This seems like one of those events that everyone is thankful for to be over when it ends. Been there, done that and it is not fun. The 1989 NHRA California Nationals were filled with crazy runs, explosions, fires, and basically everything by the flying monkeys. When guys in rear engine dragsters are having fires big enough to melt the paint off of their helmets AHEAD of the engine, you know it is a bad day.
The racers who ate concrete and felt vulcan’s fury were varied. Gary Ritter is the guy you see in the burning funny car, Gene Snow smashed the wall, got knocked out, and then ran INTO A UTILITY POLE. Joe Amato was the guy who had his helmet torched. He blew it up so hard that they removed one bolt from the oil pan and the entire crank fell out of the engine. Finally there was Gary Ormsby, who would go on to win the title mangling a car as well. Hell, Dennis Forcelle barely gets a mention after making one of the great top fuel saves of the entire 1980s. Yeah, this one was something else.
This weekend the NHRA returns to Sears Point and hopefully we don’t deal with this level of madness in 2019. The second stop of the vaunted Western Swing starts on Friday and can be watched LIVE on Sunday as the race will air on the FOX broadcast network. Bam!
