A powerful dose of drag racing can be ‘chicken soup for the soul’ for those who are in need of a remedy. And, you don’t have to be at the races for the medication to take effect.

While laying in the emergency room a few weeks ago, I crossed paths with a nurse who opened my eyes with her own heartbreaking story. Much to my surprise, her story led us both down a path of healing.

After checking into the emergency room at North Suburban Hospital in Thornton, Colo., doctors found my body lost four-units of blood, due to internal bleeding caused by a peptic ulcer.

According to the attending physician, years of ingesting aspirin and ibuprofen for headaches and eating late night carne asada burrito’s finally caught up with me.

Drag Racing Might Have Its Issues But It Still Works For Me …

A powerful dose of drag racing can be ‘chicken soup for the soul’ for those who are in need of a remedy. And, you don’t have to be at the races for the medication to take effect.

While laying in the emergency room a few weeks ago, I crossed paths with a nurse who opened my eyes with her own heartbreaking story. Much to my surprise, her story led us both down a path of healing.

After checking into the emergency room at North Suburban Hospital in Thornton, Colo., doctors found my body lost four-units of blood, due to internal bleeding caused by a peptic ulcer.

According to the attending physician, years of ingesting aspirin and ibuprofen for headaches and eating late night carne asada burrito’s finally caught up with me.

In essence, my injuries were self-inflicted.

As I waited for treatment to begin, an enlightening conversation with a friendly nurse, Jill, began.  

The nurse asked me about my interests. The words “drag racing” arose more than once in less than a minute into our discussion. Once these words were uttered, her eyes opened wider than a child’s eyes on Christmas morning.

“I love drag racing,” exclaimed the nurse. “The sights, the sounds, the power, the people, there isn’t anything else on the planet which compares.” Seeing her face light-up when speaking of drag racing, the patient asked the nurse about her involvement in the sport.

 

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She spent many of her adult years in Columbus, Ohio and Memphis, Tenn., attending events at the drag strips in those cities. The fondest memories were her young son’s impressions of drivers such as John Force and K.C. “Hollywood” Spurlock. He told his mother, some day he wanted to drive cars like these guys.

His dreams were fulfilled when he carefully guided his home-built Ford Mustang down the Memphis quarter-mile and earned his NHRA 4B (for Super Gas racing) competition license at the tender age of sixteen.

The look in her eyes was priceless.  She spoke about the pride she had as a mother watching her son accomplish a goal. Being a father of two children, those same feelings exist with me. The obvious follow-up question had to be asked.

“Is your son still racing?”

The same eyes, which only seconds ago were beaming with pride, filled up with tears as she struggled to answer, “He passed away two years ago this weekend. And his ashes are spread on the same track he earned his license.”

“I loved drag racing so much. It was an activity our whole family enjoyed, but after my son passed I lost all interest,” the nurse said with tears now flowing freely. “I caught the coverage on ESPN2 a few weeks ago and I loved every minute of it. I think it’s time to get back to the race track. I miss it.”  

This nurse understood the happiness drag racing can provide. After beginning the healing process from the loss of her son, she can’t wait to attend her next race.

The conversation was therapeutic for us both. However, we were not the first to experience the rejuvenating elixir drag racing can provide.

When three-time NHRA Top Fuel World Champion Shirley Muldowney and 14-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion John Force suffered severe injuries in Montreal, Canada and Dallas, Texas, many believed their driving careers were finished.

Muldowney and Force thought otherwise.

Medical attention and months of painful rehabilitation helped the bodies heal. Sheer determination, love for the sport of drag racing and support from the racing community also helped these two great champions climb back ‘in the saddle’ of their nitro-powered race cars.
Recently, Cagnazzi Racing raised $27,000 during a fund-raising benefit for their lead chassis builder Todd Bevis, who is battling cancer. The support from a community who shares the same passion Bevis possesses may prove to be the ‘pill’ which helps him “kick cancers butt.”

NHRA Funny Car driver, “Fast” Jack Beckman, often points to “G-Force” therapy, (which he defines as visualization of driving a race car and the act itself) as a factor in his survival of level-3B lymphoma. Support from a secure network of friends met through drag racing also helped Beckman.  

It can help you as well.

Drag racing can be the medication which provides inspiration to battle any affliction you may have. Side-effects may include; blurred vision, sinus congestion caused by nitro-fumes and a constant ringing in your ears.

To heal, take one dose of drag racing and call me in the morning.

 

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