Post up your stories of weird, nuts or just plain funny stuff that’s happened at the dragstrip. I know you've got stories!!
Couple of mine----
The “dirty D” – Detroit Dragway
Was working at a booked in show for Gil Kohn, and the place was packed. Late summer, hot and humid night, and plenty of drinking going on. Had a couple racers tell me they heard gunshots on the return road, seems like a couple spectators thought it would be “fun” to shoot at the cars at top end, one racer actually had a bullet hole in his Camaro.… Also at one of those shows, had an attempted robbery at the office one night. Thugs figured with the place packed, the office would be loaded with cash (and it was)……can’t remember if they actually got away with it.
Another booked in show…..Craig Arfons was racing the Green Monster (can’t remember the date) had his chutes fail, wound up launching off the berm at the top end of the track (I think he had a spindle failure ), went sailing into the air probably going around 200 mph (looked like an airplane taking off) and landed in a mud and water filled bog upside down. Since there were NO lights down there, it took a awhile for the rescue guys to finally locate him…… One of the safety crew were trying to clear out the mud that was packed into the roll cage and from his helmet, and Craig bit him! At least he was ok (I think he had a cracked vertebrate)…sadly, he died later attempting to set a drag boat record (I think?)
Motor City
Worked in the tower, back in the day where they had the OLD chrondek clocks. I’m talking the dial clocks, where you had to covert the numbers to miles per hour speed, etc.
Late at night, hardly any light in the tower, capturing the times and recording them on those old machines (what did they call ‘em?) that sent the time slips to the et shack. Not paying attention, then I feel something crawl across my hand, look down, let out a blood curdling scream, and proceeded to pound the shit out of 3 of the largest, longest, and hairiest spiders I have ever seen. Those suckers made a nest in the machines and decided to come out and take a look; I’m screaming so loud you can hear it over the loudspeakers, and the announcer was laughing so hard he gave up announcing and left the mic open so everyone could hear my ranting……gawd. I think I must have missed at least 4 rounds of cars going down the track, kid at the et shack was getting verbally beat up pretty good by the racers – was just nuts.
Debs
Couple of mine----
The “dirty D” – Detroit Dragway
Was working at a booked in show for Gil Kohn, and the place was packed. Late summer, hot and humid night, and plenty of drinking going on. Had a couple racers tell me they heard gunshots on the return road, seems like a couple spectators thought it would be “fun” to shoot at the cars at top end, one racer actually had a bullet hole in his Camaro.… Also at one of those shows, had an attempted robbery at the office one night. Thugs figured with the place packed, the office would be loaded with cash (and it was)……can’t remember if they actually got away with it.
Another booked in show…..Craig Arfons was racing the Green Monster (can’t remember the date) had his chutes fail, wound up launching off the berm at the top end of the track (I think he had a spindle failure ), went sailing into the air probably going around 200 mph (looked like an airplane taking off) and landed in a mud and water filled bog upside down. Since there were NO lights down there, it took a awhile for the rescue guys to finally locate him…… One of the safety crew were trying to clear out the mud that was packed into the roll cage and from his helmet, and Craig bit him! At least he was ok (I think he had a cracked vertebrate)…sadly, he died later attempting to set a drag boat record (I think?)
Motor City
Worked in the tower, back in the day where they had the OLD chrondek clocks. I’m talking the dial clocks, where you had to covert the numbers to miles per hour speed, etc.
Late at night, hardly any light in the tower, capturing the times and recording them on those old machines (what did they call ‘em?) that sent the time slips to the et shack. Not paying attention, then I feel something crawl across my hand, look down, let out a blood curdling scream, and proceeded to pound the shit out of 3 of the largest, longest, and hairiest spiders I have ever seen. Those suckers made a nest in the machines and decided to come out and take a look; I’m screaming so loud you can hear it over the loudspeakers, and the announcer was laughing so hard he gave up announcing and left the mic open so everyone could hear my ranting……gawd. I think I must have missed at least 4 rounds of cars going down the track, kid at the et shack was getting verbally beat up pretty good by the racers – was just nuts.
Debs
