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"Now he belongs to the ages"
Reflecting on the passing of NHRA founder Wally Parks
I can't believe it's been five days since we lost Wally Parks. Then again, a part of me still can't believe that we have.
Not to overstate the drama, but Wally's passing is going to be one of the memories where I say, "I…
Travel Agent woes and more Force fan feedback
Funny Car racer Frank Mancuso talks about two memorable crashes in his Travel Agent flopper
This is supposed to be a column about National DRAGSTER and a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on to produce drag racing's only news weekly, but lately I'm finding that that one topic alone isn’t going to dominate this column. I've shared quite a…
The healing power of words
Fan reactions to John Force's crash
Well, I guess y'all sure do like John Force about as much as I do. After seeing what you did to help Ashley win the AOL Hottest Athlete poll, I reckon between us we could probably get John nominated for president, if not…
Hurry back, Superman
Reacting to the news of John Force's near-career-ending crash at the 2007 Dallas event
It's Sunday night and I'm parked by the computer, cell phone inches from my hand, trying to stay on top of The John Force Situation. I've done all I can do for now. The Web site is updated with the latest information we have…
Rumble Doll channels Cha-Cha
Singer/songwriter Patti Scialfa (wife of Bruce Springsteen) writes a song about Shirley Muldowney
I've been a Patti Scialfa fan since she married my all-time favorite rocker Bruce Springsteen, at first mostly because she was a Jersey girl of his own after the breakup of his head-scratching marriage to actress Julianne…
The 5 Ws: The where, what, when, and why of Who
The life and times of former Indy champ Marvin "Who?" Graham
"Hi, my name is Marvin Graham. You might not remember me, but I used to race in Top Fuel."
It took every ounce of willpower I could muster not to respond with "Who?"
Of course, he would have said "Exactly," and we would have launched into the…
This issue is not the bomb
Work is interrupted by a bomb scare at National Dragster HQ.
From left, Lisa Handy, Cynthia Cabrera, Jeff Mellem, Richard Wong, and Nicole Cintron wait out the search.
Copy editor Sarah Barnes keeps herself busily efficient.…
Now comes the hard part ...
The job's not done until the paperwork is complete; what happens after a race.
We stole out of Indy like thieves in the night under cover of early-morning darkness, me, Kelly, and "Bad Brad" with Big Go hangovers and three suitcases full of U.S. Nationals-soaked memories tucked in the trunk of the G6 rental. The o'dark-30…
It's the little things I miss ...
Basically, it's me crying because I missed the birth of my grandson while covering Indy. You would cry, too, if it happened to you.
Over the years, this job has caused me to miss a lot of dinners, some birthdays, a few family gatherings, and a couple of vacations, but this one really hurt.
I love the U.S. Nationals; what serious drag racing fan doesn'…
The Daily DRAGSTER
Before the internet made it obsolete, we used to produce -- literally overnight -- a daily newspaper for each day of the U.S. Nationals. Really!
After a travel day yesterday, the National DRAGSTER staff is here in Indy en masse to cover the Big Go not only for a regular weekly publication but also the annual Daily DRAGSTER publication, which is distributed free to…
Twenty-five and counting (and the one that got away)
So, there I was, standing in the warm embrace of the cascading water of the morning shower where I traditionally do some of my best thinking, running through my pre-Indy checklist at T-minus two days, when it struck me with…
Deadlines? We don't need no stinkin' deadlines
Push almost came to shove this morning as we raced right past the deadlines that Production Manager Matt Hurd (that's him to the right) had set in stone for us yesterday, definitive lines that we absolutely could not cross…
The waiting is the hardest part ...
J.K. Rowling could learn a thing or two about suspense from the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. If she had, old Harry Potter might still be casting spells and playing Quidditch or whatever it is he does.
As the Toyo…
Bad timing ... and phone calls from famous folks
“Who are you going to make mad this week?” joked Mike Dunn when I spoke to him this morning for his regular post-race Final Take column.
He was referring, of course, to DRAGSTER’s weekly dilemma of who to put “on the…
Tools of the trade
They say that a mechanic is only as good as his tools -- and by “they” I probably mean the tool companies, because I reckon Alan Johnson could get a fuel dragster to run 4.50s with a Swiss Army knife and some baling wire --…
Getting off to a good start
Like any good drag racing, a good story of any kind requires a good start. It doesn’t always have to be a quick start, but it had better be good because if it isn’t, the driver or reader might not make it to the finish. There, did I get your…
ND has girl power, too
For a lot of drag racing fans -- like me -- working at National DRAGSTER would be a dream job, so it’s quite understandable that when we had a rare opening for a staff writer earlier this season, my mailbox was flooded.
We only advertised here on…
We've got him covered
Congratulations to Greg Anderson for chalking up his 50th win, and welcome to this week’s cover of National DRAGSTER (not yet available for viewing; here's a happy Greg and Kim in the winner's circle instead). I like it when…
Sizing up Sonoma, ballpark Rampy, and Minnesota musings
It’s almost time to breathe a little sigh of relief with the ending this weekend of the six-race marathon. Although we’re not suffering the same wear and tear as the Pros traveling around the country and working their tails off, it’s still been a…
We've got it covered
Well, issue number 29 of the 2007 National DRAGSTER publishing season is halfway complete, covering the Pro results from Seattle and Sportsman coverage from Denver. One hundred thirty-two pages from cover to cover, and,…
Welcome to the National DRAGSTER blog, er, I mean column
What, another blog? No, not exactly. Even though all of the cool kids are doing it and it’s the trend that’s sweeping the nation, I’m going to resist calling this new column a blog. Even though Tommy Johnson Jr. is being…
Dragster Insider column archive
The Dragster Insider column was launched in July 2007 and, to date, has more than 900 columns dedicated to the people and history of NHRA Drag Racing. To search the archive, simply press the Ctrl and F buttons on your keyboard (Apple symbol + F…