THORTON TAKES 2ND WIN IN A ROW
The FASTMotorsports/Extreme Speed Racing Team found the winners circle for the second time in as many races. Earlier in the month the team was able to ride to victory on what they admit was luck at the PSCA California Nationals, but this time they beat the competition fair and square. Thornton said, "It feels better to win this way instead of how we won in Fontana. A win is a win either way, but somehow this means more."
Steve Paulauskis and his WFO Chevy Cavalier qualified in the No. 1 position with a 6.56 at 217 mph. In the final, Paulauskis and Thornton recorded .043 reaction times and the lightweight team WFO car jumped to the lead in the first 60 feet. By 330 feet the power of the turbocharged ‘57 Chevy began to kick in and Thornton drove away from the WFO car. As Thornton passed the 1,000-foot mark his engine went silent but he had built up too much of a margin and the team WFO car was not able to catch him for the win, with Thornton coasting to a 6.69 at 207 to Paulauskis losing 6.87 at 196. (James Drew photo) [6-26-2006]
RICKIE SMITH SOAP OPERA STILL ONGOING
Even though Don Schumacher told the Agent that as of last Wednesday Uber-sponsor Torco was going to back Rickie Smith as the third Pro Stock team in the Schumacher camp, it never happened. No Rickie wasn’t fired, he just decided to not join the Schumacher family and instead opted to race Pro Mod events where nitrous cars are competitive (can you say ADRL?) and the last four IHRA national events in Pro Stock. [6-26-2006]
VERENKA MAKES HISTORY
Canadian AFD racer Ed Verenka and the IHRA made a little history this past weekend when he put his injected fuel dragster solidly into the eight-car Top Fuel field with a solid 5.442/236.09 lap. The Agent can’t remember the last time a non-supercharged Top Fuel car qualified for any sanctioned national event Top Fuel field that allowed superchargers. Although Don Garlits certainly did so in the late 1950s. A big, big tip of the Agent’s fedora to the Verenka team for qualifying and to the IHRA for allowing them to compete in Top Fuel. [6-26-2006]
JEGGIE TAKES SPECIAL PASSENGER FOR A RIDE
After losing his mother, father, and 19-year-old son in the span of 18 months, drag racing fan Keith Johnson of Franklin, Ohio, was feeling about as low as a person can get. But a secretly arranged tandem ride down a local drag strip with NHRA racer Jeg Coughlin Jr. provided Johnson a much-needed lift.
Soon after Coughlin entered his Jeg's Mail Order Top Eliminator dragster in the Ultimate 64 Shootout event in Clay City, KY, race co-promoters Kelly Estes and Randy Helton heard about Coughlin's side project that involved a Chevy II wagon he was building to race later this summer. When he overheard Coughlin say his car was a two-seater, Estes
summoned up the courage to ask the three-time world champion for a favor. Estes and Coughlin waited until the Friday night of the event when the grandstands were full to let Johnson in on their plans.
"They got on the PA and asked everyone to stop what they were doing and direct their attention to the starting line," Coughlin said. "They even called for everyone back in the pits to make their way up to the stands. They had Keith standing up there but until I wheeled that ol' Chevy II around the corner and they said he was going to be taking a special ride with me, he had no idea what was up.
"It was quite a moment and I get goosebumps talking about it now,” Coughlin continued, “but when they made the announcement and he saw me driving up he literally fell to his knees in disbelief.
"We made it down to the top end and I just turned 'er around and took him right back down the strip. We had the windows down and we were high-fiving and waving at the crowd. Everyone was just going nuts because they all knew Keith's story and they knew what the guy had been through. It was very emotional for all of us." [6-26-2006]
