| "240 GORDIE" REFLECTS ON HIS DRAG RACING CAREER | ||||
|
|
As many memories as "240 Gordie" has, they all pale in comparison to winning the Funny Car title at the 25th anniversary U.S. Nationals in 1979. -Dave Wallace photo
In 1991 Bonin was tapped by Lee Beard and Castrol to take the place of Top Fuel driver, the late Gary Ormsby, who was battling cancer. Bonin responded by reaching the semifinals at that year’s Seattle event. Two years later, Bonin was back in the winner’s circle while driving Roland Leong’s Hawaiian Vacation Funny Car to the Springnationals title. In 1994, Bonin was behind the wheel of the Candies & Hughes Smokin’ Joe’s Funny Car, which he piloted to two national event victories. “I was never able to go 300 mph,” Bonin lamented. “I went 297.90 mph in ’94 at Brainerd (Minn.) in the Smokin’ Joe’s Mustang. We were close, but it never happened.” In 1996 Gordie was back in marketing, this time with the new Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "That was big time" Bonin said."Can you imagine to get to help marketing a 20 some acre site with up to 15 or so different racing venues; from the get-go? The only tracks under construction when I started was the 1.5 mile oval, and the clay half-mile for WOO sprint cars. I had the pleasure of showing folks like Rusty Wallace, Richard Childress and John Bickford, Jeff Gordon's stepdad, around the property. Add to this that Nellis Air Force Base was across the street; which was a full time air show from dawn to way past dusk. THE best, most fun job I ever had! Did I also mention I drove the Bill Miller Engineering Top Fuel car that year too? We were, and still are the World's fastest Chevrolet powered Top Fuel Dragster." Bonin was then out of driving until 1999 when he landed a ride with Prolong Super Lubricants. He won three of five events in the FIA European Drag Racing Top Fuel Series. “I raced in Europe as the marketing tool for Prolong Super Lubricants. We were opening up the European market,” Bonin said. “Racing that year was probably the most fun I ever had with my clothes on. That was only a May to September season and I jumped in an ex (Joe) Amato Top Fuel car with a team I had never heard of. But, (former NHRA Vice President) Carl Olson said this Rune Fjeld guy that owned & tuned the car was like the Austin Coil of Europe; trust me - you will be safe and by God; I was. I go over and win the first two events and won the championship and I talked the FIA into having our dragster on stage in Monaco for the prize-giving ceremony. You’re at the same event that the F-1 World Champion and World Rally champion is at; and that was a pretty special deal.” Following the 1999 season, Bonin dabbled in some Top Fuel driving. “I drove a friend’s Top Fuel car in Seattle for about three years,” Bonin said. “I managed to qualify the car, but if the cars had 7,000 horsepower, this thing only had 6,000, but it was still kind of a thrill to step on the gas every now and again.” Bonin, however, has no desire to get behind the wheel again. “Nope, not all,” said Bonin, who won nine NHRA National events, and also was well known for driving the Bubble-Up sponsored Funny Car. “People have asked me that 100 times since this Nostalgia Funny Car craze has happened. I think it’s absolutely wonderful that it has happened, but why jump into one of these things now and go up there at my age and maybe get hurt? Also, I can never have as much fun now as I did back in the day.” Bonin had many NHRA highlights, but he did take a moment to reflect on some of them. “Going to the 25th Anniversary of the U.S. Nationals was No. 1,” said Bonin about the 1979 event at Indianapolis. “We were the fourth (Funny Car) member of the Cragar 5-second club, we took the speed record away from (Don) Prudhomme; and we won Indy! It’s pretty tough to beat that deal. I have no regrets. I was just a fan of the sport who was lucky; and was in the right place at the right time; and got to do what I loved and got paid for it.” SEE GORDIE BONIN VIDEO Advertisement
|
There’s no question Gordie Bonin left his mark on drag racing.
