In addition to drag racing, I also like to play golf. It has many of the same characteristics including being about the individual, super frustrating at times and takes a large amount of time and money to get good. One of the biggest differentiators though is when a typical participant compares themselves to the pros. While the PGA guys are playing the same sport, they are on a completely different level. Sure, I could buy the same clubs, have their caddy and play at the same course, but there is no way I could even get close to making the types of shots they make. For one, the course is set u ..read more

Yesterday marked one year since my father passed away. One complete loop of birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and other life events without him. While the disease took him physically many weeks prior, the actual day he died is still a wretched anniversary for me. The support and check ins from his friends and acquaintances is heartwarming, but it can never make up for his absence. John had 68 mostly good years on this Earth and, although, still too short, more than many others. It has been tough to see the others within our industry suffering from similar diseases and some at a much younger a ..read more

Last week I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the Formula 1 race from Miami. As a very casual fan of the sport, it was phenomenal. I’m not just talking about the racing itself, but the whole spectacle of the event. From the major celebrity sightings to the “marina” in one of the turns to transforming the parking lot and surrounding area of the football stadium into the track. Every pan of the camera is showing something else that is outrageously expensive and only dreamed of by any other form of motorsports racing. From the data collection of the teams to the amount of worldwide TV cov ..read more

This week will feature a guest blog response to one we posted a few weeks ago. I’ll let him tell his story, but I know that I will be rooting for him the next time I see him at the track. My name is Joe Morrison. I have been racing part time in Top Fuel for the last few years and currently in the process of changing to Fuel Funny Car. Just wanted to add my $.02 in response to “The Next Generation” blog. I’m not exactly sure why I feel compelled to compose a response, but maybe it’s because I am told that I am one of a few “everyman” type racers in the nitro ranks and I thought I would share my ..read more

Sorry for missing last week’s blog. Between the sketchy internet service, 12 hour plane rides, computer giving me the blue screen of death and jet lag, I just couldn’t bring myself to write it. I landed last Thursday afternoon, but I am never sure how long it will take my brain and body to understand where they are physically located. It wasn’t a bad trip, just long and far away. Last weekend featured a set of races close to my home that I do not like to miss, the Galot Spring Fling and the 4 Wide at Zmax. Unfortunately, I was in no position to run either of those races due to the aforemention ..read more

When I lack motivation, I try to go back and read some of John’s older blogs. This one is from the end of 2020, but I thought some of you would want to read it again. I can’t take credit for this story. It was told to me by a former world champion of which the concept sounded vaguely familiar. Of course, how do I tell this story without it sounding negative? I certainly don’t mean anything in a derogatory manner but there is something about the story which may touch a nerve. And so, the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Here goes anyway. In the early ‘50s, Wally opened up a stea ..read more

Like many of us, I enjoy watching sports. In addition to the games though, I also like to read/watch some of the commentary. Call it the Moneyball effect, but a lot of these commentaries eventually make their way around to statistical analysis. If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, I highly recommend doing both. If you are unfamiliar though, here is a quick recap. The book, and film that follows, is centered around the 2002 Oakland Athletics and how it assembled a team based on statistical analysis of players and how to get the most bang (wins) for their buck on an extremely limited ..read more

Whenever racers get together at the track, or anywhere for that matter, we like to complain; we complain about how the lanes are run; we complain about the weather; we complain about the purse; we complain about decisions from the event director; we complain about the lack of entries. It’s natural, it’s easy and I am certainly no different. The advent of internet chat boards and the connecting of racers on social media seemed to amplify and extend these gripe sessions. It is easy to look at the sport we love and the world around us and see nothing but problems. I have been hearing that climate ..read more

Like many of us, my parents got me into racing at a young age. I remember driving a go kart around our yard, tearing up the grass and gravel. When I was about 4 or 5, my parents decided to let me compete against other kids my age and bought a used 1/4 midget. Turns out, I inherited some of my father’s competitive spirit and I thoroughly enjoyed racing that car. I remember begging my parents to take me to races every available weekend and some week nights. While the 1/4 midget racing was fun, it wasn’t what my dad did, I wanted to drag race. I can’t remember how many times my friends and I were ..read more

The scientist Louis Pasteur (the one pasteurization is named for) said that “chance only favors the prepared.” While simple in principle, it is actually quite difficult to follow in practice. I always feel prepared for some luck to head my way. Every time I stage, I am more than prepared for my opponent to go way red, but that doesn’t seem to happen often enough. We all know that one guy though who isn’t that great of a driver, but is always in the late rounds and, many times, the winners circle. This is the guy whose reaction time of the day rarely begins with 0.01 or better. He gets all the ..read more