GREER HONORED AS LEGEND OF THUNDER VALLEY
Mon, 2010-06-21 14:00
Shirl Greer, the 1974 NHRA Funny Car World Champion, was inducted into the Legends of Thunder Valley Sunday at Bristol Dragway.
Greer, a longtime Kingsport, Tn. resident, died in March after an extended illness.
His sons, Van and Brian, were at the induction ceremony where Greer's 1974 “Chained Lightning” Mustang was on display. They spoke about what Bristol Dragway, a place where Shirl Greer won back-to-back IHRA All-American Nationals in 1974-75, meant to their father.
“This was home, where he always wanted to do good,” Brian Greer said. “At times, this was the hardest place for him to do good at. He always had a lot of love and support from fans and family here. This was his favorite place in the world to run a Funny Car.”
Shirl Greer, the 1974 NHRA Funny Car World Champion, was inducted into the Legends of Thunder Valley Sunday at Bristol Dragway.
Greer, a longtime Kingsport, Tn. resident, died in March after an extended illness.
His sons, Van and Brian, were at the induction ceremony where Greer's 1974 “Chained Lightning” Mustang was on display. They spoke about what Bristol Dragway, a place where Shirl Greer won back-to-back IHRA All-American Nationals in 1974-75, meant to their father.
“This was home, where he always wanted to do good,” Brian Greer said. “At times, this was the hardest place for him to do good at. He always had a lot of love and support from fans and family here. This was his favorite place in the world to run a Funny Car.”
Van, still a Sportsman competitor at Bristol Dragway, dedicated his first win of the season to his late father. Along the side of the Ford Escort he was racing, Van applied “Tension” logos exactly like the ones Shirl Greer ran on the side of a 1965 Dodge Coronet years earlier.
Other times Van races a 1985 Chevy Suburban. Considering the bloodlines, the odd choices of race cars aren't surprising. With Shirl Greer such a unique individual, the family said goodbye in a ceremony at the dragway where they fired up his old Mustang just days after his funeral.
Greer's exploits in winning the first NHRA Funny Car championship are legendary. He won a national event at Montreal and scored a runner-up finish on his way to the championship. But, the event still most talked about was his incredible comeback at the 1974 NHRA World Finals.
Greer entered that final race of the season 174 points behind Paul Smith in the championship standings. During Saturday qualifying, his engine broke which led to a huge fire that burned off half his Mustang Funny Car’s body and sent Greer to the hospital with burns to his hands and face.
His championship hopes were seemingly dashed, but his fellow racers, including Smith who had failed to qualify for eliminations, pitched in to rebuild the engine and the back half of the car. He borrowed a firesuit and helmet from Al Hanna, and gloves from Don “The Snake” Prudhomme.
Greer climbed behind the wheel and won his first-round race against Leroy Chadderton, exploding the blower in the process. When Prudhomme lost in the second round to Dale Pulde, Greer clinched the season championship.
Ironically, Greer's induction as a Thunder Valley Legend comes one year after Pulde was bestowed the same honor.
Greer's name is the first one listed across the front of suites that rise above the Bristol Dragway starting line.
“To all of us, dad was always larger than life. Superman didn't have anything on him,” Brian said. “We knew how much of an impression he made and how much he inspired us. We didn't realize until he was gone how many people's lives he touched.”
Van Greer explained there's not a better place in the world for the family to remember his father.
“It's our favorite place,” Van said. “This is usually where we get all of our family reunion pictures took, usually in the winner's circle. This is what we do as a family. We don't go to picnics or go to family reunions. This is our family reunion here.”
Greer, a longtime Kingsport, Tn. resident, died in March after an extended illness.
His sons, Van and Brian, were at the induction ceremony where Greer's 1974 “Chained Lightning” Mustang was on display. They spoke about what Bristol Dragway, a place where Shirl Greer won back-to-back IHRA All-American Nationals in 1974-75, meant to their father.
“This was home, where he always wanted to do good,” Brian Greer said. “At times, this was the hardest place for him to do good at. He always had a lot of love and support from fans and family here. This was his favorite place in the world to run a Funny Car.”
Brian and Van Greer, sons of the late Shirl Greer, were in attendance for their dad's inclusion into the Legends of Thunder Valley.
Greer, a longtime Kingsport, Tn. resident, died in March after an extended illness.
His sons, Van and Brian, were at the induction ceremony where Greer's 1974 “Chained Lightning” Mustang was on display. They spoke about what Bristol Dragway, a place where Shirl Greer won back-to-back IHRA All-American Nationals in 1974-75, meant to their father.
“This was home, where he always wanted to do good,” Brian Greer said. “At times, this was the hardest place for him to do good at. He always had a lot of love and support from fans and family here. This was his favorite place in the world to run a Funny Car.”
Van, still a Sportsman competitor at Bristol Dragway, dedicated his first win of the season to his late father. Along the side of the Ford Escort he was racing, Van applied “Tension” logos exactly like the ones Shirl Greer ran on the side of a 1965 Dodge Coronet years earlier.
Other times Van races a 1985 Chevy Suburban. Considering the bloodlines, the odd choices of race cars aren't surprising. With Shirl Greer such a unique individual, the family said goodbye in a ceremony at the dragway where they fired up his old Mustang just days after his funeral.
Greer's exploits in winning the first NHRA Funny Car championship are legendary. He won a national event at Montreal and scored a runner-up finish on his way to the championship. But, the event still most talked about was his incredible comeback at the 1974 NHRA World Finals.
Greer entered that final race of the season 174 points behind Paul Smith in the championship standings. During Saturday qualifying, his engine broke which led to a huge fire that burned off half his Mustang Funny Car’s body and sent Greer to the hospital with burns to his hands and face.
His championship hopes were seemingly dashed, but his fellow racers, including Smith who had failed to qualify for eliminations, pitched in to rebuild the engine and the back half of the car. He borrowed a firesuit and helmet from Al Hanna, and gloves from Don “The Snake” Prudhomme.
Greer climbed behind the wheel and won his first-round race against Leroy Chadderton, exploding the blower in the process. When Prudhomme lost in the second round to Dale Pulde, Greer clinched the season championship.
Ironically, Greer's induction as a Thunder Valley Legend comes one year after Pulde was bestowed the same honor.
Greer's name is the first one listed across the front of suites that rise above the Bristol Dragway starting line.
“To all of us, dad was always larger than life. Superman didn't have anything on him,” Brian said. “We knew how much of an impression he made and how much he inspired us. We didn't realize until he was gone how many people's lives he touched.”
Van Greer explained there's not a better place in the world for the family to remember his father.
“It's our favorite place,” Van said. “This is usually where we get all of our family reunion pictures took, usually in the winner's circle. This is what we do as a family. We don't go to picnics or go to family reunions. This is our family reunion here.”
John Force honored Shirl Greer's memory with inclusion into his winner's circle. Earlier in the day, the Greer sons presented Force with a trophy created with the steering wheel of their dad's championship car.
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