THE RESULTS ARE IN - 8TH ANNUAL DOT COM AWARDS
Since 1999, Torco's CompetitionPlus.com has offered the spirit of friendly
competition amongst the racing community in a "Best of" competition. Our readers
have assisted us in voting on everything from the best drag racers to their
favorite journalists to the prestigious Mike Aiello Memorial Person of the Year.
The nearly 10,000 votes have been tabulated for the 8th annual Torco's CompetitionPlus.com Dot Com Awards.
Some ugly and some real pretty – but a treat for those involved
Since 1999, Torco's CompetitionPlus.com has offered the spirit of friendly competition amongst the racing community in a "Best of" competition. Our readers have assisted us in voting on everything from the best drag racers to their favorite journalists to the prestigious Mike Aiello Memorial Person of the Year.
The nearly 10,000 votes have been tabulated for the 8th annual Torco's CompetitionPlus.com Dot Com Awards.
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR – Roger Richards
Almost eight years ago, Roger Richards worked exclusively as a wedding photographer. Now he’s hooked on drag racing, and he and his durable Chevrolet Astro van named Rodney criss-cross the country in search of the ultimate drag racing photo. He’s one of the hardest working individuals in the sport and our winner for photographer of the year.
1st Runner-up – Auto Imagery
2nd Runner-up – Les Welch
JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – Bob Frey
Bob Frey is known as one of the best announcers in the history of drag racing. But what wins him this award are his excellent contributions as a writer for DragRaceCentral.com and NATIONAL Dragster. Frey’s columns are informative and give race fans the inside scoop on what is going on in today’s drag racing world.
1st Runner-up – Jon Asher
2nd Runner-up – Jeff Burk
CONTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR – Susan Wade
Susan Wade first joined the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com staff in 2004 as a contributing writer and then moved over to the editor’s position a year later. She now serves as the lead event reporter on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series as well as senior writer. Wade’s contribution to the team has been invaluable and her 1320tv.com has proven to be an excellent partner and compliment to Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com.
1st Runner-up – Jeff Wolf
2nd Runner-up – Norm Froscher
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PRINTED MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR – NATIONAL DRAGSTER
NATIONAL Dragster remains undefeated since 2000 in the Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com Dot Com Awards. This magazine, produced by a staff led by Phil Burgess, has been an industry leader for years. Printed 48 times a year, the house organ for the NHRA produces a magazine chock full of information for the racing community.
1st Runner-up – Drag Racer
2nd Runner-up – Drag Racing Action
NEWS WEBSITE OF THE YEAR – DragRacingOnline.com
Founded in 1999 by former Super Stock and Drag Illustrated editor Jeff Burk, the staff of DragRacingOnline.com has worked to bring the drag racing community many of the interesting inside stories behind the press releases. This online publication brings a collective mix of feature articles, race coverage and tech articles to a news-hungry racing community.
1st Runner-up – DragRaceCentral.com
2nd Runner-up – NHRA.com
MESSAGE BOARD OF THE YEAR – Nitromater.com
Nitromater.com stands as
one of the more established drag racing forums in the world. Jerrod Felix and
his cast of moderators have worked hard to maintain one of the finest places to
voice your opinions and learn the latest racing gossip. Nitromater.com has
become a household name in the drag race racing community.
1st Runner-up – ClassRacer.com
2nd Runner-up – DragRaceResults.com
RACER WEBSITE OF THE YEAR – Johnforce.com
It could be argued that John Force won this category based on his popularity with the race fans, but those who have visited his website know better. This high quality stop on the information super highway is loaded with news items supplied by veteran publicist Dave Densmore.
1st Runner-up – Gothamcityracing.com
2nd Runner-up –
RonCapps.com
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And a here’s a few of our own… (The “NOT SO POLITICALLY CORRECT” Awards…)
The “A BLIND MAN COULD HAVE SEEN IT” Award – Alan
Johnson
U.S. Army crew chief Alan Johnson denied seeing starter Rick Stewart’s orders to shut off. Another NHRA official beside the car was motioning to shut the car off as well. Johnson’s response, “I didn’t see him.”
The “CONGRESSIONAL PASS THE BUCK” Award – Tony Schumacher
Tony Schumacher saw the order from Stewart to shut off and quickly passed the buck. He pointed out that a driver doesn’t shut off unless the crew chief orders him to do so. The NHRA penalized the driver and not the crew chief.
The “I AM WOMAN, HEAR ME ROAR” Award – Melanie
Troxel
Melanie Troxel finished Number 4 in the final NHRA POWERade Series standings for 2006, making a total of seven final round appearances while winning twice. Off the track she was named Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation and was also nominated for two ESPY Awards.
The one thing about Troxel is that she always downplayed the fact she was a female driver and preferred to be known simply as a driver.
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The “YOU EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THAT?” Award – Scotty
and Scott Cannon
Scott Cannon crashed a car during the IHRA season opener in San Antonio and damaged it so bad that insurance adjusters would have likely totaled it. The father-son Cannon duo loaded the car Saturday night and drove to Vanishing Point Race Cars in Pennsylvania, where the car was rebuilt in four short weeks.
What gets us is that no fist-fights broke out during the stressful weeks of thrashing.
"We had a small one," Scotty said. "He and I usually have about two or three good ones a year. But we have a great relationship. If I was an outsider and I could see the relationship I have, I'd be jealous. This was what I call a spit-spat.”
The “HOW DID THAT WORK OUT FOR YOU?” Award – Hot Rod Fuller
It began innocently with Fuller suggesting the “Super” and bracket racers should be considered for nitro driving jobs. However, when the comment, “A lot of people asked my why I never went to alcohol. I had plenty of opportunities. It just wasn’t something I wanted to do. For me, I felt like Alcohol was kind of not a place that really where the really good race car drivers were at, and it was really hard making a living doing that because those guys didn’t make any money.”
The blasphemy. Fuller endured everything from complaints to his sponsor to personal attacks on message boards. Even PR spinning couldn’t clean the stink off of this situation.
The ‘INDIAN GIVER OF THE YEAR” Award – Robert Hight
What do you do if you are at the first race of the season and severely damage your only Funny Car body? If you’re John Force Racing’s Robert Hight, you call upon a gift to the sponsor.
Hight and his crew had to
go to the Top Eliminator Club and swipe the body that sat on his sponsor's show
car on display. The last time that body ran was last May at Atlanta in the
final round where Force beat Hight.
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The
“LITERAL GREMLIN” Award – Bill and Connie Rudy
Bill and Connie Rudy campaign a pair of Gremlins in IHRA Super competition. After an incident at Grand Bend, the two were seeking a different name for their cars.
The Rudys were shocked to discover that sometime during their trip to Canada a fire had broken out in their trailer. Fortunately, if there is a fortunately in this story, the relatively air-tight confines of their enclosed rig suffocated the blaze before it could gain full strength.
They had no idea that anything out of the ordinary had happened until they opened the trailer door while waiting in line to enter the gate at Grand Bend Motorplex. They were immediately greeted by the sickening smell of smoke and burned rubber and the sight of two charred race cars.
The “DRAG RACING CHARITY” Award – ESPN2 Announcers Paul Page and Mike Dunn
Don "The Snake" Prudhomme said in Topeka that he felt confident that he would find a new sponsor for 2007 and beyond for his Top Fuel team. Miller Brewing announced earlier in the week that it will not renew the sponsorship that it had enjoyed through 12 years and two championships with Larry Dixon.
ESPN commentator Paul Page offered that he and broadcast partner Mike Dunn could kick in some bucks for the cause. Said Page, "We have 10 bucks between us."
"That'll help," Prudhomme said.
The
“CAN A BROTHER GET SOME ADVANCE WARNING” Award – Phil Burkart
He won races, won rounds, served as a terrific spokesperson for the sponsor and even finished in the Top 10 of the Funny Car points, but it still wasn’t enough for Phil Burkart to retain his job as the driver of the Blue CSK flopper for Del Worsham. Come to think of it, it wasn’t enough clout to earn advance warning about his dismissal.
Burkart was released in December and replaced by Jeff Arend, who brought sponsorship to the table.
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The ‘IT DIDN’T TAKE A GENIUS, BUT IT DID TAKE
BROCKMEYER” Award – Bob Brockmeyer & Compulink
To
the drag racing community Bob Brockmeyer is a genius when it comes to
calibrating a timing system.
Two times was more than enough as far as NHRA officials were concerned, so in
the wake of the timing system problems that plagued events at Atlanta and
Columbus, Ohio, the decision was made to bring Bob Brockmeyer to Heartland Park
Topeka for the next race.
Brockmeyer, the developer of the Compulink computer system that governs timing
at drag strips around the world, spent several days in advance of the race
checking every component of the track’s computer and timing systems.
It had been a while since he worked so closely with a timing system at an NHRA event.
“I haven’t been to an NHRA race in six years or more,” Brockmeyer said at the time. “Jeff Foster, who used to work for NHRA, now works for us, and he hasn’t been over here in close to four years, either. Now we’re trying to get back to the confidence level racers have had in the Compulink system for the past twenty-two years. We’re trying to re-establish. The system works, and it will work if it’s set up right.
The ‘DARNED IF YOU DO AND DARNED IF YOU DON’T” Award – Dale Creasy, Jr.
Dale Creasy, Jr., needed only to make it to the final round in Rockingham to win the championship. But there was a catch. If he pushed his luck and tried to win the race on a cold Monday morning track, Creasy risked the chance of oiling the track.
Oil the track and he would have lost the title.
Creasy coasted to a runner-up finish and a world championship.
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The “ABOUT LAST NIGHT AWARD” – John Force
In Chicago, John Force admitted the night before the race that the pills he took made all the difference in the world as far as his performance was concerned.
"It's all about what I eat and what I drink and whether I coffee up or not," said Force. "It's all about what I do to get back in fighting mode. I just had to change a few pills I was taking because they made me mentally lazy. I had to take them because they make me stay alive. If I can't win a race I might as well be dead anyway.
'You can drink too much POWERade and too much coffee and spark your brain out. Then you can go the other way and faze your brain. You have to watch your medication. Then you can take Viagara and instead of looking at the tree, you're looking at the grandstands."
The “STICKING IT TO THE MAN” Award – American Drag
Racing League
Who cares if they gave
away a plethora of free tickets? The fact of the matter is that Kenny Nowling,
Steve Earwood, and the ADRL packed the fans into Rockingham Dragway for a Pro
Modified event.
The “I WONDER WHY I DIDN’T GET A CHRISTMAS CARD
THIS YEAR” Award – Larry Morgan
It’s a good thing that Larry Morgan decided to become politically correct in 2006…NOT.
When timing snafus at a second consecutive NHRA event cost Morgan and other drivers valuable runs – he blew a gasket.
Morgan was discussing the situation in Columbus when he heard in the distance the sound of a motor aborting a run down the quarter-mile that he considers his home track.
"You hear that?" he asked. "That's another friggin' car that shut off. You know why? Because they're not [NHRA is not] knowledgeable enough to get the friggin' track right. Just think about this: think about these poor fans that pay every one of them, at least $100 a race. How do you think they feel to come out here and watch one car go down the track? That would be irritating. That's why they're not getting as many people coming to the races. I mean, it's crazier than hell the way they're doing.
''They won't admit to their ignorance. That's the problem," he said. "You can't fix stupid."
Morgan made stupid into a somewhat lucrative business by creating a t-shirt that read, “Can’t Fix Stupid.”
Morgan’s shirt was later banned by the NHRA.
The “UH OH BETTER GET MAACO” Award – Chip King
Not once, but twice did Chip King bend up a Mopar Pro Modified during the 2006 season. His 1969 Dodge Daytona went off the end of the strip in Milan, Michigan, and the replacement car – his unbreakable Dodge Avenger, also ended up a twisted wreck. Our suggestion? The first ever Humvee Pro Modified.
The “DO I LOOK LIKE FREAKING MARLIN PERKINS?”
Award – John Force and his tale of the Wild Pig
John Force was a bit tired and weary from filming a television show for A&E, as well dealing with an unpublicized battle with animal activists for dropping the family’s cat two-feet to the ground on the show.
“I was on a plane and I was dead tired, and the guy next to me said he watched my show on A&E,” Force said. “The guy reminded me about dropping the cat and I cut him off. I said you can drop a cat from the roof of a house and it will land on its feet. I only dropped it two feet and got a ton of letters from the animal activists. A&E was even looking at pulling the scene from the re-runs.”
Force should have stopped when he was ahead.
“I was reading the newspaper where they had the headline BP/CASTROL pipeline breaks,” Force said. “They admitted they had a maintenance problem and they were running pigs through the pipes to the other end.
“I said…can you believe that s#$%? I drop a cat two feet and I get in all kinds of trouble and they can run a pig 3,000 miles through a pipeline and no one bitches? When we were getting off of the plane, the guy asked if I was kidding. I said…NO…right there in the headlines. There it is.
Technically speaking, the “smart pig” is an electronic drone that BP runs through the line and not a four-legged creature.
“My brain just wasn’t working and that was up there in Alaska, and I figured no one wanted to crawl through 3,000 miles of pipe so they’d put a pig in there and if it came out the other end…nothing was plugging it up.
“I was standing with my boss and I brought the subject up. He looked at me and said, ‘Force, that’s an electronic pig that takes pictures and stuff. Then I felt dumb.
“I looked over at [crew chief Austin] Coil and he was just dying laughing. I let him know I was just tired. Who knows? When you think about it, they probably did use real pigs in the old days. After all, we do use a roto rooter through our toilets.”
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THE “NOW YOU SEE HIM, NOW YOU DON’T” Award – Bob
Glidden
One had to know Bob Glidden’s days with Don Schumacher Racing were doomed following the hiring of Shaun Carlson. The much publicized conflict went on behind the scenes and in the media until Glidden was relieved of his duties in April.
In July, Glidden joined Richard Maskin and in a little over a month departed citing the two just didn't see eye to eye.
THE “FREQUENT FLIER” AWARD – Mike Ashley
The second-year Funny Car driver started the season driving on the Del Worsham and by St. Louis drove a Pro Modified entry for Tim Tindle (and won!). One race later he was driving Evan Knoll’s flopper under the Don Schumacher Racing management and by Pomona, he made the announcement that he’d field his own team in 2007.
The “IF IT HAD BEEN A SNAKE IT WOULD HAVE BITTEN THEM” Award – The Pomona Track Inspectors
Somehow or another a five-foot piece of blower belt managed to get past the track inspectors during qualifying at the season-opener in Pomona and it cost defending NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher in a bad way. He didn’t crash but it led to other mechanical failures that could have been potentially catastrophic.
The debris, according to team owner Don Schumacher, went into the fuel injector subsequently ruining it as well as the blower case.
“More than the broken parts, it is a dangerous thing to have parts on the track like that because of the speeds these cars are reaching,” Schumacher said.
Schumacher admitted that it was tough to say whether he reacted to the incident as a father or team owner.
“I just can’t separate the two,” Schumacher said. “That is my son and my team as well. Incidents like that should not be able to happen. I know that there’s going to be little parts and pieces out there every once in a while. Something that size, even though it is black, should not be left on the track.”
Schumacher has in the past communicated concerns over track preparation and debris that has managed to make its way onto the racing surface.
“I have discussed several issues,” Schumacher said. “They [NHRA] do a good job of taking care of the issues but we must communicate. We are all human and there was a human error. It shouldn’t have happened but we all make mistakes.”
Schumacher speculated the incident could have been a lot worse.
“It could have stuck in the injector and kept it full wide open,” Schumacher added. “He could have ended up in the sand or in the catch net or beyond. It could have been catastrophic to Tony’s life and the whole team. We all have to understand this is the human element of the sport and we all make mistakes.”
The NHRA had a meeting with the track crews afterward to discuss the potential dangers of the situation.
The “HE DOES HAVE A POINT” Award – John Force
Force girls had no background in the sport apart from watching their father.
As a result, they're having to learn the hows and whys and wherefores that come
naturally to many of their opponents.
He has had to educate them about drag racing -- and the TV crew about it, too.
He took one of the new production-crew members to the starting line to watch
Friday night's qualifying. She never had attended a drag race. She asked Force,
"Where do these cars go?"
Replied Force, "To Hell, sometimes."
The young woman thought for a second and asked, "When do they come around again?"
The “I’VE GOT JOB SECURITY, I THINK”
Award – Shaun Carlson
Shaun Carlson entered a hostile environment from the day he won a two-driver tryout over Mike Corvo, Jr. Carlson and his crewchief Bob Glidden never found a comfort zone of co-existence. Carlson found the waters rough until he resigned following the Denver event.
The “NEVER TRUST BAZEMORE” Award – John Force
John Force said eldest daughter Adria encouraged him to be nicer to
Bazemore. Adria, who's married to Robert Hight, had discussed child-rearing
with Bazemore and found him to be pleasant. She evidently decided that because
Bazemore is a father and Force a grandfather, this would be a perfect time for
the two to patch up differences
.
Bazemore reportedly opted to skip a test session in anticipation of son
Dashiell speaking his first words. Force, impressed by the gesture, took Adria
upon her suggestion.
The next time he had a chance, Force said, he asked Bazemore if he could
speak to him for a moment.
"I should have known better. I just had that feeling I was getting set up," he said. "I told Whit that I had heard he went home to hear his kid speak his first words." He said Bazemore was touched by his asking.
Force couldn't resist and asked what the second-generation Bazemore's first words were.
"Kick Force's ass this weekend, Dad," Bazemore said.
"I'm done with you," Force replied and walked away. Bazemore called
out to him. As he turned around, Bazemore smiled and said, "I get you
every time."
The ‘POW, RIGHT IN THE KISSER” Award – Ron Capps
It was the most publicized private affair in the sport of drag racing. Ron Capps and then teammate Whit Bazemore had an altercation in their pit area. The end result was stitches in the lip for Bazemore and a hefty fine for Capps. Oh…and a Dot Com Award.
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And now back to the real awards...
SPONSOR OF THE YEAR – Torco Race Fuels
When you sponsor everything under the sun, make the underdogs contenders and give back to the sport the way Evan Knoll and Torco Race Fuels CFO Latrell Preston has, this award becomes a natural. Thank you Torco Race Fuels for all you do for us. This Dot Com is rightfully yours.
1st Runner-up – Lucas Oil
2nd Runner-up –
POWERade
LOOK OUT FOR THEM NEXT YEAR – Robert Hight
A couple of rounds here and there and he could have been the world champion. The combination of Robert Hight and Jimmy Prock has proven lethal to the competition. We wouldn’t be surprised if this isn’t the car that wins it all in 2007.
1st Runner-up – Ron Capps
2nd Runner-up – Mike Ashley
SPORTSMAN DRIVER OF THE YEAR – Frank Manzo
Frank Manzo didn’t let a
last minute sponsorship loss deter him from stepping up to the plate and
delivering big time for a new sponsor. Manzo was the man this year in Top
Alcohol Funny Car and our readers’ overwhelming choice for the finest sportsman
driver in drag racing.
1st Runner-up – Peter Biondo
2nd Runner-up – Bill Reichert
PROFESSIONAL DRIVER OF THE YEAR – John Force
How can you not like John Force? Never mind the reality show and his antics there. Consider a man that has won everything under the sun and claws his way to yet another title but stands on a podium and weeps suggesting those he beat deserve the title more.
1st Runner-up – Tony Schumacher
2nd Runner-up – Jason Line
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MIKE AIELLO MEMORIAL “PERSON OF THE YEAR” – Evan
Knoll
This award is named in the honor of a man who gave his heart and soul to the sport daily before his recent death. It is only fitting that it go to a man who has given so unselfishly of himself to keep the sport of drag racing moving ahead. Knoll burst onto the scene in 2004 with his first major sponsorships and from there it has multiplied.
Knoll is loyal to those he supports and a genuine charity-driven individual. He refuses to bask in the glow of the spotlight, choosing to let those around him enjoy it. He is a man with a heart as large as that of the man this award is named in memory of.
Knoll won the award last season and it is only fitting that he enjoys the title of MIKE AIELLO MEMORIAL “PERSON OF THE YEAR” award winner.
1st Runner-up – Wally Parks
2nd Runner-up – Bruton Smith
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