The relationships drag racing fans have with their favorite drivers is quite unique.

We have our favorite classes, our favorite auto manufacturers and even
our favorite sponsors. We cheer for our favorite drivers, and when
something tragic happens to them, we take it hard, very hard and when
we do, we can cause others to question our sanity.

Have you ever had ice cream and a shot of whiskey at the same time?  

Under normal circumstances the combination of these two temptations
would create a sour stomach, but the feelings of this particular day
were not about how a mid section was about to feel. It was done to
remember a few friends and heal a deep wound. 

For 30 years I have been a member of the ‘Church of Drag Racing’.

We
passed through Ash Wednesday about a week ago, which in the Christian
calendar is the beginning of Lent. Traditionally, Lent is a time of
soul-searching and repentance. It is a period (40 days for most
religious groups) for reflection and taking stock in ones life.

Even though I, along with my friend John Rogers decided to give up
donuts (for John) and chocolate (for Timmah) for Lent, I feel like it
may be time for me to make a few sacrifices to the church of drag
racing as well.

One of my favorite parts of working on the starting line at the Mile
High Nationals is when "race master" Gary Ross stands between the first
pair of Top Fuel dragsters on a bright Sunday morning, looks at both
crew chiefs and says, "Are you guys ready? Okay guys...fire 'em up!"

I get chills thinking about it. If you love NHRA drag racing like I do,
I'm sure you just got goose bumps, too. Traditionally, I get those same
feelings as the season opens up in Pomona, Calif.

However, as the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series begins, for
some strange reason, I just do not have that same level of excitement
and anticipation that I have had for the past 30 years.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

Right at the outset, let’s silence those critics of the National Hot Rod Association who appear to be blaming the sanctioning

body for the nation’s current financial situation. It is neither the
fault or responsibility of drag racing’s leading organization. The NHRA
had nothing to do with the meltdown on Wall Street or the horror show
that has become the real estate/mortgage industry, nor is it their
responsibility to solve the problems of lost or financially reduced
sponsorships.
 
Some of the suggestions I’ve been hearing for solving these problems
have been amazingly naïve, and point to a somewhat surprising lack of
understanding of the business side of drag racing. Individuals who have
proven to be ahead of the curve when it comes to tuning cars and
running race teams are way behind it when it comes to understanding
drag racing’s overall place in America. The harsh reality is that as
big as we’d like to think we are, we live in a nation of more than 305
million people. For the vast majority of them the term “drag racing”
stirs only vague thoughts, often negative in nature. In a private
conversation one of the sport’s most honored individuals put it
succinctly when he said, “Drag racing is only an essential activity to
those of us who make our livings from it.”

 PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Tim Charlet, a.k.a. TIMMAH, will begin a
monthly column today discussing life from the grandstands, the
not-so-cheap seats in today's drag racing. He speaks from a race fan's
perspective, a side often displaced in many commentaries not to mention
investigative articles. Charlet will bring ideas as he sees them, from
the average race fan's standpoint. - Bobby Bennett

Have you ever been given a present that you will always remember?

Whether it was your ‘Red Rider BB gun’ or the puppy you always wanted,
there is always that one gift, for whatever reason, that is more
special than the others.

On Christmas day in 1988, I received the best present ever from my Dad.
It was my very own (National Hot Rod Association) NHRA membership card.
I was 15 years old, and was eagerly awaiting my 16th birthday the
following May. As I opened up the box, I did a quick inventory of the
items inside:

Does anyone else wonder if the NHRA management has any clue that we are in a financial crisis at this very moment?

I wonder if they’ve noticed more than a handful of professional teams have fallen by the wayside since the season ending event at Pomona. If they have, they sure haven't reported anything in their propaganda machines.

Drag racing has lost at least two 24-race touring operations in two weeks.

At the risk of sounding like another e-zine on the web, one can’t help but wonder when the NHRA is going to become proactive to the situation. Is there any justification for purported raises to the upper series management when the supporting cast is on the verge of going under?

At least one of America's “Big Three” automotive manufacturers appears to be making the right moves, in and out racing.

Ford, a manufacturer who declined to be involved in a factory backed
effort for almost the entire last decade, could leapfrog its way to the
front of the pack in both the Pro Stock and Funny car divisions of the
NHRA within two seasons.

Strong words given the history of the Blue Oval's financial involvement
in the NHRA. Strong words backed up by all which has transpired inside
the automotive industry in the past few months.

If the current automotive “bailout” is any indication, Ford has shown
itself to be the strongest and best prepared to move forward in tough
economic times.

In late 1972 the
publisher of Car Craft Magazine
offered me a staff position.  It was the
fifth such offer I’d received, and since I didn’t figure they’d ask again, I
accepted.  It turned out to be a
life-saver, although I didn’t know it until about six months later, when the
first nationwide gas crunch hit and the bottom fell out of the
economy.

Appearances ...

They certainly can be deceiving. No doubt we have all heard stories
about people or things that were not what they appeared to be. We’ve
even coined a special phrase for such situations: “Don’t judge a book
by its cover.”
    
Perhaps you have known some unassuming person who turned out to be far
more famous or accomplished than you ever imagined. For example, if you
had met Bill Gates 30 years ago, would you ever suspect that such a
geeky-looking guy would become one of the wealthiest people in the
world? Who would have guessed?
    
As a newcomer to the wild and furious world of championship drag
racing, would you ever guess that a cute little girl named Angelle
would become the winningest female in our sport’s history? Or if you
were being introduced to Bob Frey for the first time, would you ever
suspect … well, I’ll let you create your own scenario on that one.