NHRA News: Darrell Russell exited the world just as he was reaching the top (6/29/2004)

Darrell Russell exited the world just as he was reaching the top

By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
6/29/2004

Darrell Russell

I think Saturday night might have been one of the happiest nights of Darrell Russell's life. He had just locked up his second career No. 1 qualifying effort by having the quickest car of the last three qualifying sessions, and third quickest of Round 1, and that smile of his was even bigger than normal.

As we left the track and searched for a late snack, which ended up being Steak & Shake, we headed back to our hotel in downtown St. Louis to get some rest. Darrell said to me that he couldn't remember a time in his 19 years of drag racing when he felt so much confidence in his car. "For the first time ever, I know we have the quickest car out there," he said. "It's a great feeling."

Darrell and I got to know each other when I first started covering drag racing in 1997. Since we both live in Houston, we'd see each other from time to time at the airport whenever he and his brother Chris, who was the crew chief on his family's Top Alcohol Dragster, were attending a national event. As most people know, Darrell was easy to talk to and the three of us became friends very quickly. I got to meet his folks, Burnell and Gwen, who are some of the finest people I've ever met, and I immediately felt like a longtime family friend.

Darrell's latest victory
put a big smile on his face.

I can give you a real good example of how the Russell family operates. My wife Lori was a senior specialist at Enron when that company collapsed. At the time, she was eight-months pregnant with our daughter Sara. Well, we were pretty stressed out because our insurance went through Enron and this was our first child. I didn't know what would happen or what bills I might suddenly have to pay.

As a freelance writer, my options were limited. I told Darrell what was going on and 20 minutes later Burnell was on the phone with me offering several alternatives. He had researched the topic himself when he sold his company and he walked me through the process of switching over to another company. It was a simple gesture, perhaps, but at the time it meant a tremendous amount to me and Lori. As we say in Texas, the Russell's are "good people."

Soon after Darrell turned Pro we realized we were on the same flight to nearly every race. We had a lot of fun traveling together so we started planning all of our flights at the same time so we could each have a travel buddy. Pretty soon after that, we decided it was stupid to have two rent cars and two hotel rooms so we just doubled up to save money. Joe Amato, his team owner, said it was cool, and our friendship kicked into high gear. In 2002, before I worked exclusively for NHRA full-time, I did Darrell's PR through their sponsor, Bilstein Engine Flush. I've caught some grief over my connection with Darrell, with some drivers complaining that I favored Darrell because of my friendship with him. As a reporter for NHRA.com for over five years now, and an ethical journalist for my entire career, I can honestly say that I did not show any favoritism to any driver or team or sponsor. I think my work speaks for itself.

Darrell loved driving a Top Fuel dragster.
Racers Edge Photography

Over the last three and a half years I'd guess that I spent as much time with Darrell as with my family. Even when we weren't racing, we'd get together to golf, or walk around the mall, or have lunch, or just hang out at home. We talked every day like friends do. He knew all of my secrets and I knew all of his. When I'd call over there and his wife Julie would answer the phone, she'd call out to Darrell and say, "It's your girlfriend." Likewise, Lori called Darrell my "on-the-road wife." We loved it.

Darrell was living his dream. He was thrilled to be driving for Joe Amato, one of his childhood idols, and he was overwhelmed by the reception he always got at the racetrack from fans and, mostly, from his peers. Many readers of NHRA.com may remember that I conducted a driver's poll last year and one of the questions was "who is the nicest guy on tour?" Darrell was the overwhelming winner.

Darrell was honored to be a Pro driver. He represented the NHRA like a champion and he wore the Rookie of the Year moniker like a badge of honor. The night he won that award he was as nervous as I'd ever seen him. The NHRA had told me secretly that he'd won and they asked me to tell him he was a finalist and that he should prepare a speech. So we spent the last few weeks of the season writing and re-writing a speech.

Darrell hardly ever consumed alcohol but by the time we got to the awards ceremony he was ready for a brew, so he consumed a few just to calm himself down. When the lights came on and they announced he'd won, he strode confidently to the podium and delivered a nearly flawless speech (he only forgot to thank Gary Scelzi for recommending him to Amato for the job). Afterwards, he said he didn't remember any of it. Gary and I always gave him a hard time about that one.

Like most drivers, Darrell wasn't fond of losing but he always showed respect and shook his opponent's hand at the top end. I spend most of my Sunday's down there capturing the raw, adrenaline-filled emotion spilling out of drivers when they get out of their cars and I can tell you not all of them are as professional as Darrell was every time he made a pass, even when I knew he was angry inside.

The fateful race against Scott Kalitta.
Racers Edge Photography

In the last year or so Darrell and I have marveled at how popular he's become. When I started in the sport I did Eddie Hill's PR and Eddie was so popular that we really couldn't go out to eat because he'd never get a bite down without a fan stopping by for an autograph or a photo. It wasn't that bad with Darrell yet, but people definitely knew who he was everywhere we went and the "that's Darrell Russell" whispers were becoming commonplace. Of course he was always gracious with everyone.

Celebrity is a strange thing and it sometimes changes a person. Not Darrell. He was just as nice to a fan as he was to a sponsor, or the TV guys, or the lady at the convenience store, or the hotel clerk, or the rental car bus driver. I have a pretty short fuse at times, but Darrell was unflappable. I never saw him lose his cool.

Darrell's loss leaves a tremendous hole in my heart. I've lost a great, dear friend, and I feel sorry for myself because I wonder what it's going to be like without him, which I know is selfish. The plane ride home Monday was brutal. I had to have them switch me to another seat because we were supposed to be sitting together. Packing up his personal effects and bringing them home was the most upsetting thing I've ever had to do.

Whit Bazemore, that guy a lot of people say is such a jerk, well, let me tell you about Whit. He met me at the track when I returned in a state of shock from the hospital. He never left my side until I left for Houston. He helped me clear out Darrell's stuff at the track. He came back to me and Darrell's room and helped me pack up his stuff. He spent the night there with me to keep me company and he stayed up all night with me just talking about whatever I wanted to talk about. He was hurting and he knew I was hurting, but he was right there for me.

Larry Smiley, the Racers For Christ chaplain, along with Kenny, Sheryl, and Brandon Bernstein carried me through the process at the hospital. Kenny may be a hard ass, but he was a rock for me when I needed it the most. Since none of Darrell's family was at this race, I was the designated next of kin. I knew it was bad when they loaded Darrell into the life flight helicopter but I still had hope. When we arrived at the hospital, Larry and I, who prayed all the way over, were met by the Bernsteins and a priest. It didn't take long to figure out the cold, hard truth. Darrell was gone.

He will be missed.
Racers Edge Photography

I knew Darrell was loved out there but I didn't expect the outpouring of phone calls and e-mails. Just about everyone I've ever met in this sport who knew how close I was with Darrell has contacted me to offer their sympathy. It's been overwhelming. Literally hundreds of people have called. My phone mailbox is full because I can't answer them all fast enough. The e-mails are going in a special folder for later. I can't handle them at the moment. But I do thank everyone.

Most of all I ask that everyone prays for Darrell's wife Julie. They were high school sweethearts and had never loved anyone else. They were a perfect couple and they loved their little 10-acre "Ranchette," as Darrell liked to call it, in Hockley. They raise miniature donkeys for sale, and Julie, a former schoolteacher, has a few show horses and a bunch of dogs, which she'd bring with her to the airport whenever she came to pick up Darrell.

Darrell loved Julie with all of his heart and talked about her all the time. They celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary last month and were making plans to start a family of their own very soon. As devastated as I am, I can't even come close to imagining what Julie must be going through at this time.

The Russell family is also wiped out. Burnell and Gwen had four sons and have now lost two of them. Darrell had an older brother who died quite suddenly of heart disease a few years ago. They were so proud of Darrell and hung on every NHRA.com live broadcast to see how he was doing. They called him every day when we were on the road and always ended the conversation with, "I love you, son."

I will tell everyone this: Darrell went into this with both eyes wide open. He knew the risks involved and accepted them. We occasionally talked about the danger involved and Darrell, like most drivers, just found a way to not dwell on it. Whenever people would ask about the possibility of disaster, he'd say, "as safe as we can make it, bad things can happen at 300 mph." I wish he wasn't so perceptive.

Darrell's recent win in Columbus was a high point.
Racers Edge Photography

The last month has been a real high for Darrell. The car has been running great, thanks to Wayne Dupuy's awesome tune-up, and I'm really happy Darrell won a few weeks ago in Columbus. If there were any doubts, the past three races proved he was a champion driver in a championship-caliber car. He was excited because he knew his car was running as well or better then anyone else's car.

Wayne and the boys, along with Joe, are in a state of shock. I was touched by the non-stop flow of crew chiefs that stopped by the pit Sunday night to remind Wayne that it wasn't his fault.

Joe doesn't know what he's going to do. Darrell was like a son to him in many ways and he's hurting like the rest if us.

I know Darrell would want everyone to carry on. He loved the sport, and he loved the people involved in drag racing even more. He'd definitely want us to continue to grow and prosper.

I'll never forget Darrell. He was a special guy and I miss him so much already. The world lost one of the good guys this weekend and he can never be replaced. Rest well, my friend.

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