Yesterday was "Big Daddy" Don Garlits' 80th birthday... No matter who you talk to in the drag racing world, everyone seems to agree that Don Garlits is a pioneer who is responsible for much of the success the sport has enjoyed among mainstream America. He's probably one of the most, if not THE MOST recognizable names of any other personality in drag racing. Of course I do understand that this particular birthday must have come with some bitter sweet setbacks, after all, Don's longtime buddy and associate T.C. Lemons just died, and Don's love of his life, his longtime wife, Pat Garlits, is suffering from the burdens of Alzheimer's disease-- Those are tough pills to swallow... However, knowing how Don Garlits is, and his extremely strong faith, I'm sure he's dealing with all the bumps in life's road as best as he possibly can... This journalist is a true Don Garlits fan. My interview with him on Drag Racing Racing Underground's FLOPPER DIGGERS & DOORSLAMMERS dvd remains the undisputed, most historic (and controversial) drag racing interview of all time, thanks to Don spilling the beans to me about his steadfast belief in UFOs and extraterrestrial life forms. I was blown away by the way he felt comfortable enough to speak so frankly and candidly with me, and expose himself in a way that he never did before on camera. It takes a brave man to share his soul with the world the way he did with me. I certainly respect and admire Don Garlits for opening up and being so courageously honest. "Big Daddy" Don Garlits and his long-running "Swamp Rat" legacy certainly stands as an example of "Absolute True Grit" in drag racing history... To mark and honor "Big Daddy's" 80th birthday, I suggest you make an effort to see and learn what the man is REALLY like by ordering our FLOPPERS DIGGERS & DOORSLAMMERS dvd... Here's a link that will take you directly to it... http://www.dragracingunderground.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&product_id=4&category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=48&vmcchk=1&Itemid=4

Yours truly conducting drag racing's most historic interview with "Big Daddy" Don Garlits

Besides yours truly, there aren't a whole lotta women interested in this drag racing stuff enough to write about it on a regular basis. However, there is Susan Wade, she's a gal who exquisitely handles drag racing journalism duties at COMPETITION PLUS among other places... If you recall not too long ago, I wrote a blog about "Pizza Prints"-- Those circular and "edible" round prints that are all the rage among NFL football fans. They come in an assortment depicting the images of various NFL helmets, you put 'em on your hot pizza, they meld into the cheese, and you're eating pizza while celebrating your allegiance to your favorite gridiron team.  In my blog, I suggested that this would be a neat idea for NHRA drag racing fans too. I wrote that I'd like my doorslammer hero Dave Hance's likeness on my pizza, and Nostalgia F/C great Bruce Larson, and also the winningest racer of all time, Frank Manzo on my mightiest of meatball pizza pies... Susan Wade shared my concept with her blog readers, and actually took it a step further by contacting Lucks Food Decorating Company,  the manufacturer of the NFL "Pizza Prints". Susan spoke with the company's national account manager Andy Sachs on the phone, and he agreed to consider the prospect of producing "Pizza Prints" for us drag racing fans too... That would sure be nice, wouldn't it?-- So, who knows?-- Maybe someday you'll eventually be able to wolf down John Force's face on your pizza pie, or enjoy a Pro Stock pizza with Greg Anderson and anchovies, or maybe even Don Prudhomme with your pepperoni and peppers??-- We'll have to see about that. I certainly do appreciate Susan Wade working the idea on behalf of us often overlooked drag racing folks... Susan addresses this pressing pizza issue at two separate cyber venues, with her blog at STRAIGHT LINE TODAY, and over at COMPETITION PLUS... Here's the links for both... Bon Appetit... STRAIGHT LINE TODAY  http://www.straightlinetoday.com/2012/1/14/2706536/one-large-manzo-meatball-pie-please  COMPETITION PLUS http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/19955-slice-of-drag-racing-life-pizza-prints-of-favorite-drivers?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150478062275838_20834093_10150481677090838#f3840bbbd4

Today is "FEEDBACK FRIDAY", meaning I deal with emails that my assistant Stephanie and I receive from readers regarding my most recent blogs... Let's get to it.... Yesterday's blog concerning the passing of T.C. Lemons prompted an outpouring of emails from all over the map. David from Toronto, Canada wrote that he met Lemons while he was tuning Garlits in the 70's, and "T.C." made such a positive impression on him that he sobbed yesterday when hearing the news of his death... My blog about Courtney Force getting the job of driving the Force family's newest Flopper received mixed emotions from readers, some good, some not so good. Randy from Westport, Conn believes Courtney's alcohol dragster experience doesn't qualify her for the job. Randy and I will have to agree to disagree on this issue... My blog urging parents to place their daughters in a Jr. Dragster instead of beauty pageants, because of the widespread abuse of the so-called "Pageant Crack", that pageant moms are forcing their young daughters to consume in order to "liven up" their pageant performances ignited a firestorm! I received an email from one "pageant mom" telling me to "GET BENT!"-- Despite emails like that one, I still believe Jr. Drag Racing is a healthier environment for young girls than pageants are... My blog urging Sayreville, NJ to save their town's "no kill" animal shelter caused many of you to write me, and tell me that you've made a financial contribution to the shelter. Thanks for that!... My blog explaining how we here at DRAG RACING UNDERGROUND do what we do, in order to document the sport for the sake of posterity prompted lots of you to write and thank me. And many of you said that you believe your great, great grandchildren WILL want to know the sport's history, and that you're going to keep your DRU dvds in your family, so future generations of your family will inherit them, learn from them, and enjoy them. Yep, that's exactly why the loyal crew and I here at DRAG RACING UNDERGROUND are so dedicated to this arduous task!!... In closing, I want to say Happy Birthday to longtime DRU and E'Town friend Ericka "Wildgirl" Dana. Ericka's birthday was yesterday. Some of you might remember her Rockin' And Racin' radio show on WFMU-FM.  She played a whole lot of BIG STICK on her popular program, and promoted drag racing like crazy! BIG STICK performed at Wildgirl's GO-GO RAMA events for ultra packed and enthusiastic crowds. I posted a pic of a joyful "Wildgirl" below for you to feast your peepers on...  Keep those emails comin', whether you agree or disagree with my opinions, I'm genuinely interested in your feedback... I just ask that you please keep your emails short and to the point, no rambling please, and please also include where you're from, I often find the location of where folks are writing me from to be sort of interesting... Thanks...

Happy Birthday to Wildgirl!

It bothers me that this blog is used as an obituary column with more frequency than I'd like. However, when people pass away who mean something to me, I feel compelled to dedicate this space to their honor and memory. Thomas C. Lemons aka "Top Cat", and more commonly known in drag racing circles as "T.C." Lemons died from a heart attack. "T.C." is most known for his association and friendship with "Big Daddy" Don Garlits. Yes, the same Don Garlits who rambled so much to me about his fascination with UFO's, was also fascinated by the innovative skills that "T.C." brought to his "Swamp Rat" racing operation. Starting all the way back in the late 1960's, up to the time "T.C." recently died, the relationship between the two, though having its occasional ups and downs, lasted for decades. When Garlits was developing his revolutionary rear engine dragster, it was "T.C." who was instrumental in making it work. "T.C." also played a role in helping Garlits get his museum in Florida up and running, including managing many of the more difficult and demanding display restorations... It was at E'Town where I had the opportunity to meet "T.C.", he approached me with some sort of wisecrack, although a friendly and gentlemanly wisecrack, and to be honest, I had no idea of who he was until he explained himself to me-- We then went on to have an enlightening conversation. He thought it was cool that I do what I do for drag racing-- And I was genuinely impressed with his industrious and resourceful manner. I respect him because he wasn't intimidated at all by me being a woman doing the job I do, like some peers of his generation occasionally are. "T.C." was an open-minded man. He obviously knew a lot, a real lot, but unlike some geezers, who hardly know a fraction of what he did, "T.C." wasn't a blowhard about it. He was a man who came across to me as being a genius, or possibly borderline genius, but handled himself extemporaneously, naturally, and instinctively-- He definitely possessed lots of intelligence, but kept himself in balance with an equal amount of humor and humility. That's the kind of guy he was, the kind of guy I can respect and admire... I'd like to express to Thomas C. Lemons' family and friends my most sincere of condolences. May he be granted eternal rest and bliss, and everything else a great man like "T.C." deserves in the alleged afterlife....

Internet rumors that either Roland Leong, Ritchie Blackmore, or Ron Paul would be occupying the driver's seat in a 2012 Team Force Funny Car were squashed when it was recently announced that Courtney Force got the job. I'm pretty darn happy with their choice. Keeping it in the family, Team Force will put "Courageous Courtney" Force at the wheel of an 8,000 horsepower Ford Mustang sponsored by Traxxas, the world leader in ready-to-run radio-controlled vehicles. The 23 year old daughter of NHRA megastar John Force will make her professional driving debut Feb 9-12 at the Winternationals. It's my opinion that Courtney deserves the gig because she's clearly proven her chops driving Super Comp and Top Alcohol dragsters, and let's face it, drag racing is definitely in her DNA. And yes, I know that a nitro flopper is a little more of a handful to drive than her previous rides, but I think she'll get a handle on it. I'm sure she'll give the "Macho Man Mental Midget Village People Blowhard Bigots" of the sport plenty to rag about-- She's all woman, and I believe in her. Ron Douglas has been assigned crew chief duties. He's the fine fellow who was crew chief for Courtney's sister, Ashley Force... In closing for today's blog, I want to wish Courtney and the rest of the Force team all the best for 2012. I hope y'all have a safe and successful season, and I sincerely look look forward to stopping by your camp to see y'all when you come to E'Town for the NHRA SuperNationals on May 31st - June 3rd. This time I'll be the one to bake the cookies...

People often ask me why do I bother, and put myself through all the "hassle" of doing this job, I mean, there's a lot more easier ways to make a buck than spending one's day hustling your butt off at the drag strip, and yeah, I get that, I'm not going to lie and say that my job is necessarily an easy one, because it's definitely not, and y'all know that. However, the main reason why John, Mike, Jim, Stephanie, Rusty, and the rest of the Drag Racing Underground crew and I do this is, is because we believe it's important that drag racing history be recorded, not just for ourselves and current generations, but for future generations to enjoy and learn from as well. Here at Drag Racing Underground, we firmly believe that this drag racing stuff needs to be recorded and documented for posterity, and we do so rather aggressively, because that's the only way we believe this sort of job can be effectively done. We capture the many images, do the countless interviews, the whole nine yards... So hopefully, after we're all long dead and gone, some kid, or drag racing historian (let's hope this sport remains relevant enough to have historians) can slip in a Drag Racing Underground dvd, or place a DRU "info chip" into their brain (remember, we're talking the future here), and experience the drag racing history we've worked so hard to preserve. So when you see me sweatin' at the strip, running around to grab an interview with an elderly drag racing legend, like Jim "Fireball" Shores, of the "Shores & Hess" Gasser era, and "Fireball Vega" Funny Car fame, you'll understand that I'm not just doing this for myself, or for you, I'm doing this for your great, great grandchildren, in hopes that they'll actually care enough about this sport, like we do, to want to know its history...

I firmly cling to elderly legend Jim "Fireball" Shores' scrapbook of priceless drag racing memories. Jim goes through the book with me on Drag Racing Underground's FUNNY CAR REUNION RAW dvd. Recording and documenting drag racing history is a tireless job that Drag Racing Underground and I take very seriously. Preserving our history for posterity is our form of "giving back" to the sport we love so damn much.

As some of you already know, I've occasionally watched the popular TODDLERS & TIARAS television show on THE LEARNING CHANNEL (TLC). Well, I can guarantee you that I won't be watching it anymore. Recently it's been exposed that many of the "pageant moms" are forcing their young daughters participating in the pageants, to consume a severely sugared-up Mountain Dew based concoction called "Go-Go Juice", and also "wolf down" multiple sugar based "pixie stixs", also known as "Pageant Crack", to give their daughters an intense "Pageant Buzz", and fire them up into a state of extreme overdrive, so they can "perform" with an added boost of energy and enthusiasm... I find this pretty darn appalling, I mean, are these mothers really THAT unloving??-- Do they want there precious daughters to develop diabetes??-- Do they want to start their daughters on a habit of relying on narcotics and illegal stimulants to give them an added "boost" for the rest of their lives?!?... Y'all know that BIG STICK and I released our anti-crack inspired "CRACK ATTACK" tracks several years ago, so you know that I have zero tolerance for "Pageant Crack", street crack, or any type of substance abuse like that... With 2012 being the official 20th anniversary of NHRA's Junior Drag Racing League, I implore parents who are looking for a safer and saner competitive alternative for their daughters to participate in, to consider putting their little girls in a Junior Dragster. It's certainly a far more morally and ethically sound environment than pageants. From what I've personally witnessed, Jr. Drag Racing teaches kids the importance of good sportsmanship, and there's definitely not the widespread "Go-Go Juice" and "Pixie Stix Pageant Crack" abuse that's currently plaguing the young girls pageant circuit! Sure, you have to pay out the initial investment of buying your daughter a Jr. Dragster, however, if you compare it to the money you spend on custom pageant dresses, flippers (false teeth for the little ones), tanning, pageant coaching, wigs, entry fees, etc, you might find Jr. Drag Racing to be even slightly more economically feasible for your family... Give up the glitz, glamour, and the "pageant crack", and come on over to the drag strip, we've got a far more superior program for your daughters, a program that will give them the tools necessary to become better young women, and more stable and secure adults...

There's a commercial that I keep seeing on TV for something called "Pizza Prints". The TV advertisement sells round, disc shaped, color images of the NFL football teams helmets that are "edible", and that you put on your pizza. Supposedly "Pizza Prints" compliment the pizza's flavor.  When your pizza is hot, you simply apply the "Pizza Print" image right on top of the hot cheese, the pizza image then melds with the cheese, so you're able to eat your pizza with your favorite NFL team's image melted into it... Yum Yum, ya think??-- I dunno, I have no idea of what it actually tastes like. However, I do know that lots of NFL football fans are buying this new novelty item in droves, especially in anticipation of the Super Bowl... I have to ask, if this is such a huge hit with NFL football fans, would this sort of thing also appeal to NHRA drag racing fans?-- Would you want John Force's likeness melted into your pizza pie? How about a grinning Larry Dixon to spice up your pizza? Or why not a Pro Stock pizza with Greg Anderson and anchovies? How 'bout Don Prudhomme with your pepperoni and peppers?... I have to wonder what kind of ingredients "Pizza Prints" are really made of?-- I wonder what sort of flavor they really bring to a pizza?... I think if I was given my choice of drag racing oriented "Pizza Prints", I'd like an outlaw doorslammer version with Dave Hance's face gracing my pizza, or maybe a "nostalgia" pie with Bruce Larson's likeness, or better yet, NHRA's winningest drag racer of all time, Frank Manzo's magnificent mug perfectly placed to gallantly garnish my mightiest of meatball pizza pies... I guess in reality, drag racing isn't quite "mainstream" enough for us to ever expect the "Pizza Prints" people to cater to our whims with a frequently running TV commercial, after all, we're not quite as massive of a market as professional football... But hey, I don't think that I really need "Pizza Prints" to prove my love for drag racing, I think just eating normal pizza while watching drag racing is more than an adequate expression of my love for the sport... And for my love of pizza...

Very rarely do I use this blog to call out municipalities in New Jersey that fall miserably short of what I believe to be the standard of acceptable moral and ethical protocol. My most recent criticism of Belmar NJ, for being a town that masquerades itself as a quaint shore community, while harboring a livid juvenile population that violently preys on women, the homeless, and the elderly started a behind the scenes firestorm between the town and I, and I won't back down until I see the crime stats come down. That's just how I am, I fight when I want things done right. Belmar NJ is where John Gill's late father was brutally attacked and wounded... Once again, Sayreville, NJ is back on the hot seat with me. Previously on this blog, I cited Sayreville for allowing several of their historic and cherished landmark eating, drinking and entertainment establishments to rot and deteriorate. The newest problem that I have with Sayerville's blowhard bureaucrats is their failure to step-up and do something to save the town's no-kill animal shelter. The nonprofit Sayreville Pet Adoption Center, owned by veterinarian Dr. Joseph Chiosi, receives no government funding or assistance. And currently, the shelter has lost, or is in the process of losing its contracts with Sayreville, Helmetta, Spotswood, and South River, towns that paid SPAC to house and care for their stray animals. Evidently an animal shelter that doesn't adhere to a strict "no kill" policy has lowballed SPAC, and taken away their contracts with Sayreville (their own town, gee whiz), Helmetta, Spotswood, and South River, leaving SPAC in financial dire straits. Y'all might remember my blog of last year, when I told you about my attending and supporting of  SPAC's "Jammin' for the Animals" benefit. Today, January 7th, there will be a Flap-jack fundraiser at Applebee's restaurant in Milltown NJ, from 9 to 11am. Tickets are $15 each with proceeds going to SPAC. Look, while fundraisers are all well and good, I'm getting tired of seeing places like SPAC have to claw their way (pun intended) to financial stability, the town of Sayreville should use some of their bloated property tax income, and direct a small fraction of it to help keep SPAC afloat. I urge those politicians in Sayreville who have the power to make a difference for the town's "no kill" shelter to do so RIGHT NOW... At least grant SPAC the town's stray animal contract back!!-- Would it kill you to do something right for your own town's "no kill" animal shelter?!?...

Today is "FEEDBACK FRIDAY", meaning I deal with emails that my assistant Stephanie and I receive from readers regarding my most recent blogs... Let's get to it.... Yesterday's blog concerning the woman from the National Geographic TV show who wants a surgeon to cut her spinal cord, so she can be a "real" paraplegic, resulted in a slew of emails from folks who believe she's crazy, and agreed with me that she should speak to Darrell Gwynn and ask him what he thinks about her twisted idea... Several of you wrote me, thanking me for remembering those who passed away last year from the drag racing and music world , my "Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012" blog prompted Gerald from Allentown, PA to write, "Ken Nelson and his Cool Bus School Bus are going to be sorely missed."... My blog describing my annual New Year's Day walk with my sister at Sandy Hook beach, where I met a whole family wearing Raceway Park jackets, caused the dad from the family, Michael, to write that next time he sees me at E'Town, he wants me to sign his RP jacket. Will do, Michael!...  My blog encouraging people NOT to drink and drive on New Year's Eve brought in a few responses from members of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), one mom named Katherine from Bowling Green, KY told of how she lost her son to an intoxicated driver, and she genuinely appreciated me for discouraging drunk driving. I'm very sorry for your loss, Brenda... My blog comparing the similarities of the 2012 dippy doomsayers to the lackadaisical geezers who constantly preach a future of doom for drag racing was a big hit with my readers. My good friend, Michelle, who works at Raceway Park, thanked me for mentioning the successful SHAKEDOWN AT E'TOWN event, and NHRA's Junior Drag Racing League remaining strong for 20 years, that's definitely a living testament to the late, great Vinnie Napp's visionary ability...  My blog paying tribute to Peter Steele, of TYPE O NEGATIVE, who would've turned 50 a couple of days ago prompted some pretty emotional emails from you folks. Clara from Minneapolis, Minn said that Peter was an inspiration to her during a very difficult time in her life. Thanks for sending me your touching email, Clara. I posted another pic of Peter below. I'm thankful for TYPE O NEGATIVE's Johnny Kelly recording guest drums on our (BIG STICK's) upcoming 2012 record release... Keep those emails comin', whether you agree or disagree with my opinions, I'm genuinely interested in your feedback... I just ask that you please keep your emails short and to the point, no rambling please, and please also include where you're from, I often find the location of where folks are writing me from to be sort of interesting... Thanks...