2008 - 2009 WAR STORIES SHOWDOWN - EVENT HOMEPAGE
This is the most unique drag racing related competition you'll ever experience. For the second year in a row, CompetitionPlus.com brings you the War Stories Showdown, a unique competition which pits sixteen drag racing figures, past or present in competition to determined who can tell the best drag racing stories. The winners are determined by you.
14-Time Champion Drag Racer Captures Crown of Best Story Teller …
WAR STORIES SHOWDOWN HOME PAGE
Nobody
tells a story like John Force and for one solid month spanning from
December to January, the readers of CompetitionPlus.com agreed.
The fourteen-time champion from Yorba Linda, Ca., called on his older
brother Louie for inspiration to defeat Pat Musi in the final round.
Force edged Musi by the second closest of margins by claiming victory
with a 52.89% – 47.11% margin.
The emotionally and physically drained Force, just in from testing in
Phoenix, said the victory is one he ranks among his greatest accolades.
Driving an 8,000-horse Funny Car is one thing for Force, but telling a
story like a champion is another.
“Anything I do I put my heart into,” Force said. “I love telling
stories and people know me for that. When you are talking about people
like Shirley Muldowney and Gary Scelzi those are special people to me
and then you add in my brother Louie and that takes it to a whole new
level for me personally. As I was thinking and talking about these
stories I was also reflecting on my life and what it would take to win.
Winning is what I do best.”
Musi was quick to point out that he became as much a fan of the competition as a participant.
“There were some really good stories in the competition,” Musi said.
“I’m just happy I was able to make some people laugh. I got a lot of
emails and calls over this thing. People just wanted to tell me they
had laughed so hard they cried at some of them.”
Force spun yarns of humor and heartfelt feelings throughout the
competition, a successful mix that inspired more laughter than tears.
His championship effort was nearly halted before it began as unheralded
Don Gillespie, the 16th qualifier, pushed Force to the line, a scant
five votes separating the two at the finish.
Force’s Pig in the Pipeline tale of misunderstanding was nearly ousted
by Gillespie’s tale of a teenager given the incredible assignment of
photographing Orange County International Raceway only to nearly lose
it when discovering the after effects of Vodka.
He moved on to the second round where Shirley Muldowney provided stiff
competition, but in the end, losing daughter Ashley Force and winning
his first national event in the same week proved to be a more potent
story.
In the semi-finals, Force faced down longtime friendly rival Gary
Scelzi in a match of arguably two of drag racing’s greatest BS’ers.
Scelzi had lane choice and while his story of nearly crashing with Alan
Johnson on a private plane had its moments, the tale couldn’t hold a
candle to the time Force saw Scelzi dressed as a nurse.
Musi was no slouch from the first round and his No. 10 qualifying position proved deceiving.
From his shop in Carteret, N.J., Musi established himself as the man to
beat by scoring the largest single round vote total in a sweeping
victory over Whit Bazemore. Musi told how a vengeful act landed him on
the People’s Court, an episode that will soon end up on the pages of
CompetitionPlus.com.
Musi then knocked off former Blue Max crew man “Waterbed” Fred Miller
in the quarter-final by using a story of how he and past War Stories
Showdown finalist Roy Hill ended up handcuffing a fully nude Paul Gant
inside a Holiday Inn elevator and parading him up and down the floors.
He advanced to the finals by stopping “Big Daddy” Don Garlits with a
tale of how former crewman “Joey” became the best “depantser” in drag
racing. For those unfamiliar with Musi prank terminology, depantsing is
the art of walking up behind someone with loose fitting pants and
pulling them to the ankles.
Musi carried lane choice into the finals against Force, but it was the
2,000-word tale of how Louie managed to take his younger brother from
poverty to Wall Street that won it for Force.
Musi came to the line in the final round loaded for bear, or maybe a
dog loaded with something else. He told of “taking care” of an
overzealous mayor looking to put the clamps on local drag racing.
“I tried really hard to beat John, but when you go against someone like
him, the odds are greatly stacked against you. That’s a pretty tough
old guy there. I used four stories this year but I have plenty more in
reserve. I’m gunning for the title next year.”
Event rules mandate one can only win the competition once, thus
preventing a John Force return in the 2009 – 2010 competition, but for
Musi, he’s making another run for the crown.
“We’re coming with both guns blazing next season,” Musi said. “But
knowing Force, he’ll be living vicariously through Louie or Laurie
Force if they enter the competition. I’m sure they have some good John
Force stories that didn’t get told this year.”
Force was just thankful for the opportunity to share a part of his life
with the readers of CompetitionPlus.com, one of his favorite stops on
the web.
“I want to thank Bobby Bennett for holding this contest,” Force said.
“It kept the fans interested over the winter months and Christmas and
hopefully it brought some smiles to their faces. It is really all about
the fans and I really appreciate so many of them voting for me and my
stories. The fans are the people that made this happen and I can’t
thank them enough.
“I know my stories got kind of long and I apologize for that. As I was
going along and thinking about my past and all the people that have
been a part of my life it became fun for me. I got motivated just
thinking about where I had been. Those memories started motivating me
and they are going to motivate me to go after this Full Throttle
Championship this year.”
Final results from the 2nd annual CompetitionPlus.com War Stories Showdown.
1st round
#1. John Force def. #16. Don Gillespie
#8. Shirley Muldowney def. #9. Joe Lepone, Jr.
#4. Gary Scelzi def. #13. Steve Earwood
#12. Chris Kaufmann def. #5. Bob & Etta Glidden
#2. Fred Miler def. #15. Ted Jones
#10. Pat Musi def. #7. Whit Bazemore
#3. Don Garlits def. #14. Jim Rockstad
#6. Kenny Nowling def. #11. Steve Reyes
Quarter-finals
Force def. Muldowney
Scelzi def. Kaufmann
Musi def. Miller
Garlits def. Nowling
Semi-finals
Force def. Scelzi
Musi def. Garlits
Finals
Force def. Musi
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THE FINAL ROUND IS SET
John Force versus Pat Musi in a final Battle of Storytellers …
LINK: CATCH UP ON THE COMPETITION – WAR STORIES HOMEPAGE
Consider it a cyber rain delay.
Consider it the reality of a new season rapidly converging on the off-season.
Regardless of how you see it, the two day delay of the second annual
CompetititonPlus.com War Stories final round could be labeled the calm
before the storm. Only two remain, John Force and Pat Musi, and this
one ought to be a battle for the ages.
Force, all fourteen world championships behind him, has performed
worthy of his fan-voted No. 1 seed in the annual competition which pits
drag racing’s finest storytellers in head-to-head contest with the
readers of the popular e-zine becoming the deciding factor as to who
wins and who loses.
Force
opened the competition with a story of misunderstanding and pigs in
pipelines. As good as Force’s tale was, his opening opponent, Don
Gillespie, had an equally hilarious tale about his experience as a
budding photographer at Orange County International Raceway and the
evening of his “accidental” first drink of alcohol. Force won that
match by a mere five votes, the closest of any competitor in the
competition.
He then defeated noted icon Shirley Muldowney with a tale about his
first-ever national event win. Force reveals what happened behind the
scenes when he lost daughter Ashley while out looking for sponsorship
money just to attend that fateful event in Montreal, Canada.
Force advance to the finals with an overwhelming victory over friendly
rival Gary Scelzi. There’s no doubt the visions of Scelzi dressed in a
nurses outfit in an attempt to cheer his crash-battered morale was more
than enough to sway the reader vote in droves.
In the other “lane” Force might just face his toughest challenge in
Musi, the hard-nosed, tough as nails, prankster from Carteret, N.J.
Musi only ranked 10th in the “qualifying” process, but he let the fans
know he had plenty of horsepower in the tank for each round. In fact,
Musi’s first round victory over Whit Bazemore produced the highest vote
total for any story in the competition to this point.
The
top-vote story focused on his experience of ending up on “The People’s
Court” television and the story surrounding the experience.
As if that side-splitter wasn’t enough, he returned in round two with a
story about combining antics with the world famous Roy Hill for a
memorable evening in the Poconos during a rain-delayed IHRA event in
which they handcuffed a totally nude man to the elevator, sending him
up and down each floor as a showcase. The intervention of a “Columbo”
type detective makes the story.
Musi then eliminated “Big Daddy” Don Garlits in the semi-finals with
another yarn about a guy with an uncanny knack for being able to yank
one’s trousers down to their ankles with no advance warning. Musi calls
it is “depantsing”.
This is where they meet.
This year’s competition has already exceeded 2007 - 2008’s competition
by nearly double. That competition yielded an incredible 101,434 visits.
The final round voting will open on Wednesday, January 20 at 4:30 AM, EST.
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FORCE, SCELZI ADVANCE
Battle of the Titans Match Scheduled for January 12, 2009 …
Next Monday could produce one of the most voted on War Stories competitions in the history of the special event.
Gary Scelzi and John Force, two incredible story tellers, are on a
collision course during the semi-finals of the second annual
CompetitionPlus.com War Stories Showdown.
Scelzi has lane choice due to his overwhelming victory over former
Frank Iaconio/Gapp & Roush crewman Chris Kaufmann, 69.42% to 30.58%.
Force had anything but an easy match with four-time champion Shirley
Muldowney but managed to stretch out a lead in the final days of
voting. He advanced on the strength of a 57.73% to 42.27% margin.
To this point, Force, the No. 1 seeded competitor, has defeated Don Gillespie to establish his quarter-final meeting with Muldowney.
Scelzi entered the competition as the No. 4 seed and defeated Steve Earwood in the first round before topping Kaufmann.
OH MY GOSH, THEY KILLED KENNY
The spirit of the War Stories competition is one of competitors telling tales of being on the road and sometimes outlandish
antics. The story Don Garlits submitted in the quarter-finals, The Indestructible Connie Kalitta,
featured a tale about what he said he witnessed during a match race
with Shirley Muldowney in the 1970s. Ms. Muldowney alleged the details
in the story are inaccurate and offered to tell her side of the story.
Since this story would have involved other parties, we just felt it was
best for the spirit of the competition to declare an early victory for
Garlits who held a 50% percent voting lead after 12 hours.
Traditionally no one has ever overcome a 15% lead much less a 50%.
In a perfect world such decisions are black and white. There is a
winner and there is a loser. In this case Garlits was declared the
victor and the unfortunate loser being Nowling, who was through no
fault of his own, denied the opportunity to even bridge the gap.
All we can do is chalk the experience up to just that -- an experience.
If you want to know the whole story you'll have to ask Garlits or
Muldowney, as I am sure they will be all too eager to tell you.
We still feel the CompetitionPlus.com War Stories is one of the most
exciting and fan off-season events in drag racing and will continue to
serve as one for years to come.
It's unfortunate we had to kill Kenny in the process.
QUARTERFINALS SLATED FOR FRIDAY - Second round kicks off Friday morning with blockbuster match …
It was the greatest race that never happened and luckily for John Force it didn’t.
“I would have been crying so much that I couldn’t have raced,” said Force, a 14-time NHRA Funny Car Champion.
Force crosses paths on Friday with his quarterfinals opponent Shirley Muldowney in the second annual CompetitionPlus.com War Stories. This unique contest pits sixteen drag racing figures in a head-to-head competition to determine who can tell the best drag racing story. Readers vote on the stories and the winners advance in competition while paired on an NHRA professional eliminations ladder.
“You have your heroes and for me, these were the people who inspired me when I couldn’t win,” Force admitted. “I never beat the people like Don Prudhomme, Raymond Beadle or Kenny Bernstein to win a championship and I’m glad because they were my heroes coming up. Then you had those people like Don Garlits and Shirley, well she was in a class of her own.”
Force came within a hair of withdrawing when he found his opponent was Muldowney.
“I get psyched up for this like it is a real race and when you race like I do, you get fired up to go for the kill,” Force admitted. “I was sitting around at Christmas with my girls and they told me I had to race Shirley and it took all the wind out of my sails.”
Explaining why he wanted to withdraw spawned a story of not having enough money to race at the first event he won, misplacing Ashley in the afternoon and then winning the event only to discover there was no television crew. Then he crossed paths with Shirley.
The editors of CompetitionPlus.com condensed and edited down a nearly 30 minute story from Force.
Muldowney, the first lady of drag racing, enters their match with lane choice. Lane choice determines who tells their story first, and the four-time Top Fuel champion earned that by scoring more votes than Force in the first round.
“When you come up in the sport the way he did, you’re bound to have some stories to tell,” Muldowney said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Her story is a real side-splitter which runs the gamut of excitement and laughter, and of course, some good old fighting.
The other match scheduled for tomorrow features another four-time champion in Gary Scelzi and he’s up against Chris Kaufmann, who upset the team of Bob and Etta Glidden in the first round.
The “B” side of the ladder kicks off on Monday, January 5 with a fierce battle between “Waterbed” Fred Miller and Pat Musi.
“Big Daddy” Don Garlits and Kenny Nowling close out the second round.
SECOND ROUND PAIRINGS/SCHEDULE
January 2 (Voting ends January 5)
8. Shirley Muldowney VS 1. John Force
4. Gary Scelzi VS 12. Chris Kaufmann
January 5 (Voting ends January 8)
10. Pat Musi VS 2. Waterbed Fred Miller
6. Kenny Nowling VS 3. Don Garlits
Scroll down for first round results and links to stories.
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FIRST ROUND
DAY FOUR (CLICK MATCH-UP TO READ STORIES)
DAY THREE
DAY TWO
4. Gary Scelzi defeated 13. Steve Earwood - READ THEIR STORIES
12. Chris Kaufmann defeated 5. Bob & Etta Glidden - READ THEIR STORIES
DAY ONE
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RECAP - GARLITS, NOWLING ADVANCE
First round of competition concludes with Day 4 matches …
Drag
racing’s most prolific star and a dreamer who wanted to be a
sanctioning body president both won their respective first round
matches during the second annual CompetitionPlus.com War Stories
Showdown.
The second round of competition will pair “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and
Kenny Nowling in the second round of competition, their match scheduled
for January 3, 2009.
Garlits snared 58.13% of the votes against former Seattle International
Raceway Promoter Jim Rockstad to win the first round. His story focused
on the antics of former crewman T.C. Lemons and his interaction with a
Canadian border agent en route to a match race. Lemons when asked by
the border agent of his trailer’s contents described the cargo as a
dead elephant.
Unaware of drag racing lingo that referred to a Mopar 426 Hemi as an
elephant, the agent mistook the blown engine for a real pachyderm.
Nowling was equally as successful in his competition against noted
motorsports photography legend Steve Reyes. The ADRL President gained
61.98% of the votes to advance to the quarter-finals.
His story focused on the unexpected trials of a promoter during the
precursor event to the American Drag Racing League. The scheduled
national anthem singer had collapsed just moments before the show
forcing Nowling to search the crowd for a replacement. That’s where the
fun began.
Both Nowling and Garlits are first-timers in the War Stories
competition, with the former getting the lane choice in their next
round scheduled for January 5, 2008.
ROUND ONE, DAY THREE - MILLER, MUSI ADVANCE
Strong first round stories set up barnburner second round match …
One
storyteller nearly got lynched and the other ended up in a courtroom.
Those were the stories that advanced “Waterbed” Fred Miller and Pat
Musi into the quarter-finals of the second annual CompetitionPlus.com
War Stories Showdown.
Miller can’t wait for the second round.
“It’s time to turn it up a notch or three,” Miller, a longtime Blue Max crewman said.
Miller’s opponent will be another storyteller capable of spinning a
side-splitter in Musi, once a noted prankster in the professional pits.
“At least I didn’t get my butt handed to me in the first round this
time,” Musi added, related to last year’s event. “Fred’s got some
stories, but I believe this old boy from Jersey does too. There’s a
reason why Sonny Leonard said he’d rather wear a pork chop suit in a
lion’s den than run around with us.”
Miller never trailed in his match against former IHRA executive turned
television producer Ted Jones. His story of match racing at an Oregon
strip which turned into a riot was a hit amongst the fans drawing
77.01% over the overall votes.
However, it will be Musi gaining lane choice in their quarter-final
match up by commandeering 79.17% of the votes against Whit Bazemore.
Musi ended up on the People’s Court a decade ago in a dispute with a neighbor over a vet bill. He lost the case.
“I guess it goes to show you that you can lose at something and still win,” Musi added.
ROUND ONE, DAY TWO - SCELZI, KAUFMANN ADVANCE
Pair of Grand Storytellers Paired in Second Round …
Gary
Scelzi and Chris Kaufmann placed more than a few proverbial body
lengths on the competition as they won their respective matches the
first round of the second annual CompetitionPlus.com War Stories
Showdown.
Scelzi scored a convincing 19.72% share of the votes to defeat Steve
Earwood in the first round. The four-time champion used a tale of being
on the road broke during his years in the Top Alcohol Dragster
division. The clincher for Scelzi was that alcohol was involved.
Alcohol in a Scelzi story is akin to nitrous oxide on a race engine.
“It was awful hard not telling a story that didn’t include fighting or
bodily functions,” Scelzi said. “Well I guess one for two isn’t bad. I
guess I’m gonna have to turn up the wick next time. At least I don’t
have to face that Scotty Cannon again, he whipped me pretty bad last
year.”
Scelzi’s second round opponent Kaufmann could be just as tough.
Kaufmann told in the first round of his antics while working with Frank
Iaconio to stretch out a 14.48% lead against the husband and wife pair
of Bob and Etta Glidden. His story was one of guns and pleading with
race officials for another run.
Scelzi earns lane choice by virtue of a higher vote total.
ROUND ONE, DAY ONE - FORCE, MULDOWNEY ADVANCE
Past Multi-time World Champions Meet in the Second Round …
For his efforts, Force will meet one of the fiercest competitors on and off of the track – four-time Top Fuel Champion Shirley Muldowney. She easily defeated former Pro Stock racer Joe Lepone Jr. in the first round.
“I’ve had some tough races in my life, but that was a close one,” Force said on Wednesday afternoon. “I’ve been thinking of some other stories, some really good ones.”
A disappointed Gillespie was in an upbeat mood, just thankful for the opportunity to compete.
“Probably the only time I’ll ever get the chance to race John Force but this was so much fun, guess I’ll have to wait until next year to tell about how I accidently killed the clown,” Gillespie said.
In a battle where the competitors were at one time split down the
middle seven hours into the competition, the lead changed hands over a
dozen times and in the last minutes before the Wednesday, 5 PM cut-off,
Force held on for the victoryFour votes separated the two combatants, making this match the closest in the history of the event.
Muldowney knows a thing or two about close battles as she lost to Roy Hill last year in the first round by only six votes. She wanted to leave no doubt this season as she pulled out a story focusing on one of her more memorable match race outings with “Big Daddy” Don Garlits in the 1970s.
“This is really good and I enjoy doing this,” Muldowney said. “I’ve got John Force next round so I am going to dig my heels in and for the next few days, my son John and I will be going through our stories to bring out a good one in the next round. I want to say thanks to all of the fans who voted for us.”
Meanwhile Force will get his first known match against the first lady of drag racing.
“That’s going to be a tough one,” he added.
Muldowney garnered more votes in victory than Force which gives her lane choice in the second round. Lane choice in this competition provides the competitor the opportunity to tell their story first.
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QUALIFYING - FORCE VOTED #1 - SEED
Eliminations begin on Monday …
The votes have been tallied and the fans have spoken – John Force is
the man most capable of telling a war story like none other. One thing
Force has learned in story-telling, qualifying is one thing,
competition is another.
This time Force is taking no chances considering last year’s upset first round at the hands of Aaron Polburn.
“I really want to thank the fans who voted for me,” Force said. “I have a few stories that might make a few people smile.”
Trailing Force in the voting was former high-profile Raymond Beadle
crewman “Waterbed” Fred Miller who has more than a few tales of his own
to share.
“This is a pretty neat deal and I’m glad they asked me to take part,”
Miller said. “Just like we were back in the day, I’m in this to win.
Even if I do have to run at the PG-13 level.”
The CompetitionPlus.com War Stories Showdown is a competition of
story-telling with the winners determined by reader vote as competitors
advance on an NHRA-style eliminations ladder. Ladder seeding is
determined by reader vote.
Voter turnout for this year’s competition has been incredible,
surpassing 2007 qualifying totals in less than 24 hours. Over 110,000
readers tuned in and voted in last year’s competition.
Competition begins on Monday with Force meeting veteran photojournalist Don Gillespie in the first round of competition.
This is the point where the stories are told. Each “race” gets three
days of voting time and the contestant with the most votes from each
match advances until one remains – just like in drag racing competition.
Other match-ups include Miller versus former IHRA executive turned
television producer Ted Jones, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits versus former
Seattle International Raceway promoter Jim Rockstad, Gary “Wild Thing”
Scelzi versus former NHRA publicist turned Rockingham Dragway owner
Steve Earwood, The Gliddens [Bob & Etta] versus former Budweiser
super team crewman Chris Kaufmann; ADRL President Kenny Nowling versus
photographer extraordinaire Steve Reyes, former photo man turned nitro
racer Whit Bazemore versus drag racing’s official thug Pat Musi and
Shirley “Cha-Cha” Muldowney squares off against former Bill Jenkins
driver Joe Lepone Jr.
The first round concludes on December 30.
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COMPETITOR – PERCENTAGE OF VOTES
1. John Force – 22.15
2. “Waterbed” Fred Miller – 13.49
3. Don Garlits – 12.94
4. Gary Scelzi – 11.12
5. Bob & Etta Glidden – 10.85
6. Kenny Nowling – 6.77
7. Whit Bazemore – 4.28
8. Shirley Muldowney – 3.37
9. Joe Lepone Jr. – 3.19
10. Pat Musi – 3.1
11. Steve Reyes – 2.28
12. Chris Kauffman – 1.91
13. Steve Earwood – 1.64
14. Jim Rockstad – 1.55
15. Ted Jones – .91
16. Don Gillespie - .64
FIRST ROUND PAIRINGS/SCHEDULE – December 22 (Voting Ends Dec. 24)
1. John Force vs. 16. Don Gillespie,
8. Shirley Muldowney vs. 9. Joe Lepone, Jr. (Voting ends Dec. 24)
December 23 (Voting ends Dec. 25)
4. Gary Scelzi vs. 13. Steve Earwood
5. Bob & Etta Glidden vs. 12. Chris Kaufmann
December 26 (Voting ends Dec. 28)
2. “Waterbed” Fred Miller vs. 15. Ted Jones
7. Whit Bazemore vs. 10. Pat Musi
December 27 (Voting ends Dec. 29
3. Don Garlits vs. 14. Jim Rockstad
6. Kenny Nowling vs. 11. Steve Reyes
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The competition is fierce and entertaining to say the least. The second annual CompetitionPlus.com War Stories Showdown opens with qualifying on December 15, 2008 and concludes a month later after the competition of sixteen story-tellers whittles down to one person who survives four grueling rounds of competition.
Monday begins the first phase of the competition -- qualifying. Readers will vote to seed the field for competition on an NHRA pro ladder.
FINAL QUALIFYING ORDER -
COMPETITOR – PERCENTAGE OF VOTES
1. John Force – 22.15
2. “Waterbed” Fred Miller – 13.49
3. Don Garlits – 12.94
4. Gary Scelzi – 11.12
5. Bob & Etta Glidden – 10.85
6. Kenny Nowling – 6.77
7. Whit Bazemore – 4.28
8. Shirley Muldowney – 3.37
9. Joe Lepone Jr. – 3.19
10. Pat Musi – 3.1
11. Steve Reyes – 2.28
12. Chris Kauffman – 1.91
13. Steve Earwood – 1.64
14. Jim Rockstad – 1.55
15. Ted Jones – .91
16. Don Gillespie - .64
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Below are the sixteen contestants:
Steve Earwood – Steve Earwood is a two tour veteran of the CompetitionPlus.com War Stories. It’s easy to understand that the current owner of Rockingham Dragway has been there and done that over the last three decades in drag racing. The former Public Relations Manager for the NHRA worked in an era when War Stories were a way of life in drag racing. Last year he lost in the first round against Bob Glidden.
Kenny Nowling – The president and founder of the American Drag Racing League has made the experience of giving away free tickets and filling grandstands a work of art. Working many of the backwoods tracks around the Southeast in the early years of his career placed him all too often in the right place at the right time to experience a little bit of everything ranging from passed out national anthem singers to nearly blowing up a St. Louis gas station.
Gary Scelzi – The four-time NHRA nitro world champion has plenty of nitro but not in the tank of his last Funny Car. The nitro for this recently “not-retired” racer comes in the experiences that he’s generated along the way since joining the full-time tour in 1997 as a driver for Alan Johnson’s Winston dragster. For all intents and purposes, Scelzi had the combination to win last year’s event but unfortunately he ran into a popular Scotty Cannon.
Bob & Etta Glidden – The husband and wife teamed together for ten Pro Stock championships and in the days to come they hope to land their first CompetitionPlus.com War Stories title. Glidden told his way to a semi-final finish last year before dropping a tough one against eventual runner-up Roy Hill. Last year the most hilarious tale Glidden told was about Etta providing sleeping pills to a grumpy Glidden who woke up days later in the bed of a truck with unexplained sunburn.
Steve Reyes - If there a crash Steve Reyes has shot it. If there’s a scantily clad female chances are he’s photographed her, too. One of drag racing’s more prolific photographers enters this year’s event as a novice with a wealth of experience in being at the right place at the right time, with or without a camera. The self-proclaimed babysitter for Don Garlits worked for many years with Popular Hot Rodding amongst other drag racing magazines.
Shirley Muldowney – She is the first lady of drag racing and there’s no doubt that she fought, clawed and drove her way to becoming drag racing’s most recognized female drag racer and the first to win four world championships. A two tour veteran of the CompetitionPlus.com War Stories, Muldowney lost in the first round to Roy Hill by the closest of margins (6 votes).
Jim Rockstad – He has some stories, many PG13 or some others he vows cannot see the light of day because they might make some blush. The former promoter of Seattle Raceway enjoyed quite the experience in the great northwest. He’s done it all in the sport from becoming a spectator to racing a dragster to becoming a track owner. He’s vowed to open with Ed “Ace” McCulloch stories.
Ted Jones – When you work alongside of IHRA founder Larry Carrier for as many years as Ted Jones did, you’re bound to accrue a few tales along the way. Jones served as the IHRA Vice President for over a decade and later went on to found the television show Inside Drag Racing. He’s credited with creating the Mountain Motor Pro Stock format as well as helping to pioneer Pro Modified.
Pat Musi – This New Jersey-based former Pro Stock driver turned Pro Street icon was the king of the pranks in the 1970s. If there’s an unclaimed prank from the 1970s, chances are Musi done. He once went on the People’s Court in a dispute over damage to a car. Musi damaged the car when a neighbor refused to pay a vet bill. When the judge asked how he knew the exact amount of damage to do to equal the bill, Musi introduced his buddy the body shop owner.
“Waterbed” Fred Miller - When you’re a crew member for the Blue Max, you quickly develop a cult following whether you’re good or not. Miller was a talented individual but just don’t ask him about his nickname or he’ll smile and spin a yarn. He was there in the 1970s and beyond and has the Blue Max t-shirt to prove it. Toning down Miller’s stories will be similar to placing a throttle stop on an Alan Johnson-tuned dragster and slowing it to run Super Comp.
Whit Bazemore – Whit is still smarting from his first round loss in last season’s CompetitionPlus.com War Stories against Gary Scelzi. This year he’s vowed to come back with a vengeance and he’s bringing out the vintage stuff in an attempt to win it all. Bazemore has been on both sides of the guardrail (no walls then), first as a photographer and as a driver. He might even tell the story about how Mike Dunn almost got the two of them killed.
Don Garlits – No name in drag racing invokes the kind of experience that “Big Daddy” Don Garlits brings to the table. He jumped at the chance to compete in this year’s War Stories Showdown. He’s got some Connie Swingle tales and might even share a few with T.C. Lemons. Garlits was ready to begin the competition two weeks ago.
John Force – He was the No. 1 seed last year and the first to be eliminated. No one tells a story like the 14-time champion and likely no one ever will. Force is Force and that’s what makes him most dangerous in this competition. His reality television story said it the best when he said he’s been on fire from here to Australia and but nothing could prepare him for daughters. The man on constant overload is more than ready to work his way to the winner’s circle.
Don Gillespie – He’s been at it for a long time. At 14, Don Gillespie rode his bike to Lions Drag Strip, seven miles from his home in Long Beach, Calif. Two years later, his photos were showing up in Drag News, and other newsstand publications. Years of freelance work resulted in employment at Car Craft Magazine among others. He recently finished a video documentary on Lions Drag Strip. Not to mention he does a very convincing Rickie Smith impersonation.
Joe Lepone Jr. – He was last year’s surprise performer as he reached the quarter-finals before losing a tough match opposite of eventual winner Scotty Cannon. The former driver for Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins has lived the doorslammer life whether the arena was NHRA or Pro Street competition. He’s got stories on the best of them and he’s a darkhorse contender for the crown.
Chris Kauffman – He may be the largely unknown player in the
game but his credentials promise he’s got the experience to tell a
story or two. On his resume, he’s worked with such legends as Jack
Roush, Kenny Bernstein, Frank Iaconio, Paul Gentilozzi and Bob Glidden
– especially Glidden.
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
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EVENT SCHEDULE -
Second Annual WAR STORIES SHOWDOWN
December 15, 2008 - January 13, 2009
CompetitionPlus.com Tall Tale Arena
FIRST ROUND PAIRINGS/SCHEDULE – December 22
1. vs. 16, 8 vs. 9 (Voting ends Dec. 25)
December 23 (Voting ends Dec. 26)
4. vs. 13, 5. vs. 12
December 26 (Voting ends Dec. 29)
2. vs. 15, 7. vs. 10.
December 27 (Voting ends Dec. 30
3. vs. 14, 6. vs. 11
SECOND ROUND PAIRINGS/SCHEDULE
January 2 (Voting ends January 4)
1-16 VS 8-9
4-13 VS 5-12
January 5 (Voting ends January 7)
2-15 VS 7-10
3-14 VS 6-11
SEMI-FINALS PAIRINGS/SCHEDULE
January 12 (Voting ends Jan. 15)
FINALS
January 19 (voting ends Jan. 21)
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