Please click on this link to go to the Car Craft All-Star Drag Racing Ballot, then vote for Mark Hentges. (Hint: He's number 17 on the list). Remember, you can only vote once. Click the radio button next to Mark's name, then scroll down to the submit button at the bottom of the page and click on it.

Thanks for your participation.

Here's a bit of a blue joke, Bob. Hope your "family" audience isn't too offended by it. There's no profanity but it is rather suggestive.

A young boy went up to his father and asked him, "Dad, what is the difference between potentially and realistically?"

The father thought for a moment, then answered, "Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Robert Redford for a million dollars. Then ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars, and ask your brother if he'd sleep with Tom Cruise for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you learn from that."

So the boy went to his mother and asked, "Would you sleep with Robert Redford for a million dollars?"

The mother replied, "Of course I would. I wouldn't pass up an opportunity like that."

The boy then went to his sister and asked, "Would you sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars?"

The girl replied, "Would I? I would just love to do that! I would be nuts to pass up that opportunity."

The boy then went to his brother and asked, "Would you sleep with Tom Cruise for a million dollars?"

"Of course," the brother replied. "Do you know how much a million could buy?"

The boy pondered that for a few days, then went back to his dad. His father asked him, "Did you find out the difference between potentially and realistically?"

The boy replied, "Yes, sir. Potentially, we're sitting on three million dollars, but realistically, we're living with two sluts and a fag."

If you are currently doing what you do, and believe that you could do with a good break from it all, then this is for you.

The Tokyo Water Park: whose slogan is... and I quote:
"Welcome to breathtaking Tokyo Water Park where you can wash away the pressure and stress of the overcrowded city and relax with your friends in the soothing environment of sun, fun and splashing. See you there!"

Now click on the (miniature) thumbnail and look at the picture.

Hi there, Bob. You should receive an email in the next day or so with your photos. Hope you like them. I went down to a mate's place last night, as he has a scanner. He said he will get on to it, scan them and email them to you.

Check out the fire shot; yes, it was Robin Judd's Studebaker. The photos are from Mike Ashton and he does have a copyright on them. Take care, see you later.

We are starting a small business and would like to know your opinion. Being parents of young children we are very aware of the bad language, nudity, sex and violence in today's Hollywood videos.

This will be an internet based company to distribute top quality edited Hollywood videos. Movies like Backdraft, Gladiator and Eraser, all without the smut. We have over 150 edited movies for the whole family to enjoy, together. The list grows every week.

Would you be willing to join an internet co-op, where you have access to top movies, edited for family viewing, for a small monthly fee?

The co-op would work like this:
 -  $69 to join; we send you two videos of your choice from our list of over 150
 -  $19.95 per month dues; you send in the two original videos and we send you two more (you can make two more exchanges per month and can keep the movies as long as you want)
 -  You can sign up over the internet or by phone
 -  Your credit card or bank account will be billed automatically or pay a year in advance

If you are interested, reply to this e-mail and say yes; more information will be forward to you as the business comes together.

The full timing data from the Cannonball (at Santa Pod Raceway) is now on the ETMRA (European Top Methanol Racers Association) website.

I apologize for the delay. I had no phone line, and so no internet access, at home since last week because my telephone company weren't too interested in fixing the problem quickly.

Regards and humble apologies.

We're supposed to be racing at Edmonton's "Fox Hunt" tonight, but we're coming out to Mission for the national open on the weekend.... unless we blow it up tonight.

It's nice this morning, but it's supposed to thunderstorm tonight (again!), as it has for the last three or four days. Rain date is tomorrow night, but we'll see what happens. I'll let you know.

For those of you who keep up with our Prospector funny car, you will know that we run an automatic transmission. A Powerglide, to be precise. The following pictures are taken in rapid succession by "Taz".

The first shot shows us starting a gentle burnout, then coming out to about 60 feet, getting into it a bit, then the last shot shows what happens when your planetary fails. It locks up, actually. As soon as I lifted, the rear wheels just locked up. Pretty scary. Stopped in a hurry, too! Lenco, clutch and can are on order, by the way.

The second series of photos are of the broken parts. The last photo is my smiling crew guys. Why are they smiling after such a miserable run? They know this is their last powerglide!

Doesn't work. Can't get in to the For Sale ads.

Yo there, Mr. Bob. Ya missed a racetrack in those Canadian track links. It's Queens County Raceway, in Queens County, Nova Scotia. It's fairly new; they had their first race a few weeks ago. Zero traction, I heard.

Ya gonna hit the biker drags this weekend? Let's hope it's searing hot and the bikerettes shed leather. Here's a couple of pics from last weekend (at the big rigs race).

Hye Bob, I just created an Exhibition Web Ring. I want your site added to my web ring, so tell me if you can add your site to the ring. It's already approved by me, so all I need is for you to join. This is to help improve the traffic to your website. Let me know what you think; hope to hear from you soon.

Seems they can't get enough of you. Another article and pictures and mug shot. Well done.

Tomasino Hopes for a Quick 8 Victory at Home Track

Dave Tomasino is looking for his first career Quick Eight Top Sportsman win this coming weekend at his home track in Liecester, New York. Tomasino, the Holly, New York, resident has been racing at the site of the IHRA Carquest Empire Nationals for many years.

"A win at home would be great! I'm going to have so many friends, family and customers there. It would just be great to win in front of them," said the self-employed auto technician.

Tomasino has had some time off since last running at the Mopar Performance Parts Canadian Nationals, but he hasn't sat back and done nothing. Since Tomasino's last national event appearance, he took his JD Automotive backed Jan-Cen powered Camaro to a Pro Mod Shootout at Lancaster Motorsports Park and ran a few test passes at New York International Raceway Park. He also had his fuel system reworked by Tom Anderson Enterprises (TAE) and these moves have Tomasino hopeful for a win at home.

"We ran a race near home and ran into some problems. I then took my fuel system to TAE for it to be reflowed. Tom found some things other than the fuel system for me to work on. I went testing at NYIRP and found some things that have been biting me all year. Now that we have them figured out I feel real good about my chances at the Empire's," stated Tomasino.

Dave Tomasino and his team will have their JD Automotive backed '69 Camaro on display at the Geneseo, New York, Wal-Mart on Wednesday, July 11th from 6 - 9 pm. They will be there to support the Strong Memorial Children's Fund. Come out for a good cause and try to win some prizes, including a weekend pass for the Carquest Empire Nationals.

To follow Dave and his team, go to IHRA.com throughout the race weekend for live updates.

Hi there, Bob. I hope that you're well and that you're having a good weekend. Just a quick note to let you know that I have finally scanned and posted my pictures from the FHRA (Finnish Hot Rod Association) Nitro Nationals on Tog's Drag Racing Page.

There are 195 pictures, scanned in an epic nine and a half hour session yesterday. Most classes are covered, some exhaustively! My Cannonball pictures are about a week away. We'll keep you posted.

Hi there, Bob. The pic was good, but not good to see the butterflies nearly closed. There seems to be a possible five second pass in there, doesn't there? Cool. The photos that Mike Ashton took on the start line should be here this week. I'll scan them as soon as I get them and pass them on.

Good news on the truck: a mate of mine is a panel beater (bodyman) and he's checking with his boss regarding panel and paint, as long as their name goes on the race car. Hope we can get this deal happening. I'll try my best and have a word with him as well. Hope this will help the team out.

Must go now, take care, and get your butt down here and drive the car into the five second zone. See ya.....

Here's a couple of funny little videos for all the bored office workers out there.

Office Hurdle Race     Scooter Dash

Any alcohol parts for sale?

Please take a few minutes to read this right now. I'm writing this to just a few of my closest pals with drag racing websites. To prove that, I'm sending the addresses "in the open" -- we all know each other, so there's no spam threat.

I sent a letter about this deal a few weeks ago, but -- just like I always do -- waited until the last minute to send this next one. It's about building traffic to our websites.

The Startblaze free traffic building system is having a contest. If you can get ten folks to sign up by today, July 6, they will send 10,000 hits to your website. Worth a last minute plea, isn't it? I've got two folks signed up already and I'm trying to get eight more, so I'm definitely asking for help in achieving that. But this is a cool deal that can bring a ton of new traffic to your websites.

Let me try to tell you how this thing works in my own words. When you sign up, you change your browser's home page to this Startblaze page. So after you do that, when you open your browser for the first time or click on the Home button, you go to either the Startblaze search engine or to another member's page. What they do is show your page to another member for every six times you open your browser. So basically, new folks are seeing your page just for you opening your browser. (Kind of like a link exchange).

Frankly, most pages that come up are trying to sell me something, much of it MultiLevel Marketing. But I don't care. I put draglist.com into my Internet Favorites. When I load my browser or hit Home, it loads the Startblaze thing or another member page. Then I just click on my Favorites to get to my site or any other site I want. No biggie.

But the benefit is that, over time, your site is being sent to new readers all over the place. If you have advertisers, like I do, this gets their ads seen by new folks. And most of my advertisements are Run of Network (RON) so far (although I'd like to get more of them targeted for drag racing). Anyway, since the ads are RON (meaning they are not specifically targeted for a particular audience), this deal gives my advertisers more exposure and gets me more bucks for the additional ad views.

The best thing about this deal though is the exponential growth in traffic that we could potentially get. That's because not only do we get credits for every time we open our OWN browsers, we also get credit for every time someone who signs up under us opens THEIR browsers.

Yes, this is traditional Multi-Level stuff. But nobody has to buy anything -- the only hit you take is taht you have to see somebody else's page when you open your browser. Big deal. Check out the page if it's interesting or immediately click to your Favorites and pick what you really want to see. I think this is a small price to pay for the potential thousands of new readers you could get for your site.

If you are offering a product or service or just information, SOME of these new readers are going to find your stuff interesting. And that's not counting the increased exposure you can offer to your sponsors if you have any.

We all put our hearts and souls and countless hours into our sites. But we exist in a niche market. None of us are going to get rich by doing this, but at least we can get our sites wider exposure and maybe cover our costs of hosting and internet access. This is the best way I've seen to get potentially BIG traffic to our sites.

Check this thing out and sign up for it. If you can't handle getting a strange URL every time you open your browser after a few weeks, then simply change your browser's home page again. (That's really all the coding you have to do to change your browser's home page in your Internet Options section). But sign up for this thing and try it.

Get your friends and family to sign up for it, if they themselves have web pages, that makes it easy, but maybe mom or dad or sister or brother will sign up for it and put your home page as their target page. That's a cool way for them to send you traffic every time they open their browser, even if they don't have a website.

Anyway, please give this thing a shot. Yes, I'm trying to build traffic at draglist.com and I'm asking you to help me do that. But, YOU can build huge traffic for your sites, too. Here is the URL you need to sign up. Once you do, you will get your own URL to send to folks.

Thanks for listening. Please do this today if you are thinking about it. You can always cancel, but I'm trying to get 10,000 more hits at draglist.com. (Greedy, greedy....)

Hope I didn't upset anybody, but I think everyone on this short list knows I'm for real and doing this for the love of it. Hope we all get a million hits. Your online pal, Bill Pratt.

If you have the Racepak data from that 6.33 run, send it on down. I would love to see what you get from the onboard computer. I've been thinking about getting one of the new cheaper Edelbrock or AutoMeter data systems. Maybe when I hit the lottery.

How can you not get excited about the Northwest Nationals. The dust... the splinters... ahhh, good times. I have a buddy who runs Super Gas and have gotten some passes from him so I'll be there. Will you be in attendance?

If so, I live about 20 minutes north of SIR (right next to the airport) and I have a DSL connection and a small digital recording studio that is at your disposal if you want to do some almost-live coverage of the event.

Someone sent me this bizzare link. It's too funny. Check it out.
Cadaver Inc..

Did you see this? Pretty wild, huh? By the way, next time move your pedals back a bit, so your butt doesn't slide back in the seat next time.

Did someone leave the throttle stop on? I thought we were fuel racing. Ha, ha, ha... aw, poop. Did I win anything?

Bob: nothing is wrong. It's just the usual for a guy's first 6.3 pass. Now, if you can keep the injectors open for 320 more feet, you will enjoy your first 5.8 run.

Find attached the pics from the Winters. The only not here is the one used in your thank you ad in issue #574, which was mine, but has gone missing. Pics 1-3 are from John Baremans (you can contact him through me). Pics 4-10 are mine. Pics 11-12 are from Lee Davis - and I'm just realizing that I only have phone numbers for these guys here at home, so I'll pass on anything you need to know, or give them your email address. Pics 13-15 are from Peter Colburn. Regards.

Hi mate; thanks for the mail. Gotta run now, as I have only "no" mechanics working in the shop today. A big zero. And they're both off with the "Middle European Back Problem", if you know what I mean. Talk to you later.

If you've got a problem keeping the throttle open for the full quarter mile Bob, I'll stow away in your luggage and drive for ya. Leo (Grocock) says my foot is on the loud pedal for 1600 feet on every run anyway.

Yes, they are having an alcohol show at the July 20-22 national open. I sort of talked them into a dragster versus funny car shootout on a yet to be determined index. Sounds like fun. See you there.

The IHRA and Strong Memorial Hospital have once again teamed up for what has turned into an annual event prior to the IHRA Carquest Empire Nationals. On Wednesday, July 11th, come to the Wal-Mart store in Genneseo, New York, from 6 - 9 pm to meet the stars of the IHRA.

This year, long-time sportsman racer John Hummel and Allen Cook of 1320 web services have assembled many top name Pro Racers, many of whom are from the Western New York area to assist in raising funds and awareness for the Strong Memorial Hospital's Children's Fund. There will be raffles for a weekend at the Empire Nationals, along with a chance to win a ride down the quarter mile in the WIX Top Dragster Driving Experience two-seat dragster in front of the packed grandstands at the Carquest Empire Nationals at New York International Raceway Park.

The race car display will be headline by Western New York's own Mike Janis and his points leading Pro Mod Corvette, along with fellow New Yorkers Mike Stawicki, Dave Tomasino, and Pro Funny Car standout John Vourus. Other cars in attendance will be Johnny Rocca's famed '49 Merc, the "Ironhorse", and possibly Clay Millican's Werner Top Fuel Dragster.

That's a great pic, much better than my webcam shot. So, based on our conversation at Mission, my first guess is that the blower belt is still on. But under closer observation, I guess that the throttle looks like it's closing. Am I close? If so, what do I win?

My blower pulley finally showed up, but the starter died promptly after.

Bob, despite the blurred background, there's the guy in the white leather jumpsuit and oversize aviator glasses. But you missed him, didn't you? You had your eyes closed, kind of like the butterflies on the injector hat. Hope all goes well on your next trip downunder.

Bob, why does it look like the injector is CLOSED?

Gary Fields of Oregon City, Oregon, is racing one of the "lost" blocks. Check out his beauty of a dragster at Inliners. Also, according to Gary, there is one in British Columbia also, and as far as he knows they are the only two in North America.

The picture is a bit fuzzy on my computer Bob, but it looks like the flaps are shut, even though it's way up on the tires still. I may be totally wrong on this. If not, this may have been a five... Yee haw! Let me know.

Hey, I'm the editor of Drag Race Central. I just wanted to say I liked your website and wanted to tell you that I'm going to add a link from my site to yours on my links page. I'll do this as soon as I can and I hope you do the same for me. Hope to hear from you soon.

Here is the newsletter update to this weekend's events at Mission Raceway.

Place: All over Hell's Half Acre in a climate-controlled chartered bus.

Pitch: NHRA is offering media opportunities in advance of their 50th Anniversary Nationals.

Schedule: 7:30 a.m. Media check-in at Pomona Raceway. 8:30 a.m. NHRA President Tom Compton welcomes media; Pep Boys and American Racing Wheels officials welcome media.

The Tableaux: Omelet breakfast. Nitronic Research is represented by yours truly and "Chicks 'n' Slicks" stringer, Pam Utterback. Many of the assembled are arguing about the proper spelling of "Omelet." "Omelette"? No egg whites available for Utterback who had put in a special order to maintain her girlish figure; this missed detail which may affect the tone of her questions later in the day, I'm afraid.

At the dais, Compton apologizes for being late, sez he was stuck in traffic for 90 minutes. I think to myself that the great lie about the automobile was that it promised freedom. Here, even the prexy of the National Hot Rod Association can't get to his job without seething behind the wheel like the rest of us.

An American Racing Wheels official gets on the mic and references both nostalgia drag racing and company founder, the late Romeo Palalmides, and then sez during race weekend American will name a Miss Torque Thrust. Utterback volunteers to wear the crown, egg white or no egg whites.

As I sip coffee, I try figure just what the duties of a Miss Torque Thrust might be... my guess is it is a dicey and slippery slope from wearing the tierra for Miss Torque Thrust to wearing nothing at all in Jumbo's Clown Room (half a block east of the intersection of Hollywood and Harvard, if memory serves).

As busboys take the plates licked clean by the couple of dozen of journos, a couple of writers corner Compton under an umbrella and ask him about curfews and the relative wisdom of this race's live broadcast.

Compton answers all question. He was very accessible. A transcript of the interview follows:

COMPTON:   This is the only time that we are going to run this as a national Event. We are going to Pomona to run two national events next year. We could run something (NHRA is allocated 15 days to run racecars at Pomona), but we don't know what that will be yet.

(Folks meander towards the bus that is running while Pam Utterback asks Tom Compton about running a nostalgia race on these days next year....)

COMPTON:   I don't know.

Pam: Off the record?

COMPTON:   I don't know. I would tell you. There's no secret.

NR: How does the Fontana track bode for the organization?

COMPTON:   That was huge. Part of our negotiations for a 20 year lease extension with Fairplex, the County, the City of LaVerne and Pomona is that we are limited with the number of days that we are allowed to race here to 15.

That wiped out all the sportsman racing programs, street legal on down. The fact that ISC has agreed to put the track in the South parking lot of California Speedway is really important. We were unsure where we were going to be able to run those programs this year.

NR: What about a potential national event over there?

COMPTON:   It is not going to be set up to run a national event. It is not even in the cards. In fact, they could not accomodate it where this is being built. It is absolutely not going to happen.

NR: Divisional race?

COMPTON:   That's possible. There are no plans to do that right now.

NR: The timing of this was rather fortuitous in regards to all the furor around "the Fast and Furious."

COMPTON:   I was just made aware that movie was coming out a few weeks ago.It was just coincidental that our announcement happened to coincide with that. We had been working with California Speedway and ISC (who owns the track) for nearly two years. This has been a long time coming. We are very happy about it as there are not that many options in Southern California any more and to be able to preserve those programs out there and still have the national events here is the best of both worlds.

(Somebody asks about jet cars and Tom talks about how well they did in Japan. It seems to this writer that jetcars, like nostalgia cars, are well below Glendora's corporate radar. Somebody asks about night racing in July)

COMPTON:   We reserve the right to change our mind at any time. But we are absolutely not planning on having a national event in the summer. Two in Pomona is enough. We are doing this in Pomona for the 50th (Anniversary), this one time. We''ll run something here, but is not going to be a national event.

NR: Who is that said "Presidents Never Say 'Never.'"?

COMPTON:   That's probably the smart thing to say, but in all honesty, we have two events in Pomona, we have two events in Las Vegas, we have Phoenix. Our plan is not to have a third event.

(Darr Hawthorne - on the media tour representing dragracingonline.com - asks if supporting Fontana means abandoning the 1/8th mile strip at Irwindale.)

COMPTON:   There is room for a lot more tracks in California.

(Darr Hawthorne sez Irwindale is "twisting in the wind", and according to his sources in Irwindale, is without any real support from the NHRA.)

COMPTON:   They are going to an 1/8th mile track, at least initially, and we are working with them every step of the way. We are constantly looking for potential sites (in Southern California). We have a list of twenty five, thirty different places. Just because, it is such an issue, the right to race here. It certainly wasn't by design that we don't have Orange County, Lions, it is just part of real estate, suburbia creeping in and growth in LA. So Irwindale we welcome with open arms.

(Conversation digresses to various parts of LA seceding from the City itself...)

NR: You have five professional classes. Will you have those same five professional classes next year?

COMPTON:   We'll talk about that in the future.

NR: O-kay. "Presidents Never Say 'Never.'"

COMPTON:   Right now we are looking into the schedule and what we are going to do next year in the next three of four weeks. It has been difficult before, mainly because of tv. When we had different networks it was hard to know when we could be on or off. We weren't necessarily a priority with any of them. This year we are a very big priority with ESPN2, as we are consistently the number 2 show on the network.

Schedules are complicated for a variety of reasons, but tv was the one thing (hanging us up.) All that's been cleared up. We'll get the schedule out in July, I hope. Then we'll also talk about where we are going to race and what we are going to race.

(Darr asks about a 32-car Pro Stock Eliminator...)

COMPTON:   Anything is possible. We haven't talked about doing that at this time, no.

(More talk about curfews and fines...Compton sez that going over the curfew is unlikely because it shouldn't rain and the racecars grease the track a lot less nowadays...)

COMPTON:   I don't know if you guys realize this, but last year, before the rule change (90 percent nitro mandate) we had 35 hours of time savings (re: lack of oildowns) and this year we are tracking ahead of that.

NR: Have you ever asked CJ "Pappy" Hart how they calmed down the neighbors when they ran Lions?

COMPTON:   How would he do that?

NR: A lot of times he would send the local convalescent home boxes of cookies, courtesy of the track.

(Discussion of how Lions went away after CJ Hart quit and the cookies stopped...)

NR: How do like your job?

COMPTON:   I love my job. It's intense. It's nuts. It is a very demanding job, there are so many challenges. I wouldn't have it any other way.

NR: There has been no scarcity of challenges the last couple of years. Is that something that speaks to you? Grabbing the rudder and dealing with the challenges?

COMPTON:   I like to confront things head on. I like to work with the people that are affected by our decisions to make them right. The challenging thing about working for the NHRA is that we are trying to balance the (different) interests and make it work for the whole sport. Every decision that we make tend to please... a good decision pleases half and displeases half. You have to get comfortable with making those decisions. The only way that I can do that is to work with the people that are affected by those decisions.

You really try to do the homework so you can make a decision with a little more conviction. Know that with all the information you have, you believe the path you are going down makes the most sense. It doesn't always mean you are going to be right, but it least it gives you the strength to stand up to the people who disagree. That's going to be every decision. You have to try to please everyone by making the right longer term decisions and have people judge you over a period of time. "Y' know, when I look back I generally like the path that they went down and I think it is working," as opposed to trying to please every one with each decision and going down a path of least resistance. You are not going make the changes that are real important to the sport when you approach it that way.

That is difficult to do. But we have been trying to do that. We have been trying to reconnect with people that we haven't be in contact with as much as we should.

We are working with the people who are involved in our sport. I think that alone will help us make better decisons and move this sport along in a more positive direction. Hopefully, you are seeing some of the results already.

NR: It is refreshing to hear people used terms like "long term." It is not a phrase that has been bandied about from this office in past administrations.

COMPTON:   Every decision that we make or that I make, it is usually that we make, we get a mountain of mail saying horrible things and we get a wheelbarrow full of mail saying nice things. You can't be afraid to 'fess up and say, "You know what. That didn't work." I'll tell you one that I made and it was probably the worst decision I ever made. We went to all reserved (seating) Saturday and Sunday a few years ago because we thought that was what people were demanding. And to some extent that was true. What we didn't count on was this fairly significant group of people that like to sit in GA (General Admission) because they like to move around and they liked to get different angles and it is just part of the experience that they enjoy. We immediately said, "Whoops. We made a mistake."

NR: The extra revenue (for reserved seats) didn't hurt though...

COMPTON:   But we didn't get it.

Darr Hawthorne asks if Don Garlits has been invited to the 50th Anniversary race...

NR: (laughing) Oh you're bad!

COMPTON:   I believe he was. I have a good relation with Don.

(Interview wraps, malingering journos power last gulps of coffee and get on bus...)

Destination: John Force Racing Headquarters (22722 Old Canal Road, Yorba Linda).

END PART 1

Please answer a question for me. Is there racing at Seattle International Raceway on July 7th? What are the events and the admission costs? Is there Vintage TransAm races going on? Thank you.

Hi there Bob, how's things over there? Just a quick thanks for the ad you did for the guys in the dragster mag. I've been speaking with Darren (Fahy) and it looks like we'll be painting the race car soon.

Hope all is well. I guess we'd better get stuck into the car so it will be ready to kick some butt. I've also been talking to Mike (Ashton), the guy who was on the start line taking pics. He's sending me a few; I will pass them on to you; if you need bigger ones done, he can arrange.

Well, better go. See ya later.

Bob, can you add my link to your links page. It is for the Sitko Family Racing Top Alcohol Dragster. It's www.dynoracing.com. Thanks.

In a drag racing first (and in an act of inspired lunacy), "Techno Tim" Gibson will pilot both front-engine and rear-engine fule dragsters during the Pep Boys NHRA 50th Anniversary Nationals at Pomona, July 5-7th. Gibson will guide the Bill Miller Engineering entry in Top Fuel, as well as stab and steer the Mastercam Special in an invitational front-motored Top Fuel eliminator.

(To the uninitiated, the front-motored Top Fuelers -- also referred to as AA/Fuel Dragsters -- are reminiscent of the way these beastly machines looked and performed in the 60s and early 70s)

"Techno Tim", who, between driving jobs, carries a slide rule and a Zip Disk of cadcam software while employed by John Force Racing as that team's aerodynamicist, is using this event to single-handedly bridge the sport's history while showcasing the different driving styles particular to each discipline. "I've always felt that driving the two very different types of fuelers, and the road racing too, helps gain a great mix of driving experience," said Gibson.

Gibson has stated that driving BME's modern Top Fuel car is a "sensual" experience whose handling requires a precise feel at a peak lateral force of 5g's. "You have visibility to study the groove. (It is) very precise, technical, (and) violent."

While campaigning the Mastercam AA/Fueler at a variety of nostalgia meets, Gibson has spent a good portion of the season enveloped in fire at 240 mph and wiping oil off of his goggles, which is part of what makes driving a front-engined dragster so insane. But even when things go right with the AA?Fueler, vision is still finite.

"Tire smoke (on the burnout) obscures any other open vision," he said. "(With the engine in the front) you get glimpses of the front wheels and you just have faith that somewhere in front of the engine, those links are steering the front wheels. And nitro fumes -- we're talking about breathing liquid nitro."

Gibson feels he isn't even close to overdosing on his maximum daily requirement of nitromethane by taking on two fuel dragsters in two different classes. "I knew the possibility existed back at last fall's California Hot Rod Reunion," Gibson said. "We first heard that the NHRA would run select vintage cars at the Pomona race based on qualifying at the California Hot Rod Reunion (last October). When we qualified 5th, I thought we might be invited. But I didn't really know I would be able to drive both cars until Bill Miller and NHRA said it was okay the week before last."

Gibson has been in the seat of the Bill Miller Engineering Top Fuel dragster since 1997 and began driving the Mastercam Nostalgia Top Fuel dragster in 2000.

No one has ever attempted to take on the challenge of driving more than one Top Fueler at a single race. Only a handful of drivers have ever attempted to drive more than one car in any class, and few during the intense competition of a National event.

Putting the magnitude of this occasion in perspective, an excited Gibson stated, "This is an opportunity that comes along once in a lifetime. And to race both dragsters at Pomona, my home track, at the NHRA 50th Anniversary race is just fantastic."

For more information, or to arange an interview with Gibson, contact Pam Utterback. Further comments on the difference between the BME fueler and the Mastercam AA/FD can be gleaned from Gibson's Top Fuel Diary.

I would like to list my truck and traileron your For Sale pages. What do I have to do? Thanks.

Bob: I've had three calls recently about parts that were sold two years ago, and cancelled the ad at E.T.M.R.A. then. Now I find that you acquired the ad and it's still live. Cancel please!

I thought of you a while back when I saw an ad from Fred Farndon on header flames for a complete NEW head assembly to fit a B-1 for $2500, but didn't bother to "dangle the carrot" because sooner or later you'd find it cheaper to make the switch. Regards.

G'Day Bob; how are ya mate? Hope all is well with your family. Well, there was one more than one person trying to get on to your site. I couldn't get on for about three days. Anyways, "stuff" happens.

I've been keeping in contact with Darren (Fahy), and it looks like our first working bee on the car (with me) will be the weekend of the 20th. I will be in Brisbane on the Thursday night and leaving on Monday morning, so this will give us time to work as a team (and what a team it is...) and will help me become more familiar with the car and to get to know the other lads better.

As for me, Kate and I have settled into our new digs, and the spare bed is getting ready for your next trip down to Melbourne. If Kate had her way, and she usually does, as you know, we will be living in sunny Gisborne. Which is good, as it's nice and close to Calder and the new Adrenalin track, when it fires up. So I'm not too unhappy about that.

Keep in touch when you can and hope to hear from you soon. See ya. PS: Kate says "Hello Bob".

Despite not being at the event (still waiting for Marrs Jr. to put in an appearance), I still have the Cannonball timing data for your reading pleasure.

Most notable, without doubt, is John Spuffard re-setting both ends of the European Fuel Funny Car record. A 5.339 at 259.12, backed up by a 5.363 at 257.80 (John did manage a 275.28, but wasn't able to back it up). For those guys state-side, suffice to say that if Spuff had ever decided to ply his trade in your back yard, John Force would not have won quite as many events as he has!

Click on the link to access all the details.

Just a quick note and photo to say that after that "pep" talk about no more stupid runs, I'm glad you listened to me. Now if I just give you a little talking to after each run, you'll do well! It was good to see you run and hope to catch you soon.

We have just published some photos and a small report detailing today's proceedings at the Cannonball. Check them out now at Dragsterworld.

Happy Canada Day, eh! Below is what I get when I try to go to your page. Whatz up?

Hi Bob. The drive on the webserver had filled up and as a result the uploading of your files didn't take place. I have done some maintenance on the drive and I have managed to free up quite a bit of space. I have also tested your website and it seems fine. You should now be able to upload normally to your website.

Let me know if you still have problems. Thanks.