It was just five years ago when crew chief Wayne Dupuy and driver Darrell Russell came to the Sears Craftsman National at Gateway

International Raceway, just across the river from St. Louis.

The duo was flying high. Not only were they winning races, but they also were establishing themselves as one of best driver-crew chief tandems in the Top Fuel dragster division.

"We were on top of the world," recalled Dupuy.

Then, when Russell made a pass during second-round eliminations on June 27, 2004, nothing would ever be the same again.

It was just five years ago when crew chief Wayne Dupuy and driver Darrell Russell came to the Sears Craftsman National at Gateway

 

International Raceway, just across the river from St. Louis.

The duo was flying high. Not only were they winning races, but they also were establishing themselves as one of best driver-crew chief tandems in the Top Fuel dragster division.

"We were on top of the world," recalled Dupuy.

Then, when Russell made a pass during second-round eliminations on June 27, 2004, nothing would ever be the same again.

Russell was fatally injured when his dragster went out of control and crashed just past the finish line. Russell was extracted from his dragster by NHRA emergency services officials and transported by air to the St. Louis Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

One of the rear Goodyear tires blew out, damaging the back part of the race car. Shrapnel caused by the exploding tire entered the driver's cockpit from the rear, fatally injuring Russell. Russell's wife, Julie, filed a lawsuit against the NHRA and Goodyear Tire and Rubber, eventually reaching an out-of-court settlement.

Immediately after Russell's death, Goodyear released an improved version of the tire. The new tires were a harder compound, to prevent failures, and designed to expand less, to slow the cars down slightly.

"All the crew chiefs knew that we were having problems with that tire," Dupuy said. "I know no one wanted to listen to a crew chief like me about the tire and I'm just really sorry that it (the tire) had to take someone's life before things were changed."

Dupuy admitted, however, that he's still haunted by Russell's tragic accident.

"The whole thing was a big mess," Dupuy said. "Julie (Darrell's wife) had to go through a lot of aggravation (with the court system). As for me, it has been very difficult for me to move forward. The accident ruined my career and I have been struggling to get back on track ever since."

Dupuy's troubles were magnified when in late November of 2005, he flipped a brand new Cobra Mustang that he was driving. He suffered a brain injury in the crash.

At the time, he was the crew chief for Top Fuel driver Doug Herbert.

"I don't know what people thought about my wreck, but after that I couldn't get a job," said Dupuy, who left Herbert's team in July of 2006.

These days, Dupuy is doing his best to silence his critics.

He has been working with Urs Erbacher and he has put together a couple of Top Fuel dragsters. Erbacher was racing Dupuy's dragster at Houston in late March of this year when the engine blew up. Erbacher was not hurt, but Dupuy has been rebuilding the car ever since.

Most recently, Dupuy, who also leases his dragsters so drivers can get a license, put Scott Weis in his dragster for the IHRA's Amalie Oil Texas Nationals on May 31st in Crandall. With Dupuy tuning the car, Weis won the event and then he drove Dupuy's dragster at Tulsa (Okla.) Raceway Park on June 13-14.

"It was fun to win that race with Scott and we were competitive at Tulsa," said Dupuy, who recently moved into his new shop in Jacksboro, Texas. "I just shipped the dragster Scott was driving overseas to Urs."

Dupuy said he plans on flying overseas as well to work with Erbacher when he competes in drag races in the middle of July in Switzerland and the middle of August in Germany.

According to Dupuy, Erbacher, who is from Arlesheim, Switzerland, also is going to return to the NHRA circuit and drive in the last two events of the season at Las Vegas and Pomona, Calif.

"We would love to race full-time in the United States and we're currently looking for a good sponsor to be able to do that," Dupuy said. "The way the economy is right now, it's tough on everybody who is trying to find sponsors."
In the meantime, Dupuy is doing the best he can under the circumstances.

"I'm just trying to survive and make money," Dupuy said. "I would love to get a job as a crew chief with a fully-funded team because I know that I can do the job. I'm just going to keep my options open and see what happens."
 

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