FEEDBACK ARTICLE – SHIRLEY SAYS: ON DRIVERS AND DRIVING

Always a class act, Shirley hits the nail on the head with the lacking requirement that NO ONE should be able to compete in a Top Fuel dragster or Funny Car without prior experience "in competition" in one or two lower classes...who cares that their car passed tech and they managed to go down track a couple times to get a pro licenced ... that does not make them a driver ready to
line up against and experienced one. - Fred Farndon

FEEDBACK ARTICLE – SHIRLEY SAYS: ON DRIVERS AND DRIVING

Always a class act, Shirley hits the nail on the head with the lacking requirement that NO ONE should be able to compete in a Top Fuel dragster or Funny Car without prior experience "in competition" in one or two lower classes...who cares that their car passed tech and they managed to go down track a couple times to get a pro licenced ... that does not make them a driver ready to
line up against and experienced one. - Fred Farndon

7-31-2009

All drivers mentioned aside, big time racing or just weekend adrenaline rush junkies, I think it is a biggie that you need to have experience before getting onto the strip. Now I don’t have anything but a street machine, but I still know a little something-something about racing. You have to walk before you can run. I know quite a few guys (no pun intended because I'm the only female I know personally that has the mind to want to drag race) that think because they have the money they should have a car. That's REALLY not the case. I know quite a
few men that want to "buy a car" (not build one, mind you) and race but can't drive worth a flip on a public road let alone being safe on a strip, or how to take care of a vehicle and not blow it up every thousand miles when it is their EVERY DAY DRIVER. Money doesn't equal smarts. Being able to drive a car and drive it well is something you either have, or you don't. - Gabrielle Gardner


Thank you for your article on 'Drivers and Driving'. My husband and I both run Pro Mods. We both formerly ran Super Comp. We have spent the majority of this season in R & D , for the reasons you explained in your article. As much money and time as we have spent on our beautiful cars, we want to get them down the track fast.... but safely , for ourselves as well as our competitors.
 
I have (myself) witnessed drivers that have no comprehension of where they are on the track. It can be un-nerving.

Our answer (until NHRA has a better one) is to be as well prepared as we can. We have taken our testing process slowly and seriously , and all we can hope is that others will do the same.

Keep your great articles coming! - Dina Parise

7-3-2009

Seems to me if someone is reporting on something they should at least have their
facts right. I did drive the funny car "Travel Agent" and had two nasty crashes
in 1978. The first one Shirley mentions was at Gainesville, we had been working
for weeks day and night putting a used funny car together and arrived in Florida
late. We were running all new stuff and had two chances to get in the show. Pink
had us loaded for bear and yes I stayed in it a bit too long and I flipped it.
We rebuilt it and I did change lanes running the jet and I nearly severed my
leg. That car was a bear to drive and I'd have to press my knees against my
hands to hold on to the wheel. We later learned it had two different size liners
in it. I did win the Division 1 that year with racers like Snake and other big
names at them, winning three events and being low qualifier. Those were the only
two incidents in my racing career that started in 1966, other then a few fire's.
I did make hundreds of runs at small questionable tracks. We were runner up at
the 1973 Grandnationals my first national event and raced until 1984 with
minimal funding and lots of determination. And yes I wish we had the funding to
race as much as Shirley, but she probably would have been too afraid of us
crashing into her. - Frank Mancuso


I hope all controlling bodies world wide pay attention to what Shirley has stated in her story. This is a problem that has always needed addressing and it should be done now. The best drivers all served their time working their way up and are better for it. - Bob Honeybrook


Interesting article, overdue viewpoint, you can count on Witt and Shirley to tell it like it is. Unfortunately we're not always ready to hear it, or do anything about it, it's not PC, it's not good for business, it will change how the sport is perceived or maybe how the drivers will perceive themselves. Bottom line is safety and profitability, it makes good business to make smart and safe business decisions. It troubling to hear about track challenges in the major national events as well as the regional and local events, has the economy made drag racing unfit, or is the light glaring on us now more than ever before. I Love This Sport! - Corey Johnson

6-22-2009

I have to agree with Shirley because they do this with the Jr. Dragsters. As the kids get older or more experienced they can go faster. I think that anyone no matter what they are doing should start out with their super gas licenses and then move up from there because putting a new driver in a Top Fuel car is like letting an little baby drive a car. If something does go wrong there not gonna know until it’s too late, and to add to that if the driver does get the car down the race track what is gonna happen to this new driver when he go to pull the chutes and they don't deploy. That would be a very big issue. - Ryan Stifflear


I couldn't disagree with Shirley if my life depended on it!  She hit the one "Out of the Park!"  I obtained my Super Comp License from Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School. I started in early November '04 in Pomona, CA. I finished in Gainesville in January of '05.  It took me 14 runs to get my license. I am now a Super Pro/ Super Comp. NHRA Division 3 Sportsman Drag Racer.  I am happy and content with that. I have absolutely no desire to go any faster.  For as much as I LOVE the sport of drag racing it has produced its share of Dud Drivers.  Like Shirley I won't name any names either.  But, it just goes to show you if you have the $$$$ and the Balls NHRA will give well just about anyone a Competition License!  - Kevin A Bennett


Again, Shirley has hit the nail on the head. What she mentions is called paying your dues. And her comments apply to everybody on the road with a license. We see it every day … rain dead morons that couldn't drive a nail, let alone a car. Just because a person is issued a license to drive does not mean they can drive on the road or on the track. It takes three things. Experience, experience, and more experience. Young or old, a person needs to do things by the Dirty Harry method - a man's got to know his limitations. - Ted Smith


Preach on sister Shirley, I'm with ya on this! You don't remember me but I met you in Huntsville years ago. I'm a lot like you when it comes to telling like it is and NO BS about it.

I'm with ya on proper time in the seat before the Big Seat is sat in.

But me being like you, I usually told the driver riding in my lane and trying to take my space that they need to get a clue, but not that nice.

Maybe they will listen … nah I doubt it. - Annette Summer



I 100% Agree with Shirley.  It is way too easy to get a license for a fast car with no previous experience.  She has got it right! - Troy Green


I have to agree with her concern for drivers in the fuel classes, whom may be licensed but not have the seat time for safe competition.  I'm a rookie Super Comp driver, and even in that class I would not even think of side by side racing until I've had ample seat time beforehand.  So, moving up to the alcohol or the fuel ranks should require the same... - Jack W. Smith


I know you poked the knife in a very tender spot. It’s something that should have been implemented 20 yrs ago. As you said the better drivers came up in the sportsman classes. I think there be injected nitro funny car class to run with the Alcohol Funnies. Give the Funny guys and girls a chance to leave the line at idle.                                     

Shirley, thanks for always being up front and true to yourself. I’m a Bazemore fan also now he has two. - Bear Barrilleaux