Originally posted at CompetitionPlus.com

“I can feel it…can you?”

One does not need to have all their senses intact to enjoy an afternoon at the drags.

Sergeant Doug Evanston attended the 2009 NHRA Auto Club World Finals but couldn’t see the race due to blindness. Spend some time with him and you’ll find that his fan experience was not hindered by what some would consider a handicap. If anything, he says, it was enhanced.

Doug’s last visual experience at the drag races occurred on ‘Thunder Mountain’ in 1989, when he saw Joe Amato, Bruce Larson and Bob Glidden capture professional category victories at the Mopar Mile High Nationals in Morrison, Colo. One week later, he entered basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, SC. The honorably discharged United States Marine and Purple Heart recipient from Madison, Wis., lost his vision after an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) exploded 10 feet away from him during Operation Desert Storm in 1992.

“I guess you could say that was a bad day,” noted the 42-year old father of two boys, Gary (21) and John (19) whom he named after his two favorite Funny Car drivers, Densham and Force.

“When the IED went off I saw a bright flash of light, kind of like the flames coming from the back of a jet car in the dark. Some might call it a tragedy, but in hindsight,” he said with a chuckle, “at least I’ve had a chance to see my kids faces when they were babies.”

This particular day at the NHRA Finals, began with a stroll in the pits to seek a sense of touch; a hand shake and autograph from Ashley Force. When asked why he likes Ashley he said, “She sounds like a winner. So confident, articulate and sounds like a lady who has her s#%t together. You can tell she’s a daughter of the champ. Plus she took the time to shake my hand. That’s what I love about these drivers and our sport. You can reach out and touch them. It’s a great feeling.”

Before heading to his seats in the stands, Evanston and his boys got their ‘nitro fix’ courtesy of the Kalitta contingent. Their senses of smell and taste were assaulted when the Doug Kalitta driven, Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel Dragster fired up to prepare for a first round engagement with Steve Torrence.

“It’s a tradition which we’ve been doing for ever,” said Sgt. Evanston. “Before first round on Sunday, I always head to the church of Kalitta to be baptized by the nitro gods. Nobody spreads the ‘holy water’ better in the pits than old Conrad.”

Evanston sat in the grandstands, about 800 feet down the Pomona quarter mile and enjoyed second round eliminations, and his descriptions of what was happening on the track were precise. He correctly stated Robert Hight smoked the tires at about 300 foot in his race versus Tim Wilkerson when he yelled “tire smoke” and pointed towards the left lane, during the run. He continued, “Bad tire shake right lane” when Allen Johnson rattled the tires hard in his match up versus Jason Line. When Larry Dixon captured an important round win over Cory McClenathan he said, “D*** that was a close one, less than a foot right?”

Yup, eight inches to be exact.

“Being unable to see does not hamper my experience at the drags,” he confidently stated. “The anticipation is amazing as the drivers hit that second fuel pump I can hear that engine pulling down. It is like they are rocks in a sling shot pulled back, ready to strike,” he said as ‘goose bumps’ were visible on his right arm and mine too.

“There is nothing in the world that compares the having your guts shaken by two cars pounding the ground as they race past you at more than 300 miles per hour,” he said. “That’s why I sit down here at the top end during eliminations. I feel it in my feet, through my (rear end) and extend to the tips of my fingers.”

Spending a few hours with Doug will open your eyes to a simple fact; drag racing is a true sensory overload. And if one of those senses goes away, the others will be there to pick up the slack and still provide an excellent fan experience.

My colleague at Competitionplus.com Jon Asher said it best, “If you come to one U.S. Nationals, you’ll be coming back year after year.” And, after attending my first ‘Big Go’, this novice writer now realizes why thousands of die hard drag racing fans religiously make the annual Labor Day pilgrimage to Clermont, Ind.

As fellow Competitionplus.com reporter Tracy Renck and I arrived at the Indianapolis airport, we were greeted by Mitch Johnson, Tampa Bay, Fla., who was attending his 42nd ‘Big Go’. Johnson has experienced a myriad of emotions during his tenure as an Indy fan. He laughed as Don Garlits shaved his beard in 1967 and shed a tear when Blaine Johnson and Elmer Trett lost their lives during the 1996 event.

“This place is my Mecca,” stated Johnson prior to the event. “Through all the changes we’ve seen in our sport, one race still remains spectacular, the ‘Big Go’.”

Unfortunately Johnson could not be there on Monday to provide his wealth of knowledge for this column. A family emergency arose and he had to leave the hallowed grounds of ORP. However, he left me with some great advice.

“I know you have a lot to accomplish this weekend but don’t forget to soak it all in Tim.”

With my resident Indy expert gone, another group of amazing fans appeared.

FROM THE GRANDSTANDS
Written by Tim Charlet – August 27th, 2009

Drag Racing Might Have Its Issues But It Still Works For Me …

A powerful dose of drag racing can be ‘chicken soup for the soul’ for those who are in need of a remedy. And, you don’t have to be at the races for the medication to take effect.

While laying in the emergency room a few weeks ago, I crossed paths with a nurse who opened my eyes with her own heartbreaking story. Much to my surprise, her story led us both down a path of healing.

After checking into the emergency room at North Suburban Hospital in Thornton, Colo., doctors found my body lost four-units of blood, due to internal bleeding caused by a peptic ulcer.

According to the attending physician, years of ingesting aspirin and ibuprofen for headaches and eating late night carne asada burrito’s finally caught up with me.

In essence, my injuries were self-inflicted.

As I waited for treatment to begin, an enlightening conversation with a friendly nurse, Jill, began.

The nurse asked me about my interests. The words “drag racing” arose more than once in less than a minute into our discussion. Once these words were uttered, her eyes opened wider than a child’s eyes on Christmas morning.

“I love drag racing,” exclaimed the nurse. “The sights, the sounds, the power, the people, there isn’t anything else on the planet which compares.” Seeing her face light-up when speaking of drag racing, the patient asked the nurse about her involvement in the sport.

She spent many of her adult years in Columbus, Ohio and Memphis, Tenn., attending events at the drag strips in those cities. The fondest memories were her young son’s impressions of drivers such as John Force and K.C. “Hollywood” Spurlock. He told his mother, some day he wanted to drive cars like these guys.

His dreams were fulfilled when he carefully guided his home-built Ford Mustang down the Memphis quarter-mile and earned his NHRA 4B (for Super Gas racing) competition license at the tender age of sixteen.

The look in her eyes was priceless. She spoke about the pride she had as a mother watching her son accomplish a goal. Being a father of two children, those same feelings exist with me. The obvious follow-up question had to be asked.

“Is your son still racing?”

The same eyes, which only seconds ago were beaming with pride, filled up with tears as she struggled to answer, “He passed away two years ago this weekend. And his ashes are spread on the same track he earned his license.”

“I loved drag racing so much. It was an activity our whole family enjoyed, but after my son passed I lost all interest,” the nurse said with tears now flowing freely. “I caught the coverage on ESPN2 a few weeks ago and I loved every minute of it. I think it’s time to get back to the race track. I miss it.”

This nurse understood the happiness drag racing can provide. After beginning the healing process from the loss of her son, she can’t wait to attend her next race.

The conversation was therapeutic for us both. However, we were not the first to experience the rejuvenating elixir drag racing can provide.

When three-time NHRA Top Fuel World Champion Shirley Muldowney and 14-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion John Force suffered severe injuries in Montreal, Canada and Dallas, Texas, many believed their driving careers were finished.

Muldowney and Force thought otherwise.

Medical attention and months of painful rehabilitation helped the bodies heal. Sheer determination, love for the sport of drag racing and support from the racing community also helped these two great champions climb back ‘in the saddle’ of their nitro-powered race cars.
Recently, Cagnazzi Racing raised $27,000 during a fund-raising benefit for their lead chassis builder Todd Bevis, who is battling cancer. The support from a community who shares the same passion Bevis possesses may prove to be the ‘pill’ which helps him “kick cancers butt.”

NHRA Funny Car driver, “Fast” Jack Beckman, often points to “G-Force” therapy, (which he defines as visualization of driving a race car and the act itself) as a factor in his survival of level-3B lymphoma. Support from a secure network of friends met through drag racing also helped Beckman.

It can help you as well.

Drag racing can be the medication which provides inspiration to battle any affliction you may have. Side-effects may include; blurred vision, sinus congestion caused by nitro-fumes and a constant ringing in your ears.

To heal, take one dose of drag racing and call me in the morning.