Media Matters: Madness sweeps Gateway
Phillip Gary Smith, go2geiger Media Columnist
Thursday, 06 May 2010
ESPN's Dave Rieff set the scene in the open for "NHRA RaceDay" about what would become a crazy day on the track with his not-so-understated reference to the Gateway Arch: "Land of Lincoln or the Show Me State ... we’re going to show you drag racing with arch rivals."
Here are the weekend highlights:
Pick of the Day: Mike Dunn says, "Antron Brown can win Top Fuel out of the No. 16 Qualifying spot." His first round pairing with No. 1 qualifier Cory McClenathan leads to an upset victory, a smoking pedalfest with Antron exploding near the line. Mike comments, "This (win) is a little bit of a surprise." The crew rebuilt Antron’s dragster and just missed winning over eventual finalist Doug Kalitta in the second round.
Did you notice?: When the Al-Anabi team of Larry Dixon and Del Worsham were announced as guests for "RaceDay," they were already in the crowd, smiling and happy with the fans with Del busy signing autographs. At the end, Dave Rieff was tossing out hats to the good-sized crowd assembled on the cool, damp morning.
Best Sign: "Go Erica," referencing Erica Enders 14th qualifying spot, meeting up with Jeg "I want a win" Coughlin. Summit FastNews gave Erica her due in the losing lap by noting, "Enders welded Jeggie to the tree and led most of the way."
Roy Johnson: Gary Gerould interviewed the patriarch of the East Tennessee team and Allen Johnson’s father. Regarding the huge point deficit to No. 1, Mike Edwards, and even though the team is second in the points, Roy said, "It’s scary, real scary. We’re trying to get ready for The Countdown and make our mistakes now. Last year we thought we were ready but just shot ourselves in the foot."
Day’s Strangest Round: Roy Johnson had another scare in the first round as the red light came on in the team’s lane, handing the easy victory to Ronnie Humphrey. FastNews described the moment: "What got wacky is that almost immediately the bulb went red on AJ's side" after Ronnie staged. A mistake by starter Rick Stewart on the starting line was cited as the cause of the foul-up on the tree, necessitating a rare re-run of the lap at the end of the session. That result had Allen easily winning the lap. Ronnie Humphrey gave a kind version of "That’s racing," when questioned by Gary Gerould after the loss.
Busiest Man in the NHRA?: A feature pointed out that racer is ... Tony Shumacher. Filmed visiting a U.S. Army hospital and troops Mike Dunn said, "He consistently meets with the Army (groups) every single week."
Tony responded, "I figure this is a gift for me to get to visit with these soldiers who inspire us. I really enjoy the U.S. Army soldiers. I’ve trained with the Rangers, driven tanks ..."
"A terrific Ambassador for the sport," remarked Gary Gerould.
Missing in Funny Car? Ms. (possible) Double-Up, Melanie Troxel, that’s who. She has an unfortunate break in Funny Car competition due to sponsorship dollars, and then failed to qualify in the weekend’s Pro Mod Class, her other ride.
Mr. (Almost) Double-Up: Jeg Coughlin won the Top Dragster Wally in the Sportsman Class and had the ET’s from earlier rounds that seemingly had him winning the Pro Stock Class and accomplishing a feat not seen since -- do you remember? -- Pat Austin’s double-win in 1992. Gremlins attacked his motor, though, and broke a rocker arm at the start of the money round, so it wasn’t to be. Jeg gave a positive view on things, though, summing up the challenge by saying, "All the engines are still in one piece, which is nice." However, in the other lane for the final was the beneficiary -- Warren Johnson -- giving another moment of glory for senior fans. He extended the age for the oldest professional class winner by four years (he already held that honor) with this win. Rick Green (Summit FastNews) was on his game today as he noted for Warren, "sometimes it's just your day." Son Kurt Johnson quipped, "It takes luck."
Cute Car: A model of Joe Pisano’s Funny Car was held up by a fan in the "RaceDay" audience, causing Mike Dunn to remind us, "I’ve driven that." Media Matters carried a picture of that very car in a book review feature of the Bristol Dragway in 2009.
"I’m Not Worthy": Far more serious than the Wayne’s World movie "We’re not worthy" famous line, Larry Dixon makes his remark after being compared to greats like Joe Amato in the 50 wins group.
Best Stats: Did you know nitro racers Larry Dixon and Del Worsham have never raced one another in competition? They’re looking to double up with victories in their respective Top Fuel and Funny Car classes today, they said. The result? They’ll have to try on another day. Thanks, StatMan for this info -- and happy 51st birthday; as a gift, his Mom is watching "RaceDay" for the first time.
Prediction!: Here is a rare prediction by Rick Green writing for his Summit FastNews race accounts: "For Stanfield, it's simply business as usual (winning over Shane Gray in Round 1). He lays down a highly effective run. I'm convinced Greg is going to have a big role in the outcome of this season; why he's being largely ignored by other media types is a mystery to me. This team is going to make some big noise before we're done this year."
Best Use of the Word ‘Flummoxed’: After losing in Round 2, Bob Wilber, team manager, wrote of Tim Wilkerson’s investigation of the lap, ". . . Wilkerson was flummoxed by what the data was showing him." He overcame the confusion to discover, "Of all the volatile, explosive, and expensive parts or systems on a Funny Car, it was the most benign and cost-free ingredient that was lacking" -- air in the air bottle.
Day’s Most Poignant Moment: Justin Schriefer (Creasy Family Camaro) was back in Funny Car racing after the loss of his beautiful daughter, Ericka, 24, in a snowboarding accident on Cooper Mountain, Colo., Jan. 31. Although wearing a helmet, she was unable to survive the head and neck injuries. She was a nuclear medicine technician. Justin’s first round opponent, John Force, with daughters of his own, offered kind words regarding his return to racing.
"Very Tense Situation": Mike Dunn’s commentary on the fire in Roger Brogdon’s turtled Pro Stocker at about 1,000 feet in the first round.
Oh, For a Head Gasket: After his "first (Top Fuel) round win this century," as Paul Page put it, Pat Dakin, 64, almost pulled off an upset over champion Tony Schumacher in Round 2. Spewing fire from the get-go, "He must’ve had a head gasket out from the start" surmised Mike Dunn, Pat made a noble go of it. Tony won but was vulnerable with his slow 4.209.
Good Advice: "Watch the ones coming bearing gifts," said John Force after Matt Hagan gave him a 61st birthday present -- an old pro mod helmet fitted with wide Texas Bull horns. This referenced a round at a previous race where Matt said he wrestled steers for entertainment. John noted that in a round where Matt and Ashley Force Hood were meeting up. Force’s closing comment on ‘bearing gifts?’ "That’s in the Bible, isn’t it?" Try again John, it's credited to Laocoon in Virgil's "Aeneid," about the Trojan Horse.
New Word: "Puke Pit." A small storage tank for excess oil in a dragster, cited as the cause of Doug Kalitta’s fire while winning the semifinal lap with Brandon Bernstein.
Best Final?: Paul Page exclaimed the Pro Bike finals as an "incredible matchup," as two unlikely racers were paired: Michael Phillips and his incredible energy against LE Tonglet whose brother had his first win at Gateway Raceway. FastNews pointed out "Phillips sold (LE Tonglet) the bike the team is using here today."
Good Reporting: First round, Top Fuel, Terry Haddock lines up but there is no David Grubnic and the Kalitta Air dragster. Haddock of course takes the win. Dave Rieff later catches up with Grubnic who explained the frustration, "It wouldn’t ignite" with the comment, "Whaddya do?"
Here’s ‘whaddya do’: Send your comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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