever driven a race car from the left side, but he performed well, qualifying for the tough 16-car field and giving eventual winner Jay Payne all he could handle in the first round of eliminations.

Don Schumacher and Carl White of Stroud Safety, for helping Mike Aiello after the Torco ‘s CompetitionPlus marketing director had a Scrooge-like encounter with an insurance company. Aiello, who uses a wheelchair after several vertebrae were crushed in an on-the-job accident, recently lost his special hospital-style bed because the insurance company decided he didn't need it. That left him sleeping each night in an upholstered chair in his living room. Aiello got the bed situation straightened out, but Schumacher and White offered a charging system for Mike's wheelchair and for volunteered free tickets to any event, NHRA or IHRA, that Mike wants to attend.

"Stock Eliminator Bagpipers" John Bender and Steve Makos, for their mellow melodies in the pits at Englishtown, N.J. Seldom, if ever, do drag-racing fans have the pleasure of hearing live bagpipe music at the track. Anyone in the sportsman pits Saturday night, June 18 at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park heard an impromptu pipe and drum duet. Bender, who races a ’67 Plymouth GTX in the Stock Eliminator class, works for the Union County (N.J.) Police and Fire Department. He also is a drum sergeant in the department's pipe and drum corps. Bender brought his drum to Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. He said he figured he would have some time in the evenings, after all the racing and work on his car were completed, to practice for an upcoming musical competition that area fire departments were sponsoring. Bender perked up when he heard bagpipe music floating through the air, so he tracked the source of it and met Makos, a firefighter in Westfield, Mass. Makos was helping friend Barry Parker prepare his ’69 Camaro for Stock Eliminator competition. He, too, thought he might have some “down-time,” so he brought along his bagpipes. From this coincidence came an impromptu concert in the pits, each donning his kilt and traditional Scottish garb.

NAUGHTY

Don Taylor and the NHRA's Tech Department for the haphazard way they handled the Mike Edwards situation during the first event of the 2005 season. Not only did they overreact to a minor situation, but they chose to look the other way when a controversial wheel tub situation was brought to light from another racer.

IHRA for implementing the inane rule of not allowing photographers and media past the 60-foot mark.

The situation that arose to cause Torco Race Fuels to pull its support from the AMS/NHRA Pro Mod series.

NHRA and IHRA Communications, for not copying NASCAR's successful non-stop, aggressive media assault.

Warren Johnson for referring to fellow competitor Dave Connolly as the punk. After a lengthy starting line confrontation, Johnson uttered on television, "I taught the punk a lesson."

Erica Enders, for unsportsmanlike conduct at Pomona in November, after her first-round upset by Tom Martino. Enders was No. 2 qualifier. Martino, making his first appearance in final eliminations since the 2003 Gainesville event, used an .005-second reaction time en route to a winning 6.738-second elapsed time at 205.47 mph. Enders, who had an .053-second light, ran a 6.735/205.72.

Then, another sense, the Houston rookie upset Martino and his team owner, Larry Morgan. As they got out of their cars, Enders -- referring to his reaction time -- reportedly said to Martino, "Nice guess." He took offense at her remark and began arguing with her, and Morgan joined in the heated conversation.

Tony Schumacher and Kalitta Motorsports Team Manager Jim Oberhofer, for ugly remarks exchanged at Columbus, Ohio, in May. During the Saturday telecast of qualifying, Mike Dunn quoted Schumacher as saying that Doug Kalitta ought to hide his winner's trophies in a closet, insinuating that teammates Scott Kalitta and David Grubnic purposely lost to help him advance. Oberhofer fired back, "I know guys like Schumacher who'll get a case of verbal diarrhea if Douggie wins this round. Schumacher needs to thank his old man every morning and kiss his butt that he's got Alan Johnson over there, because Alan's The Man. Tony, he's nothin', in my opinion." Schumacher said, "I got myself in all kinds of trouble with that, but I closed the book on it a long time ago. Doug's going to come out in 2006 and he's going to be tough. But when you race your own teammate and you win, it's still not nearly as fun as beating me." By the way, Kalitta and Schumacher were 3-3 against each other in 2005.

Team Werner, for not allowing fellow IHRA Top Fuel competitor Todd Paton enough time to get to the line during the semifinal round of eliminations at the event in Budds Creek, Maryland, in September. The Paton crew had notified IHRA officials via radio that they were on their way to the line.

With Paton helmeted and strapped into the car, the team was towing the car through the staging lanes when the Werner crew fired Clay Millican's car and signaled him forward for his burnout. When Paton’s team pushed him to the burnout box, they were waved off by starting line officials and not allowed to make the run. Millican went on to clinch the 2005 championship on a single.

Just 90 minutes later, with Millican set to run against Bobby Lagana in the final, the Werner team waited patiently, eight and a half minutes to be exact, while Lagana’s team left the pits late and pushed the car to the line. Following close behind was driver Lagana, carrying his helmet and dressing himself in his firesuit as he walked along.

Officials and employees of a well-known Michigan drag strip who took exception to comments made by members of a racing team and responded by pelting their pit area with raw eggs and chicken feet. The incident took place during a National Street Car Association race in July. A week later, the same team attempted to enter the track for a test and tune session, and was refused admittance.

Sportsman racers Roger Brogdon and Tony Stephenson, for their scenario in battling for the Comp championship. Neither ended up winning the championship and Brogdon added further hard feelings by saying, “This season has been a lot of fun, but I could have done without the last two weeks of it. No matter what happens, I’ve had a good year. I won five races. As God’s honest truth…for sure…Tony Stephenson didn’t win the son of a bitch. He will never win one as long as I am racing Competition eliminator, I don’t care how much it costs me. He’s done made the wrong man mad.”

BME Dragster owner Bill Miller, for the backhanded way he fired driver Brady Kalivoda after the Winternationals. He informed Kalivoda of his decision in a long letter, never confronting him face to face. It was the same approach Dexter Tuttle apparently used with Gary Ormsby Jr. with the Menards Dragster ride.

National Dragster editor Phil Burgess, for his swipe at Competition Plus and others in the Aug. 5 issue of his magazine. Wrote Burgess, ". . . We're proud of our reputation of being not only first most of the time, but also accurate, a claim that no drag racing e-zine or website can make."

Don't flatter yourself, Phil. That's unbecoming. And your statement not only is incorrect; it's also rude and unprofessional. We have worked extremely hard this year at Competition Plus to be fair and accurate, and we resent your haughty attitude, particularly when it's based on falsehood. Ironically, our Competition Plus editor happened to see this the week after telling numerous people what a marvelous job the National Dragster staff does with its Daily Dragster at the U.S. Nationals. She doesn't take that back; it's true. Competition Plus respects the work of National Dragster and others as we promote the sport we love and enjoy.

Both parties at Don Schumacher Racing's Pro Stock operation, for not making the partnership between Bob Glidden and Jeg Coughlin work smoothly.

NAUGHTY AND NICE

Bob Gilbertson, for burning a rental car to the ground in the pits during a test session at Las Vegas (yes, despite his claim he protected everyone in the way he handles it). But we all know Bob has a generous heart, too, and among the ways he showed it were teaming with buddy and Top Fuel driver Doug Herbert and Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson -- as well as NASCAR legend Bobby Allison and current drivers Greg Biffle, Kurt and Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth -- at "Stocks for Tots" in Mooresville, N.C. Gilbertson and the drag-racing gang stayed at the holiday gift drive for the final two and half hours after the NASCAR boys became bored with giving and sharing. Said Gilbertson, "NASCAR is a big deal around here. I figured the fans coming to this show should know what real horsepower is." So he took his Prestone/Autolite Funny Car there, signed some autographs and promoted POWERade Drag Racing. Since 1989, "Stocks for Tots" has raised more than $250,000 and distributed almost 30,000 toys to children.

Mother Nature, for hitting the Southeast with one of the worst ice storms ever in December, causing widespread power outages. But Competition Plus photo editor Roger Richards gets an extra candy cane in his stocking for extending his Southern Hospitality to his neighbors. He said he has "a free supply of firewood, enough to last the rest of the winter, for a soul willing to come get it."

Cheers to participants on Internet message boards who take the time to build friendships with other drag-racing enthusiasts and interact with each other about their favorite pastime. But a big lump of coal to those who use those same message boards to create havoc with their uncontrolled negativity and uninformed diatribe.

Nice is IHRA Funny Car racer Terry McMillen for loaning his crew at the season-opening IHRA event in San Antonio to Rob Atchison so he can make the finals...

To Mother Nature, the Racing Gods, The Fickle Finger of Fate or whoever or whatever was responsible for keeping Jay Payne from making the first-ever five-second Pro Modified pass in sanctioned drag racing competition. In October, during qualifying for the NHRA event in Dallas, Payne’s 2005 Dodge Stratus posted a run of 6.000-seconds at 239.23 mph, coming as close as humanly and mechanically possibly to smashing a barrier that has thwarted the best efforts of doorslammer competitors for years.
Mitch Stott actually broke into the five-second zone in outlaw trim during a pre-season event in Darlington, South Carolina, in 2003, but he wasn't running under "official" Pro Mod rules, and the race to post the first legitimate five-second pass has been on in earnest ever since.

The same entities belong on the Nice List, though, for allowing Australian Top Doorslammmer veteran John Zappia to make the first five-second doorslammer pass Down Under. In September, during a national event in Sydney, Zappia propelled his “Zap’s Rat” Holden through the top-end traps in 5.967-seconds, much to the delight of racing fans and the grudging admiration of his fellow racers.