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A POEM FOR JOHN
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Now that we know that John Force will be recovering, we can regain a sense of humor about the incident. Bob Fisher, who used to work for Force and is DRO’s poet laureate penned a short poem about his former boss.
Force in bed, in the hospital.
Had a little mishap, put the Hound Dog in the wall,
So they loaded him in a Medivac and up into the sky they flew,
But all you could hear as the chopper disappeared
Was John saying, “Hey, you forgot my interview!” [9/27/2007]
BRIBERY CHARGES DISMISSED AGAINST ORVILLE MOE
Federal bribery charges against Orville Moe, the former operator of Spokane (WA) Raceway Park were dismissed by a U.S. District Court judge on Sept. 25.
Although the former mayor, Dale Perry, pleaded guilty to taking a bribe, the judge said there was no evidence proving Moe was behind the deal. Moe had been charged with arranging two loans to Perry, through Moe’s longtime friend and associate, Patrick Kenney, a real estate agent and former Spokane City council member, in exchange for Perry’s leading a campaign against an admission tax on track tickets. [9/27/2007]
TRACKS IN THE NEWS
The Agent heard that the long touted track at Banning, CA, may actually be making some progress toward becoming the real deal, as a source in Banning told the Agent the city has authorized $2.8 million to buy adjacent land so that the track can be a quarter-mile. (Wasn’t it always supposed to be a quarter-mile?)
There have been rumors that the eighth-mile Barona, CA, track might be extended to a quarter-mile, but the track owners tell the Agent that they found out the cost to move the location of the track and extend it to a quarter-mile was about $5,000,000 so it isn’t likely to happen. [9/27/2007]
MALONE’S MOST UNUSUAL CAR FOUND!
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While wandering through the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame during a visit to Mooresville, NC, recently the Agent came across this blown, injected, 460 ci Hemi-powered “winged wonder”. Art Malone drove this unique A.J. Watson Indy car piece to a then world’s record of 181.561 mph in 1961 to get a $10,000 prize put up by “Big Bill” France. Malone would gain fame later in his career teaming up with another Southern auto racing legend with the moniker of Big. That of course was “Big Daddy” Don Garlits. For more photos see MoparMax.com. (Jeff Burk photo) [9/27/2007]
THE ADRL FINALLY MAKES THE REAL ‘BIG TIME’
The ADRL’s Dragstock IV event at Rockingham was noted in America’s Dean of Automotive Journalism, Chris Economacki’s Speed Sport News column. The bit noted that more than 31,000 fans were in attendance and that Jason Scruggs became the first driver to exceed the 200-mph barrier in an eighth-mile. [9/27/2007]