Sportsman moment of the year - Page 2

Chuck Norton · 11-16-2009, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CycloneFE

Chuck,

This one is for you.

http://gallery.competitionplus.com/m...itemId=1330332

Steve

And...there's my screen saver photo for 2010! Thanks,

c

MFR440 · 11-17-2009, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julie Jordan

My vote would be for Westcott Sr's win at the Hemi Challenge this year. All the thrashing they had to do to change a motor between rounds, barely make the call, then win the race. It was a testament to teamwork and working through adversity.

I agree! That thrash was amazing - so I heard...I had just left the pits when it all started :-( . Charlie is not everybody's favorite HEMI guy, but the number of people who pitched in from many different teams was simply amazing. This showed that the HEMI gang really are "sportsmen".

The stock final at Pomona is a very close 2nd. Gotta love the win by a Max Wedge Mopar!

Seeing Big Daddy with the new Challenger at Indy was really cool, too. He was thrashing on it even after he didn't qualify.

thomas sheehan · 11-17-2009, 09:41 AM

The Westcott thrash reminded me of "THE" most famous indy sportsman thrash of all time (at least in my opinion...).
Late 70's, back when sportsman drivers got a time trial on monday morning at INDY (believe it or not0, John Lingenfelter blew a motor in his green corvette on his morning time trial. Lingenfelter had someone with a helicopter fly back to his shop and get his spare motor. I swear at least 8-10 wreches were ripping the old engine out while the new motor was helicoptered in.
The motor was replaced in time and I believe (correct me if i'm wrong), he did lose rd 1 that day because of a gasket or bolt malfunction???
It still was a sight to see.

Todd Bailey · 11-17-2009, 09:52 AM

Tom,

I remember that story. From what I read, in all the thrashing, someone grabbed a bolt and stuck it in the rubber fuel line to plug it (Probably before anyone ever really used braided line) and that bolt had some silicone on it. Lingenfelter fired the car up in the lanes and it died. Never would start. Took the carb apart and a piece of that silicone had found its way up in there. Hell of a thrash, though. That guy was an amazing individual.

BlueOval Ralph · 11-17-2009, 10:31 AM

From the picture I saw it looks like Charlie has a *** clutch can, when did NHRA ok these for Super Stock???

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julie Jordan

My vote would be for Westcott Sr's win at the Hemi Challenge this year. All the thrashing they had to do to change a motor between rounds, barely make the call, then win the race. It was a testament to teamwork and working through adversity.

X-TECH MAN · 11-17-2009, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueOval Ralph

From the picture I saw it looks like Charlie has a *** clutch can, when did NHRA ok these for Supe Stock???

MoPar probably said the SS/AH cars came that way from the factory as standard equipment.....lol.

mtkawboy · 11-17-2009, 03:52 PM

For me it was seeing my old friend Bill Dyer and his son win M/S and N/S at Indy with both cars in the winners circle picture. Probably wouldnt mean as much to the rest of you but it did to me.

Steves68Nova · 11-18-2009, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck Norton

had been featured with a knowledgeable announcer

Just for the record I have been always impressed with Bob Frey's knowledge of racing. Including the sportman racing classes. I believe he was the one calling that race. Sounded like him.

Steve

Jim Wahl · 11-18-2009, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck Norton

Ladies and gentlemen, we have experienced a rare moment in class racing history. It was a glimpse of a by-gone era that many of us doubted would ever be allowed to surface again. "Sportsman Moment of the Year," indeed! How about "Drag Racing Moment of the Year," or "Drag Racing Moment of the Decade?"

1. No delay boxes
2. No transbrakes
3. No handicaps
4. No throttle stops
5. No nitro or laughing gas
6. No engines on a stick
7. No flip-up "plastic replicas of the Detroit iron"
8. No legion of crew members in matching uniforms thronging around the cars on the starting line
9. No one in the stands to see the race of the weekend
10. Probably no Association marketing guru still on the property to realize what they missed

Just real drag racing the way it began and the way we love it.

That run epitomizes what this sport has always been about. If the Stock final had been aired on TV with the proper promotion or had been featured with a knowledgeable announcer working a crowd of 30,000 daylight fans with an appropriate buildup it would have whipped up a frenzy of enthusiasm. It was a promoter's dream and it was wasted.

Who is going to write the back-story?
Who is going to promote the poster of that run? (I want one.)
Who is going to do the situational play-by-play analysis of the moment?
Who took video or still pictures of the preparations for that run?
Who will conduct the in-depth interviews with the drivers?

Oh well, it was great and before it fades into a dim memory I would like to personally congratulate two really tough racers who were cast into the spotlight and who deserve a hell of a lot more than they're going to get. Nice going guys!

c

Amen Chuck! Amen! That's what it's all about and only a few lucky people got to see it! Too bad, but history just the same. Jim

Tommy Gaynor · 11-19-2009, 10:52 PM

I can't believe nobody mentioned Joe and Hal Sorensen's runs in Woodburn OR and Boise ID! Joe's run in Woodburn was a thing of beauty!

# 1 6633 AA/SA Joe Sorensen, Woodburn OR, '69 Camaro 9.613 10.90 -1.287

At damn near 137MPH on a 9" tire, in July! Still to date the fastest sea level run by a stocker. Or in Boise I think the farthest under the index of the season! I take my hat off to Joe and Hal nobody and I mean NOBODY works harder on there stuff!

# 1. 633 B/SA Hal Sorensen, Vancouver WA, '69 Camaro 10.159 11.93 -1.771

I know the two tools named ED will bitch and moan because that's what they do. They are angry because they can't turn on the win light! Happy Holidays Tools!

Have a nice day!

11-17-2009, 09:41 AM	#3
thomas sheehan Photographer Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,717 Likes: 24 Liked 75 Times in 29 Posts	Re: Sportsman moment of the year The Westcott thrash reminded me of "THE" most famous indy sportsman thrash of all time (at least in my opinion...). Late 70's, back when sportsman drivers got a time trial on monday morning at INDY (believe it or not0, John Lingenfelter blew a motor in his green corvette on his morning time trial. Lingenfelter had someone with a helicopter fly back to his shop and get his spare motor. I swear at least 8-10 wreches were ripping the old engine out while the new motor was helicoptered in. The motor was replaced in time and I believe (correct me if i'm wrong), he did lose rd 1 that day because of a gasket or bolt malfunction??? It still was a sight to see. __________________ Tom Sheehan SS GT/NA 1046

11-17-2009, 09:52 AM	#4
Todd Bailey Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Houston Posts: 312 Likes: 31 Liked 33 Times in 17 Posts	Re: Sportsman moment of the year Tom, I remember that story. From what I read, in all the thrashing, someone grabbed a bolt and stuck it in the rubber fuel line to plug it (Probably before anyone ever really used braided line) and that bolt had some silicone on it. Lingenfelter fired the car up in the lanes and it died. Never would start. Took the carb apart and a piece of that silicone had found its way up in there. Hell of a thrash, though. That guy was an amazing individual.

11-17-2009, 03:52 PM	#7
mtkawboy Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Billings Mt Posts: 282 Likes: 195 Liked 54 Times in 18 Posts	Re: Sportsman moment of the year For me it was seeing my old friend Bill Dyer and his son win M/S and N/S at Indy with both cars in the winners circle picture. Probably wouldnt mean as much to the rest of you but it did to me.

11-19-2009, 10:52 PM	#10
Tommy Gaynor Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Vancouver WA Posts: 253 Likes: 2 Liked 5 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Sportsman moment of the year I can't believe nobody mentioned Joe and Hal Sorensen's runs in Woodburn OR and Boise ID! Joe's run in Woodburn was a thing of beauty! # 1 6633 AA/SA Joe Sorensen, Woodburn OR, '69 Camaro 9.613 10.90 -1.287 At damn near 137MPH on a 9" tire, in July! Still to date the fastest sea level run by a stocker. Or in Boise I think the farthest under the index of the season! I take my hat off to Joe and Hal nobody and I mean NOBODY works harder on there stuff! # 1. 633 B/SA Hal Sorensen, Vancouver WA, '69 Camaro 10.159 11.93 -1.771 I know the two tools named ED will bitch and moan because that's what they do. They are angry because they can't turn on the win light! Happy Holidays Tools! Have a nice day! __________________ "Go With Confidence"