SOME ANSWERS
I probably should stay out of the discussion of the Schumacher incident at Pomona, but I have noticed a couple of things that keep coming up without anybody appearing to know the facts:
1. Schumacher got a free pass on the oil-down because he had enough credits for clean runs to avoid a penalty. He finished the season with credits to spare.
2. The starter (and the folks in the tower) cannot selectively turn on the red light in one lane - though it's a standing joke that the red announcers' button that scrolls their information screen has a double-secret, selective red light capability. If they had activated the flashing red lights on the tree, Doug Kalitta would not have been able to make his #1-qualifying run and Schumacher would have gone into eliminations as the #1 qualifier.
As for the term "release," I can remember when it had the same meaning as "happy ending."
Larry Sullivan
Texas
SO LONG, DAVE WALLACE #1
Amen brother. The sport we grew up on and loved is gone. I still watch (TIVO) the races, but it ain't nuthin’ like what we knew. God I miss it! Maybe I'll see you at Bonneville.
Tom Schiltz
SO LONG, DAVE WALLACE #2
Dave, nice piece and it says it all, my thoughts completely. Not a $20,000.00 NHRA fine, but deduct 50 valuable POWERade points for disobeying the Starter, otherwise, what's the Starter for? Everything could be run from the tower and we wouldn't have to put a person (Starter) in harm's way on the starting line. It could just be the crew people who are very familiar with the racing engines! Alan Johnson proved that they know best anyway.
Thanks,
Don Garlits
SO LONG, DAVE #3
Dave, you tell ‘em!!!<g> Hopefully Jeff will add DRHistory.com to his ever-growing list of websites. I am not suggesting you edit it -- contributor has nice ring to it!
Buzz Baylis
SO LONG, DAVE #4
Sorry to read your final column for Jeffrey. But – believe me – I fully understand. Time to get on with your life and other creative pursuits. Should those endeavors include more articles researched to the extent that the “First Funny Cars” series in MOPAR MAX is, I’M A READER!
Good stuff.
As for my own “interest”. Next year (NOV 2007) I will be 70. During 2008 I am planning to attend somewhere between 6 and 8 nostalgia and/or reunion events (a kind of “Last Shout Tour”) to hangout, lie a lot, announce just a bit and smell politically incorrect nitromethane percentages.
See ya around.
Jon Lundberg