Re: "Good Ol' Charlie Brown" Video 1993
 

Great video Wayne. That is one of my favorite Super Stockers of all time. I was there that day. One of the best drag races I ever went to. I loved that track. Unfortunately that was the only time I ever went there. Shortly after I moved back to Phoenix. In this time I have been here in Phoenix. I have never been to a drag race event as good as that one. At either of the tracks we have here.
Thanks for posting Wayne.
Matt, the guy that built the model of your Chevelle.

Re: "Good Ol' Charlie Brown" Video 1993
 

Here's an interesting tidbit about the Boyles video clip. At the time, I and Ed O'Reilly were IHRA's national event announcers but this Super Stock session was handled by IHRA veteran race director, (and possibly its greatest supporter back then), Dick Miles of Virginia.

Dick was as hardcore about IHRA class racers as any human I've ever known and he knew 'em all from hometowns to classifications and from family members to factory engine specs. He absolutely loved the cars and we often "let him" announce Stock, Super Stock or Modified qualifying sessions.

If I wasn't announcing or doing the TV coverage, some of you might remember I was usually on the starting line peeking into windows and checking launch RPM for information when I would announce the next session. Ed O'Reilly would usually swap chairs as event director with Dick to allow Miles to announce.

By the way, I'm fairly certain Dick still works at Elk Creek Dragway in Virginia.

Re: "Good Ol' Charlie Brown" Video 1993
 

BTW on the comment of Mike not hitting two step he did'nt have one,I remember he tried high side chip @ Clay City WCS when 6AL was still pretty new biggest chip he could come up with was 9800 stood on bumper came back pulled chip out,
If you have ever noticed Good Ol Charlie Brown will usaully wheelie about a foot high through low gear then come up about 2 foot high in second that is because Mike told me he overwinds on starting line to kill power so it does'nt wheel stand so high,like it did with 9800 chip He used to leave around 11K, but have'nt got to see or talk to him since about 1998.
Mike Taylor 3601

Re: "Good Ol' Charlie Brown" Video 1993
 

Bret, you are correct about Dick... I have been friends with him for many, many years.... He is still at Elk Creek and still announcing... You are right about him being "hard core".... He knows more stats on racers than anyone else I know.... And he keeps it in his head .... not a computer!!!!!

Re: "Good Ol' Charlie Brown" Video 1993
 

Dick Miles is truly one of the most wonderful men I've ever met...in drag racing or anywhere else.

Re: "Good Ol' Charlie Brown" Video 1993
 

x 2 , I agree 100%

Re: "Good Ol' Charlie Brown" Video 1993
 

Personally I was very sad to see this track go the way of the big corporate NHRA way and it loose it's IHRA Event. It was there that day that I fell in love with IHRA. It was also so sad to see the old tower fall. There was a pictorial of the demolition of the tower in one of the Drag mags of the day. I think Super Stock & DI. I guess that doing that and turning it into an NHRA MEGA TRACK is better then the other alternative Burton Smith was thinking about doing. Now as we speak, Smith and his Speedway Motorsports, Inc are in the process of killing the uniqueness of Phoenix International Raceway and turn it into another one of his cookie cutter tracks. :confused:

To me, that day was the perfect drag race.
I also miss the coverage that you, Bret and your team did on ESPN. By the following year I was back here in Phoenix and I taped the coverage of the 94 event you guys did on ESPN. I still have it and watch it. I need to get it transferred onto DVD. That was one of the best sportsman coverage I ever saw on TV. So glad I got it on tape. You guys were PRO with it. You did that piece on Racing Radios making it to the sportsman ranks. Also the thing on all of the drivers getting radial keratotomy for better reaction times.

Back then my buddy that I went to that race with use to say to me. "THESE, are the Good 'Ol Days". And I would reply, "The 90's, are you crazy. I would kill for it to be like the late 70's again." Wow, he was right. 1993 was the "Good 'Ol Days"
Again thanks Wayne for the vid. And thanks Bret for your inside stories. Wayne, you got anymore videos from that weekend?

Re: "Good Ol' Charlie Brown" Video 1993
 

Does Bristol dragway still wrap around the mountains today, or did the NHRA clear some of the mountains to straighten the path?

Re: "Good Ol' Charlie Brown" Video 1993
 

No they cut the mountain and made it all straight. You can see it real well on Google Earth.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...design/BIR.jpg
I like how it use to look when I went there back in 93. with the way it went around the mountain. It looked like race cars going down some little Interstate weaving through the mountains. Just always looked neat to me.

Re: "Good Ol' Charlie Brown" Video 1993
 

I hadn't thought about that feature in years! Since Ed O'Reilly and I kept the stats, I noticed several drivers, (Doug Kirk and Carlton Phillips come to mind...possibly Mauney, too), had significantly better RTs that season and it occurred to me both had the procedure. I questioned them about it, (on camera), and all were very reluctant to talk about it until they realized I figured it out. Eventually, they "came clean" on the subject.

Thanks for the kind words, Matt and remember THESE are the "good old days".