DISOBEYING ORDERS by Jeff Wolf
The greatest weekend perhaps ever in the illustrious history of drag racing was marred by a driver disobeying a direct order.
Tony "The Sarge" Schumacher’s record run in the final round against Doug Kalitta gave him his third straight Top Fuel championship during the Pomona finals.
John Force beat Ron Capps in the second round to clinch his 14th world title and proved that old men can still react better than a young one. The quicker reaction propelled him to his 122nd event title and a win over Jack Beckman’s record-setting flash down the quarter-mile.
What Happens When A “Sarge” Disobeys A Direct Order
The greatest weekend perhaps ever in the illustrious history of drag racing was marred by a driver disobeying a direct order.
Tony "The Sarge" Schumacher’s record run in the final round against Doug Kalitta gave him his third straight Top Fuel championship during the Pomona finals.
John Force beat Ron Capps in the second round to clinch his 14th world title and proved that old men can still react better than a young one. The quicker reaction propelled him to his 122nd event title and a win over Jack Beckman’s record-setting flash down the quarter-mile.
And nothing better showed what sets drag racers apart from others in motorsports when Force paid fitting tribute to a friend whose son died in action in Afghanistan a few months ago.
That Sunday ranks among the best days of all time in racing, but the night before will also stand as one of the darkest and most controversial moments in NHRA history.
Anyone who cares for the sport cannot wear blinders about what happened on Saturday night before Schumacher’s last qualifying run.
It was deplorable when Schumacher ignored the order by starter Rick Stewart to shut off after an oil leak was seen after his burnout.
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Ignoring an official’s command besmirched the legend of the late Buster
Couch, NHRA’s chief starter for several decades. And Stewart’s lack of
enforcement was an embarrassment to Couch’s memory.
After getting the “slash throat” sign, Schumacher did nothing. He later
said only crew chief Alan Johnson can order him to shut off his Top
Fueler. That’s not Johnson’s starting line; it’s Stewart’s when he’s
the starter.
Stewart also was at fault. Viewing replays shown on ESPN2 it’s clear
that Stewart never got into Johnson’s face. Stewart told another
crewmember to shut it off but never told Johnson.
Had the late Couch been around, he’d have either grabbed Schumacher or
Johnson — or both — if his orders weren’t followed or simply stood in
front of the car until it fell silent.
You listened to Couch when you were on his turf.
The NHRA fined Schumacher $20,000 late Saturday evening, but it should
have been more. It can be argued that points should have been deducted,
but I don’t agree.
Schumacher, however, should be suspended for next year’s first event
and Stewart should be seated right next to him for not controlling his
starting line.
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Apparently it’s an unwritten rule that a driver must obey the starter
but references in the NHRA rulebook note racers and crewmembers must
obey NHRA officials. Now, because of Schumacher’s record-setting arrogance, it should be stated in black and white.
It was a sad point to an otherwise outstanding event that cannot be topped by any other regardless of racing series.
It caused me almost as much indigestion as the new points system for the NHRA pro tour. I’m going to start a protest movement to fight NHRA’s radical, unnecessary revisions to its championship points system. (I’ll have more on that soon.)
Why now? Why two years after a great Funny Car battle and the year after the greatest championship races ever?
Before my first column for Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com appeared on your screen at least one person ripped Bobby Bennett for hiring me. A viewer at Nitromater.com wrote that I'm too negative when it comes to NHRA.
Gotta love America and the Internet where everyone’s opinions can be voiced. My opinions aren’t more important than yours.
But I’ve never lived by the mantra of “love it or leave it” whether its my country, my job or drag racing, which served as my introduction to motorsports in the late 1960s at National Trail Raceway near my hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
I love drag racing, always have and always will. I’ve only taken a few passes down a track in a street car that went around 90 mph at the top end. The limit to my mechanical skills is changing spark plugs, oil and oil filters, and filling up windshield washer fluid.
That might be why I’m so fascinated with drivers who can control these horizontal rockets and how mechanics are able to get 8,000 horsepower out of an eight-cylinder engine.
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That explains the intrigue, but not the passion.
My passion for the sport derives from the passion of those who race and their passion for their competitors.
In nearly 20 years of working around drag racing as a reporter and eight years at Firebird International Raceway in public relations and marketing, I don’t even need a full hand to count the number of a------- I’ve had to deal with.
I don’t hide my preference for drag racing over NASCAR, but without a NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway the Las Vegas Review-Journal wouldn’t have hired me in 1999 to report on motorsports.
Drag racers are the best.
You don’t see a NASCAR star bare his emotions like Force did Sunday night in the Pomona media center when he dedicated his victory to Sgt. Bryan A. Brewster who was 24 when he died in combat in Afghanistan on May 5. He’s the son of the Southern California’s Daily Bulletin sports editor and motor sports reporter Louis Brewster.
Force talked about the fallen soldier and dad after the race.
I wasn’t there but nonetheless shed a tear watching a replay on 1320tv.com; one of the best news videos I’ve ever seen. As Force spoke you could see Brewster wiping tears in the reflection on the window.
You won’t hear or see that intimacy in a NASCAR media center.
Jeff Wolf is a reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. His weekly motor sports columns can be read on Fridays at LVRJ.com.
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