2021 NHRA Gatornationals - Rekindling an Interest
By David Stenhouse, Data Mutz
Time and lifelong responsibilities can separate a person from their interests. It certainly happened to me.
I love drag racing. It is the most extreme motorsport on Earth, and yet I stopped actively following this sport for over a quarter-century. Different careers, raising a family, and ultimately spending all of my time building a small business and other projects pushed many of my pastimes aside, including attending NHRA events. I just lost interest, but it has been rekindled.
It started for me in the mid-1970s, drawing funny cars when I should have been practicing my grade school cursive writing. Don “The Snake” Prudhomme’s ARMY Monza was of particular interest and made appearances on many empty tablets where my homework should have resided. I may have thought the Snake was an active duty member in our armed forces. The noise and header flames drew me to the TV screen. I was mesmerized and recently discovered I still am.
March 12, 2021 - J.R. Todd in the pits at the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Todd went on to take the win in the Funny Car class. Photo by David Stenhouse
I enjoy the people, the machinery, the noise, and the speed. There exist not too many events that are more American than drag racing—a sport born on dry California lake beds in the 1930s and further blossoming in the 1950s. Drag racing now competes in sanctioned events worldwide. The competitors and spectators are a group that pushes limits and does not like to be herded, directed, or limited. The power transferred from engines through the tires to the track surface is fascinating to me. The technology is incredible. So, when I was recently planning to travel to Florida, I made sure the trip coincided with the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville.
“That’s insane“, my son-in-law said to me as Top Alcohol dragsters ran down the track during Friday’s qualifying round. Those new to visiting an event are surprised by the sound and the impact one experiences sitting in the stands. The feeling is real, as spectators will sense the ground shake while these cars move down the track. The noise is unmatched and attendees will damage their hearing without wearing protection. A nitro-fueled Funny Car or Dragster will pump out 150 decibels at full throttle, which is similar to standing next to an FA-18 Super Hornet with the afterburners ignited. Only pure explosive power moves a stationary vehicle 1,000 feet in under 4 seconds at over 325 mph.
My eyeballs shake a bit and blur my vision during a Top Fuel pass while trying to focus my camera. “That’s a beast” was another fun phrase heard from my son-in-law directed at a Funny Car after a burnout. American football doesn’t provide fans the experience of taking a hit across the middle. Baseball excludes the fan of striking the sweet spot, taking a shot out of the park. However, drag racing allows the spectator a small bit of the feel and sound the driver is experiencing at that moment, driving a blown Hemi engine with a wide-open throttle. It’s a small portion, but the feeling is there and draws crowds to the stands for the experience.
March 12, 2021 - Alexis DeJoria places her Funny Car into reverse with a crew member assisting after a burnout at the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Photo by David Stenhouse
While the track is the center of attention, the “pits” is where the teams prep their cars for the next pass. Each team is provided a spot in the pits, whether they are a multi-million dollar operation with semi-tractors or a single racer pulling his car on an open trailer. This is an area usually right behind the stands and is a small city in itself. It seems to host the largest collection of scooters and golf carts buzzing around. Any ticket to an NHRA event allows the fan into the pits and close to the teams to watch them break down and rebuild their cars. It is a fascinating display of engine components and tools found in each team’s designated spot.
March 12, 2021 - A Dad and son enjoying a Friday afternoon at the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Photo by David Stenhouse
The pits have the feeling of a county fair with the smells of funnel cakes, burgers, and popcorn. Fans moving around watching the teams scrambling to tune their cars and be ready for the next round. Dads and Moms holding the hands of their sons and daughters and pointing out drivers in hopes of an autograph or selfie. Their kids taking on the look of bobbleheads with oversized protective earmuffs.
At the Florida Gator trailer selling burgers and hotdogs to the crowd, I notice the grill man wearing an Ohio State hat and asked him why would he wear that in Florida Gators’ country. His name was “Tank”. Thinking his name was Hank, he corrected me: “No. ‘Tank’. Like an army tank!”. Tank told me his son is on the active Ohio State football roster. Gator country or not, he was supporting his son. A very large personality packed into a stout frame matching his name, Tank was going to be receiving pot shots all weekend wearing an Ohio State hat in Gatorland. He didn’t care and represents the drag racing community perfectly: Don’t tell me what’s safe. I am just going to do whatever I want.
Where It Started
I was fortunate to grow up in a family that appreciates the American automobile. My Dad, brother, and two brothers-in-law had some of the most incredible cars as seen by me years away from my driver’s license. Classic Chevy and Ford pickups, Z28 Camaros, and a convertible 60s Corvette. Each of these vehicles would drop me off at school now and then, landing me credibility with my friends. The exposure of hot rods came to me at a very early age and I eventually joined the club with a 1958 Chevy pickup of my own.
The author’s best attempt as an 11 year old to photograph Tom Hoover’s “Showtime” funny car at the 1980 World Finals in Spokane.
I remember going along with my Dad to the Woodburn, Oregon dragstrip when I was five years old or younger. I have a memory of a car making a run, but so slight that I don’t even know if it was a door car or a dragster. The memory of looking down the track, thinking “that’s loud and fast!” is embedded in me. I loved it. As I grew older my high school locker displayed photos of funny cars. Tom Hoover’s “Showtime” was one of my favorites—an ironic choice for a Pentecostal kid. While I followed football, basketball, and baseball along with friends, the sport I followed most was fueled by nitromethane. I even ordered a Gary Ormsby t-shirt through a magazine and wore it to Sunday night church services, hoping my parents wouldn’t see the small Winston cigarettes logo on the back.
Each year during the 1980s an August Saturday was spent at Spokane Raceway Park, a dragstrip located not far from Fairchild Air Force base and just west of the city’s downtown. The “World Finals” seemed to be a gathering of Canadians that came down for a party with abundant beer and a lack of hearing protection. A fan having too much fun spilled their drink from behind on my sister, resulting in words with my Dad or brother-in-law. One year, many fans leaped over the fence and onto the track, only to drop their pants and moon the opposite side stands. It was all an adventure to a much younger me.
GALLERY - 2021 Gatornationals Photos by Data Mutz
The jet cars were the signal to run for the parking lot at Spokane. This would be a foot race that started with my Dad moving us close to the parking area while being able to view the track. The jets always ended the night. The whine of their engines was our starter’s pistol, and off we went bolting through a dusty lot to beat the exiting traffic. It would be close to midnight on a Saturday night in Spokane, yet we had a westbound 3-hour drive back to our hometown of Lake Chelan in front of us.
Don “The Snake” Prudhomme’s semi parked in the pits at Spokane Raceway Park in August 1980 and captured by the author as a young fan.
On one particular trip, my best friend and I had the unique experience of throwing a couple of sleeping bags into the bed of my Dad’s Toyota pickup, sleeping almost the entire trip home with nothing securing us to the truck. No canopy and just the cool wind blowing over the cab. Ah, yes, the safety precautions exercised during our childhoods. I have grown to appreciate the time my Dad took to spend all afternoon at the track and then drive home late into the night. We still made it to Sunday morning church.
Later for me, it was Seattle International Raceway, or “SIR” as it was known in the day (now Pacific Raceways). I was in the midst of “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Joe Amato, Bob Glidden, Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, Tom Hoover, Frank Hawley, and others. I never saw Raymond Beadle’s Blue Max or Tom McEwen’s Coors Vette, however, I did see the Snake’s ARMY Monza Funny Car and a later Skoal Bandit version, both in Spokane. An autographed photo I received from Bob Glidden is packed away somewhere in my belongings. All memories I have locked in a mental vault only to be occasionally pulled out and enjoyed.
The Danger Can Be Somewhat Controlled
I missed Don Garlits’s 1987 Spokane blow over crash by a day. Although a historical moment, I’m glad I wasn’t there as I feared witnessing crashes for the drivers’ sake. While many will claim they love to watch races for the crashes, I assume most would cringe if seen live. Fans of the sport enjoy the pushing of the limits knowing those limits will eventually push back. However, few want to experience witnessing a structural malfunction or some random occurrence causing a driver to lose the control they have of the car. Drivers accept the risk because they love what they do but they are human and can fail. I do not like witnessing failure.
The safety equipment now employed by the NHRA and race teams compared to years past definitely gives leeway to the higher speeds. During the 2020 NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, Leah Pruett’s Top Fuel dragster experienced a structural failure that sent her car airborne at 300 mph+ while breaking in half and coming to rest against the wall. By the time the NHRA Safety Safari arrived, Pruett was standing outside of the car. Similar events have been seen in the past with Larry Dixon’s Top Fuel dragster in Gainesville, Steve Torrence losing his left tire at full speed at the Texas Motorplex in Dallas, and Antron Brown’s crash at Pomona in 2013. All drivers exited their cars safely. This is a testimony to the engineers behind these incredible vehicles and the NHRA’s willingness to keep evolving because safety is never guaranteed at these speeds.
March 12, 2021 - Leah Pruett preparing to warm up her Top Fuel dragster in the pits at the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Photo by David Stenhouse
The sport lost Scott Kalitta during the 2008 season at the NHRA Supernationals in New Jersey. An engine explosion triggered a series of events preventing his chutes from slowing the car. Kalitta’s crash resulted in the NHRA requirement in the top classes of an installed sensor that shuts off fuel and triggers the chutes in the event of an engine explosion. The run-length for the Top-Fuel cars was also shortened from 1/4 mile to 1,000 feet, creating a larger shutdown area.
The safety changes and the years spent away from following this sport make me feel as if I have suddenly been transported forward in time. Many of the tracks look different, with Jersey barriers in a place where I had not seen them before. Some are no longer in use, such as Old Bridgetown Raceway Park in New Jersey. I had also never heard of 4-wide nitro races—when did that start? The alcohol-powered cars are turning speeds the nitro cars did when I was a kid. And, there are so many new faces to follow.
March 12, 2021 - Hector Arana Jr. making a Pro Stock motorcycle qualifying pass at the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Photo by David Stenhouse
The Scene and Competitors Now
I recently read of the retirement of Megan Meyer, a young alcohol dragster driver—not once did I ever know about her career. Although short, it was successful. I completely missed Brandon Bernstein’s time in the cockpit. Brandon is the son of 6-time NHRA champion, Kenny Bernstein. Larry Dixon and Ashley Force are two others. Many successful drivers came and went through the sport for which I have not much knowledge. Not all, of course. My time away is as if I left my neighborhood to attend college, start a career, and raise a family. John Force was sitting on a corner house porch, waving at me as I drove off. Now revisiting my hometown years later he still occupies that porch and has welcomed me back home. It’s nice to know the sport in many ways has not changed.
As a kid, I was mostly interested in the top tiers of the classes—Top Fuel. Although they are still the kings and what draws most fans to their TVs and attending events, there are so many more interesting classes to watch and understand. Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle round out the NHRA top-level classes. Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car, Top-Dragster, Top Sportsman, Super Gas, Super Comp, Super Street, Comp Eliminator, and other classes are incredibly competitive and fun to watch if you understand the rules. Staggered starts can be confusing to new fans, leaving them wondering why one car receives a head start. It is all tied to equalling out the competitors but leaving enough responsibility to each driver for strategic decisions. Each individual race can be won at the starting line or the finish line (sometimes referred to as “the stripe” by drivers). The only part of this that seems to have changed in my absence is the speeds achieved by some of the classes. They are notably faster now.
March 12, 2021 - The Top Dragster of Brad Plourd in the staging lanes at the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Photo by David Stenhouse
The NHRA is only the tip of the spear in drag racing. There are other associations that sanction events nationally, and many associations gather competitors regionally and locally. Across the United States exists local tracks that do not host a yearly national NHRA event, yet hundreds of racers show up weekly for “test and tune” nights to dial in their cars and test their latest configurations. Consistency is key for all classes of drag racing.
Overall, the NHRA national events draw the television coverage and the crowds into the stands. Where most sports separate their fans from the stars, drag racing events are at the opposite end of the spectrum. They welcome the interaction. It is not uncommon to be asked politely to move so a crew member can move a piece of equipment around. While the pit areas are roped off to create obvious barriers, the closeness is unmatched.
Drag strips are located out of the city center with many in a very rural setting. The feeling that these stars of the sport are right in the backyard is real for many. While pro football, basketball, and baseball teams hold their events right in the heart of many major cities, drag racing events may find thousands of people across the county road from a farm. Gainesville Raceway is located northeast of the city’s core by an airport—a very fitting location to disperse the noise.
March 12, 2021 - Bob Tasca III and J.R. Todd leave the starting line during qualifications at the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Photo by David Stenhouse
My son-in-law and I walked down to the fence barrier in front of the stands. He wanted to get a different vantage point for the final Top Fuel qualifying passes. Fans at the Gatornationals may enjoy standing as close to the track as the NHRA allows, and the fence is the best spot if you want a feel for the power as it races by. Steve Torrence and Doug Kalitta blasted by with Torrence recording a speed of 324 mph. I estimate Torrence’s Top Fuel dragster to have been within 50-feet, with the energy of the pass rattling my head. A truly unforgettable experience.
There is something refreshing being around a group who live close to calamity yet look at that fine line and opine, “Yes, it’s dangerous. We can deal with that. Let’s go faster in the top end, straighter in the groove, and quicker off of the line”. It is a life view that draws many in and it has certainly brought me back.
March 12, 2021 - Joey Arrowsmith pulling his Competition Eliminator 2006 Pontiac into the staging lanes during the 2021 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida. Photo by David Stenhouse
Where The Rekindled Interest Is Heading
I’m happy to be back watching this wonderful sport and attending events. While many of my childhood heroes are long gone, some are still very much involved. I enjoy hearing their names come across the airwaves describing where they are now. I walked right past Don Garlits in Gainesville and I have recently heard of Don Prudhomme’s book. I follow Motormainia, Bangshift Video, Drag Racer TV, and stay up late watching YouTube videos shot by Straight Line Media. But much like many phases of my life, watching and following others does not satisfy me. I want to be inside the ropes and experience what happens there. This desire may just end up with me buying a better camera and taking thousands of photos in years to come, but other options do exist.
Patience and years of work may give way to opportunities. I am planning on attending Frank Hawley’s licensing course in 2022 so I can finally take a trip down the track and not just be a spectator. And although I could take the school at one of the tracks around the U.S.A., I am going to wait for a Gainesville class. There is something about that track and its history that makes me want to be on it. And a good friend who is a former Top Fuel crew member told me I will get hooked, which may lead to more expenses in the future. He knows me that well.
Stay tuned.
Quoted in Computerworld, Laptop Magazine, Businessweek, and numerous other print and online news outlets, David Stenhouse brings 20+ years of computer forensics experience working with law firms and corporate clients. He is currently President of DS Forensics, Inc..
A former Special Agent in the U. S. Secret Service and Trooper with the Washington State Patrol, he is now so blessed to spend each day running a business with his best friend—high school sweetheart and wife, Shay.
Follow David on Twitter @datamutz.