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Message-ID: <39B64F36.A8A4F760@hotrodder.com>
Date: Wed, 06 Sep 2000 09:05:42 -0500
From: "Vickie/HotRodder.Com" <webmaster@hotrodder.com>
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To: Bruce <FastmetalBDF@aol.com>
Subject: Speedweek
Well I have to tell ya, your sending me that Speedweek update when you
did was really weird. I was just heading for Cordova Dragway in
Illinois to meet up with my friend Bret Kepner, who'd be doing the
announcing for the World Series of Drag Racing that weekend. Bret's
probably second to Louise in knowledge of the Bonneville races. He's
gone to every one for the last 20 some years. And if you know Bret, he
could probable tell you every ET from every car that has been there
since. That man's amazing! If you don't know Bret, he's a race / car
show commentator on ESPN2 and he's been a journalist since he was 17 and
started writing for Super Stock and Drag Ill. And he's a veritable
walking encyclopedia of anything drag or race related.
Anyway after the race at Cordova that Friday night, we went out to eat
and I was asking him about Bonneville. He went there this year with Ed
O'Reilly, the former IHRA nat'l event announcer. When they go to
Speedweek, it's traditional to rise before the sun and set up 'camp' on
the flats to watch the sunrise, then stay till the last car leaves in
the evening. Well, I happened to mention that I received your email
and wondered if he saw your car there. Omigosh! His eyes lit up like
I've never seen. Now Bret has seen and done it all in his days & there
isn't much that can impress him anymore, but when I mentioned the Black
Radon car he got very animated. He was absolutely fascinated with it
and said it was his favorite car there this year! Said something about
how the engine made this incredible 'noise' you'd swear it was gonna
blow up but it powered that car like nothing else. And he even gave me
all your stats before I had a chance to tell your story myself :-)
Well, I thought it was kinda interesting that it all fell into place
like it did.
I really admire the folks who get out to run the flats. Haven't decided
yet if they're incredibly courageous or totally insane, though. :-)
I think what is most unique about it is that the teams can use
everything available to make their car go fast. A real challenge to the
ingenuity of man. Whereas in regular sanctioned drag racing, with all
the class rules & stuff, a man can't even try out new stuff these days.
You have to build within the rules and stay put. I watched the
documentary about the salt flats racing this last spring... I think it
was on A&E. It was great! I've never been there, but it's my goal now
to get to one before I have one foot in the grave.
While we were at Cordova, Bret did the announcing like I said, but
instead of doing it from the tower, he does it from the starting line in
the middle by the starter. He invited me up there with him, and I had
my camcorder running during some of the pro rounds in the evening. Got
some great shots of the UDRA alky cars, and the nitro altereds, and the
jet cars. Now I've been around nitro cars when they warm up in the
pits, but have never been stuck standing between two of them on the line
like that! Oh man, to try taping and breathing at the same time was
really tricky! :-)
Well the little Speed Sport roadster fuel altered car pulls into lane 1
and Rex does his burnout and suddenly the supercharger and who knows
what else explodes into this fireball right in front of me. It was
apparent that he couldn't shut off the car at it kept creeping forward,
popping parts and fire everywhere. I was so close but I couldn't think
of ducking for cover, much to the anxiety of the track operator, I'm
sure, and I got most of the whole ordeal on tape. But anyway, the
officials grabbed fire extinguishers and kinda put the fire out but the
car just kept going. Since it was an open cockpit, Rex was able to free
himself just after it started coasting past the tree and right after he
jumped out, the car just took off down the track, crossed the center
line and bumped the guardrail on the other side as it came to a soft
stop. Bret, with his jaw hangin, walks up to Rex as he pulls of his
helmet and commented "Well, folks, Rex has to win the award for being
the first driver in the history of drag racing to stand at the starting
line and watch his own car go down the track!" It was incredible!
Well, there you have it & more. Thanks for sending me the other
stories. They're fascinating. (Got a good laugh out of the Classified
Ads one.) I always like to keep up with other folks' stories.
Vickie
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