I didn't win the dragster, but still a winner.

1)I got to sit in a top fuel dragster while it was running.
2)I got to stand on the starting line right between two top fuel
dragsters while they launched.
3)Got an all expense paid trip to the NHRA Pomona Finals in
Pomona, California for my wife and I.
4)Received lots of free prizes, and cash.
5)Got to hangout with Doug Herbert and his crew. These guys
were just great.
6)Was able to take hundreds of photos(many up-close and
personal)of the excitement and thrills of the event.
7)Received a personal invitation from Doug Herbert and
SNAP-ON tools to be a part of their team at any NHRA
event, for life.
8)Had a once-in-a-lifetime exciting weekend. Priceless!!


http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=51089835705


Emil Dusek

Sounds like a blast... With NHRA over :confused: for the season, I will be going thru NHRA withdrawl... Maybe I'll get some other things done around here... graemlins/hurray.gif

RIGHT ON!!!! Thats is something to be proud of. Not everybody can say they got to sit in a TFD while it was running. I bet it felt really good. Did you get to burb the trottle at all? That is way :cool: I bet you had a :D from ear to ear. And you got a life time membership to the team. Awesome!!!

Emil I was a guest with Werner Enterprises TF Dragster. Standing next to one of those monsters as they leave the line is an awesome experience for sure!!! We were all pulling for you. Great memories...
Milan

Wow, that is just awesome. A friend of mine crews for a top alcohol dragster called the Nitro Cowboy, this was his first season and had some technical problems, but he is expecting to come out with a bang next season, the runs he did get in were very solid. I have stood next to that thing while it was launching and it was incredible. Awesome opportunity.

Daniel

Originally posted by InsuranceGuy:
[QB]7)Received a personal invitation from Doug Herbert and SNAP-ON tools to be a part of their team at any NHRA event, for life./QB]So how did you tell your boss you are quitting? smile.gif

Tim.

This entire weekend was truly undescribable.

Saturday evening the crew was prepping the dragster and Doug
told me to get in, but he told me not to touch anything once they cranked
it up. I don't think he really needed to tell me not to touch the
accelerator pedal because I was more interested in the brake
and this monster not taking off with me in it.

Being crouched down low in the cockpit, it actually seemed
quieter then standing next to it....maybe I was overly excited and
just didn't notice how loud it was... smile.gif

Sitting in this fired-up dragster was the creme-de-la-creme
of the entire weekend.

I think I will only be able to make the Houston O'Reilly event
next year and I will definately be down there in his pit area.

Emil Dusek

yeaa now with nhra over ill finally have time to work on my project car, even though the Giants DO play on sundays, so i have to reserve alittle time to get to know the couch abit better. haha


sounds like a great weekend dude, im surprised when standing by those top fuel cars your bones didnt rattle apart haha, my only question is, did the nitro make your eyes water and your nose run? cuz thats just a small price to pay. haha

congrats

mike

Mike, that nitro is some bad stuff. Both my
eyes and nose burn from the stuff and I try
to get away from it when they crank the cars
up in the pits.

Saturday there was an idiot that must have
been on drugs or something because when
they cranked Dougs car he came running up
to the back of the car and purposely stayed
there with no protection for his eyes, nose
or ears. You could tell he was in immense
pain but he continued to stand there just to
see how much pain he could endure.

Emil DUsek:71SS-502(soon to be 555)

Emil, My whole family was pulling for you! It was cool to see you on TV. You were in the middle right?

Did you happen to ask Doug what it takes to become a member of his pit crew, or any TF/FC/PS pit crew for that matter? I've always wondered what kind of credentials are required to land such a job. I dont think the wife would want me on the road 3/4 of the year though.

Bummer that you didnt win, but it sounds like you had an unbelievable weekend. There's a 21 year old kid here in Indiana thats very jealous graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Adam, I spoke quiet a bit with Doug(a really great
guy)but didn't ask what it takes to become a
crew member. I don't know how long the mechanics
stay away from home, but James "Z", Doug's
hospitality trailer manager, said he hadn't
been home in 159 days. Doug flys his own plane
so he goes home after each race.

Here is the link to some of the photos we took.
I am in the middle wearing the red jacket
before I select my helmet box and on the end
next to Doug when we are opening them. The big guy, Jon Herring, won the dragster.

http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=51089835705

The Drawing

Doug was giving us each a helmet and he put
a card in each helmet box. Two of the cards
were just going to be autographed and the third
card was going to say, "Congratulations, you are
the winner". These helmets/boxes were going to
be placed on top of the dragster, at the starting line, and the finalists were going to select which
box they wanted. Prior to going to the starting line, Doug had us draw numbers out of his cap to
determine the order in which we selected our
box....I drew #1, Jon was #2 and Gregg was #3.

The dragster is towed into the staging area and
we all follow the dragster. Doug gives us each
a nice thick jacket, more photos, ESPN videos
us and more photos. Finally, the dragster is
towed to the starting line. The helmets are
placed on the dragster, ESPN videos, photographers
everywhere, Bob Frey interviews Doug. Then Doug
tells me to pick my helmet(naturally I pick the
wrong one)then Jon and then Gregg get theirs. We
are told to open them together and we all struggle
with the tape and Jon is the big winner.

Throughout this entire event, Doug and his
crew were the nicest bunch of guys and I
can't thank them enough for their hospitality
and making this an unforgettable experience.

Emil Dusek

Holy Crap! I saw you I think! There were 3 guys and one of them won a Top Fuel Dragster, sucks you didn't win though. I watched that whole thing, I think it was on espn, it was kinda annoying to watch though, I kept having to pick my jaw up off the ground smile.gif Those top fuel dragters are ridiculous, over 300 mph in 4 seconds! Imagine that kinda power, you're real lucky to have been able to experience that firsthand like that, that is just awesome!