 |
|
|
   BEING A CAR NUT I COULD NOT SEE MYSELF SPECTATING SO WE "SUPER TUNED" MY OLD 1977 FORD PICKUP TRUCK AND COREY GROSZ BEING A "SEASONED" BRACKET RACER SAID HE WOULD HELP ME "LEARN THE ROPES". AFTER A GREAT DAY OF LEARNING AND THE THRILL OF "BLAZING" DOWN THE DRAGSTRIP IN MY 18 SECOND TRUCK, I NOTICED A DELAPITATED TUBE CHASSIS 1972 MUSTANG FASTBACK SITTING IN THE WEEDS. IT LOOKED LIKE A SHOW CAR TO THIS FORD FANATIC WITH ITS NARROWED REAR END, 32X14.5 REAR TIRES, FIBERGLASS TILT FRONT CLIP AND BIG BLOCK NESTLED UNDER THE HOOD. I KNEW I HAD TO HAVE IT!! AFTER NEARLY DRIVING THE TRACK OWNER CRAZY WITH PHONE CALLS, "WHO OWNED IT?" , "HOW MUCH?", "IS IT SALVAGABLE?", ETC. I FOUND OUT THAT THE OWNER HAD PASSED AWAY AND HIS WIDOW HAD BEEN TRYING TO SELL IT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. WE MADE A DEAL ON IT THE TUESDAY AFTER MEMORIAL DAY AND THE "RACE" WAS ON. TWO WEEKS LATER (THE NEXT SCHEDULED RACE WEEKEND)"CRAZY HORSE" HIT THE DRAGSTRIP! WE REPLACED EVERYTHING: PAINT, INTERIOR, SEAT, LEXON, TIRES,ETC. YOU NAME IT, IT WAS REPLACED. 10 DAYS OF BLOOD,SWEAT AND TEARS (MAYBE BEERS) POURED INTO THIS CAR. WITH COUNTLESS FRIENDS WORKING ALL NIGHT IN SHIFTS. (5 YEARS LATER I STILL CAN'T THANK YOU GUYS ENOUGH, CUDOS COREY!!!) CRAZY HORSE WAS NOW AT THE TRACK. HEARING THAT NEW FORD 429CI ENGINE, SEEING THAT NEW GRABBER BLUE PAINT, I THOUGHT I WAS IN HEAVEN, BUT I HAD TO WATCH MY CAR GO DOWN THE TRACK. HAVING ONLY DRIVEN AN 18 SECOND TRUCK DOWN THE STRIP, COREY GROSZ WAS ELECTED TO "SHAKE DOWN" THE CAR, AS HE HAD MADE HUNDREDS OF PASSES IN HIS 12 SECOND CAR AND HAD A CLUE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I WAS STILL CLUELESS, BUT IN AWE, AND WILLING TO LEARN. GOING TO THE STARTING LINE I FELT ANXIETY AS I PRAYED THE CAR WOULD HOLD TOGETHER. 20 YEARS AGO THAT CHASSIS WAS PUT UNDER THE CAR, WOULD IT STILL HOLD UP? AS I STOOD BEHIND THE CAR ON THE STARTING LINE AND COREY HELD THE TRANSBRAKE BUTTON DOWN, I HEARD THE ENGINE COME UP AGAINST THE 5,000 RPM CHIP. WHAT TOOK SECONDS SEEMED LIKE MINUTES. AS THE CAR LAUNCHED HARD AND STRAIGHT, HE TRIPPED THE LIGHTS AT 11.22 @ 121 MPH ON OUR FIRST SHAKE DOWN RUN!!! JUBILATION!!! EVERYTHING HELD UP!! WHAT A RELIEF!!! NEXT, WITH COREYS EXPERTISE, WE DID SOME TUNING AND LEARNING OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. (LIKE THE ADVANTAGES OF A DECENT CARB, ELECTRONIC IGNITION VS. DUAL POINT, AND SINGLE PLANE INTAKE VS. DUAL) AND THE CAR WAS A CONSISTANT 11.00 CAR. NOW IT WAS MY TURN!!! DRAG RACING. IS THERE ANY WORSE ADDICTION? LAP AFTER LAP IN THIS CAR I WAS FEELING MORE AND MORE COMFORTABLE (BUT NOT WINNING ROUNDS). THE CAR HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN, SO CONSISTANT. BUT, THE DRIVER WAS STILL LEARNING ALL THE WAYS TO LOSE. BAD LIGHT, REALLY BAD, BEING SHOWN TOP END GAMES THAT TAKE YEARS TO LEARN AND COMING UP ON THE SHORT END OF THE STICK EVERY TIME. COMING UP ON THE LAST COUPLE WEEKENDS OF THE SEASON, I THOUGHT MY DRAG RACING CAREER WOULD CONSIST OF 3 TIME TRIALS ON SUNDAY MORNING, 1 ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS AND ON THE TRAILER BY 2:00 PM. AS THE SEASON CLOSED AT INTERSTATE DRAGWAYS I HAD A BIGGER PILE (MUCH BIGGER) OF YELLOW LOSING TIMESLIPS THAN WINNING WHITE. SOME GOOD FRIENDS I HAD MET AT THE TRACK SAID THEY WERE GOING TO "THUNDER VALLEY" DRAGSTRIP SOUTH OF SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA FOR THE YEAR END $1,000.00 TO WIN BRACKET SHOOTOUT AND I SHOULD COME ALONG. MY WIFE WASN'T TO KEEN ON THE IDEA OF CAMPING OUT IN MID OCTOBER AT A DRAGSTRIP WITH NIGHTLY LOWS IN THE 40'S BUT BEING SUPPORTIVE AND CATCHING THE RACING BUG HERSELF WE TAGGED ALONG. THE BIG DAY!, NEW RACE TRACK, ON THE ROAD, JUST MY WIFE AND I WORKING ON THE CAR, AND NOW TIME FOR TIME TRIALS. WHAT A GREAT DAY, SEVEN ROUNDS LATER WE ARE IN THE FINALS!! ELATION TURNS TO ANXIETY, AN 8 SECOND DRAGSTER, WHAT ARE ALL THOSE ELECTRONICS ON THE CAR, HOW CAN HE RUN 8.90 ALL DAY AND NEVER CHANGE HIS DIAL? ANXIETY TURNS TO FEAR UNTIL WE ARE IN THE STAGING LANES AND HIS CREW CHIEF LOOKS AT MY DIAL-IN AND SAYS "IT'S JUST A 11.00 NON ELECTRONICS CAR" MY WIFE IS PISSED, HA HA, SHE TELLS ME AND HER FINAL WORDS BEFORE SHE TAKES ME INTO THE BURNOUT BOX ARE "KICK HIS A--". LITTLE DID I KNOW SHE ALSO MAY HAVE GOTTEN SOME DIVINE INTERVENTION AS MAYBE HER FAITH IN MY DRIVING WASN'T 100% AS SHE WAS ALSO SAYING A PRAYER FOR ME. 5.07 TO 5.15 LIGHTS ALL DAY , WHERE WERE THEY COMING FROM? I COULDN'T CUT A DECENT LIGHT ALL SUMMER, NOW I REALY NEED ANOTHER. IT FEELS GOOD AS I LAUNCH, WHAT HAD MY BUDDY BEEN TALKING ABOUT OTHER RACERS CROSSING OVER? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THOSE CARS JUST SEEM TO STOP AFTER THEY LAUNCH, OH WELL, IT FELT LIKE A GOOD LIGHT, IS HE COMING? I'M AT A THOUSAND FEET AND HE ISN'T HERE YET, THERE'S THE FINISH LINE, SWOOSH HE GOES BY. I HATE TRACKS WITHOUT WIN LIGHTS, DID HE GET BY ME, HE MUST HAVE, HE GIVES ME A THUMBS UP AS I GO BY HIM AS HE IS ROLLING UP HIS PARACHUTE. COMING DOWN THE RETURN ROAD TO THE TICKET SHACK I SEE ALL MY FRIENDS FROM INTERSTATE DRAGWAYS WAVING AND YELLING AT ME, I KNOW, I KNOW, GETTING TO THE FINALS WAS GOOD ENOUGH I WANT TO TELL THEM. I STOP TO GET MY TIME SLIP AND DON'T EVEN LOOK TO SEE IF I WON, JUST WANTED MY REACTION TIME BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD, IT WAS A .507, DAMN, HOW DID HE GO BY ME, WHAT DID I RUN, 11.007 ON AN 11.00, DAMN, HE MUST BE GOOD, NO, I WON!!!! FIRST YEAR, FIRST WIN!! $1,000.00 FELT LIKE A $1,000,000.00. YEAH, THIS DRAG RACING IS ADDICTIVE. A COUPLE YEARS LATER, SEVERAL WINS LATER, AND COMMENTS FROM FELLOW DRIVERS SAYING "WE ARE GOING TO BUY THAT CAR AND PARK IT IN THE WEEDS AGAIN, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CAR THAT CONSISTENT". THE STREAK OF WINNING EVERY YEAR IS STILL ALIVE, NOW IT'S JUST MULTIPLE WINS EVERY YEAR (8 IS OUR RECORD) AND NOW A LIVING & MULTIPLE CHAMPIONSHIPS!. AT SEASONS END IN 1999, A GENTLEMAN WALKS UP TO ME AT THE AWARDS BANQUET AND HE SAYS "KID, I WANT YOU TO DRIVE MY SUPER GAS MUSTANG", I THOUGHT I WAS DREAMING, BUT IF I AM, DON'T WAKE ME BECAUSE: THAT IS HOW THE "LEGEND" OF CRAZY HORSE II "THE NIGHTMARE CONTINUES...." WAS BORN,........ DIVISIONAL WINS.....CHAMPIONSHIPS.....ESPN'S "INSIDE DRAG RACING" COVERAGE.......... BUT THATS ANOTHER STORY...........    | SEASON HIGHLIGHTS | THE ORIGINAL CRAZY HORSE | CRAZY HORSE II THE NIGHTMARE CONTINUES... | ACTION PHOTOS | | Return Home | For Sale!! | |
||