List:
I also took that answer as a direct put down --I guess that's what
happens when you have a photo-journalist for an editor rather than a
"hot rodder"--very narrow-minded, tunnel vision, etc.
It reminds me of a story Marlo tells abut Les Davenport at the drags
last year. Les was tuning a funny car and some other driver was
bragging about how fast his car was. Finally, Les got tired of hearing
it and told the guy "fast is when you shift into high gear at 285 mph
and run it out the back door at 338!!! Les doesn't usually say much and
when he put this guy down, it was great. Most drag racers don't have a
clue about what it takes to run on the salt, or the lakes--most of
their motors wouldn't make it to the first set of lights much less
through the 6. They also don't have any idea how to hook a car up in
the dirt or the salt. So maybe he just needs to be enlightened that
there are other forms of racing besides asphalt.
However, there is a very good article in the same magazine (on page 56)
about coatings. It is written by Ray Bohacz--Please read it. You will
see the things I've been telling you are all very true, not just my way
of thinking.
One more thing then I'll get off my soap-box. A couple of weeks ago, we
were working with Beverly Stanley on our ad in the Rule Book and Racing
News for next year. Since this was a new procedure for us, Bev helped
us through it.
We realized how many volunteers that help to put on B-ville and Lakes
Racing-these people don't get paid. They do it so that we can race. If
we don't live in So. Cal we don't pull duty. But everyone there made
sure that I got as many runs as possible. When we went to El Mirage last
year, Wes Potter was right there to help us if we needed it. I
appreciated that. When we got home from B-Ville this year, we found
that Glen Barrett had mentioned us and ran a picture of the car in
Racing News. I appreciated this and when we went to B-Ville for the
first time in 98 at the Utah SFRA meet, Ken Walkey teched the car. I
was really worried about this for the first time. When he got finished
he made a point of complementing us on the safety and construction of
the car.
I really appreciated that coming from some one who I consider to be one
of the leaders of our sport.
When we went to El Mirage in November of that year, every time I came to
the line to run, Ken took time to announce many complimentary things
about the car. This kind of embarrassed me, but it was nice to know
that these people acknowledge the hard work and time that I had invested
in the car.
I know that there are probably 150 to 200 volunteers that work on a
regular schedule so that I can finally do some thing that I have wanted
to do for over 30 years. Last week I received our trophy for our record
at B-ville. It was a dream come true and means more to me than the 6'
trophy I have from the A.M.B.R. car. My thanks to everyone who made the
99 racing season possible.
Russ Meeks (with the garbage truck motor)-Finishline Coatings
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