Okay, so I’m king of drag racing, and I can make up whatever
rules I want. Here are some more “what-ifs” that I would recommend to the
association rules makers.

What if…NHRA introduced Top Dragster to the divisional
eliminators? Well, they’ve actually done it in Division 2 recently. Top
Dragster, the fast dragster eliminator that has been contested in IHRA country
for years, now comes to the NHRA, to go along with Division 2’s Top Sportsman
Eliminator. Division director Bill Holt made the announcement in the first part
of November, and Top Dragster will be a go for all 2007 divisional races.

Regardless
of religious background or affiliation (or lack thereof), people
usually view the Christmas holidays as a season of peace. But I wonder
at times if peace is as common a condition as it once was in our
society. Sociologists tell us that peacefulness is something that all
mankind seeks and is willing to go to great lengths to find.
Unfortunately, it appears to me that more and more people every year
seem to be in a constant search for what I call the missing peace.

I imagine that one of the most distressing experiences a racer can
endure is to finally complete an engine rebuild—only to discover that a
few extra pieces still remain. (And, yes, I speak from personal
experience, but please don’t ask.)

Are you positive?

Most people accept the idea that stress and depression eat
away at the body’s natural ability to fight off disease, but many medical
scientists have remained skeptical over the years that the mind can actually
exert a direct influence over the immune system.

In recent years, however, evidence has suggested that
psychology can indeed affect biology.

Wow, do we have some catching up to do! I’m happy to say that since my
last column I’ve really got some exciting news to share. Let me quickly
get you up to date on my sportsman racing activities so we can get into
the Nitro news.

I had a good time racing with the CIFCA association in Phoenix. I had
not been to Speedworld’s track for almost nine years, and the intense
heat and lack of traction made for some exciting runs. We made it to
the semifinals and moved back into the top-four. The following weekend
I was back in the “Blackbird” racing in Fontana at a SCEDA event. I
gave back the stripe by .001 in the final Saturday, but I was fortunate
enough to make it back into the money round Sunday. This time I took a
“comfortable” margin and was able to turn on the win light. Then,
something really special happened.

As you know, Rodger Comstock of MTS has been working tirelessly since
the end of last year to place me into a competitive nitro ride. Many of
our conversations involved Don Schumacher Racing (DSR)- working on both
a Top Fuel and later a Funny Car ride. Don offered us the ability to
upgrade my license during this season so that if a F/C ride did open, I
would be ready. Phase one began with me flying out to Indy to make two
short “squirts” in Whit Bazemore’s car during the PRO test session one
week prior to the U.S. Nationals. I was able to make 330 and 660-foot
runs and all went well.

However, there is really much more to the story. If you have followed
the racing action, you may have seen Whit’s nasty fire during round-two
of the Memphis race, which was delayed until Monday. Whit actually
jumped from the burning car while it was still rolling, and there
wasn’t much that was salvageable. The crew drove all night to get back
to the shop in Indy to assemble a new car. I watched Whit make two
half-track runs on Tuesday!

The last month or so has been a very good stretch for Team DBP and the
PiranaZ GTO. We still haven’t broken through for our first Pro Stock
win, but I think it’s safe to say we’re getting very close. People have
asked what we’re doing differently, and most seem surprised when I
answer “nothing”. We’re still doing our own engines, and I’m still
working with the same crew.

If anything has changed, I’d say it’s that we’re finally getting to
race in air that lets us show the power we’ve had all along. And thanks
to the Reading and Richmond rain-outs, we’ve gotten to spend a little
more time at the shop than we otherwise would have. And that’s allowed
us to keep our best parts & pieces fresh- even if we’re logging
serious overtime!

As is true with most people (drag racers of the male gender being a
possible exception), I love flowers. Every shape, size and color. From
long stem to short stem, I admire them all. But I have always pondered
one ironic phenomenon concerning flowers.

When you cut a flower and place it in a vase (for you male racers,
that’s a cylindrical object filled with water—similar to a puke tank
with the top removed), you are actually removing that flower from its
very source of life. Yet it continues to have the look of life and
vitality, even though the death process has already begun. With proper
care and nourishment, a flower may continue to look healthy for days or
even weeks, but eventually the death process overcomes the fragrance
and loveliness of even the heartiest and most beautiful blossom.

ONCE AGAIN A
FOLLOWER INSTEAD OF A LEADER