(Words by Bad Brad Klaassen, photos by Kenny South, Dusty Rose and Bad Brad Klaassen) – Let’s go back to September 17, 2016, at Tulsa Raceway Park’s, Nostalgia Nitro Nationals and a literal unknown was making his debut in a nostalgia nitro funny car. The driver’s name, Dusty Rose, from Moore, Oklahoma, has become synonyms with one of the worst funny car fires seen or witnessed in recent years. The only reason Dusty was able to return to racing in 2017 was he knew bailing out of the inferno he was strapped in at approximately forty to sixty miles per hour would save his life. So, he did and landed head first on TRP’s racing surface still on fire. The Blue Max funny car’s owner and driver, Ronny Young, who was in the opposite lane to Dusty, was the first to his side to pat out the remaining flames and help Dusty calm down until the track’s safety crew arrived shortly thereafter. Dusty will always be the first to admit he was very luck that day, only receiving second degree burns to both knees that are fully recovered today without any surgeries. However, he did sustain serious third degree burns to his right thumb and forefinger that required skin grafts, but he’s extremely grateful things weren’t any worse than they could have been.

So, let’s fast forward to 2017 to check in with Dusty Rose today. He’s experienced many positive changes in his life since the accident. The first and by far the most important, his beautiful wife Tara gave birth to their first child, Gunner Axl Rose, a mere seven weeks after the accident. All the time this was occurring the racing family was reaching out to one of its own with love and support, both emotionally and financially, from all over the country. Dusty was often let speechless by the support he received from his family and so many friends, including a drag racing legend he’s idolized his entire young life. He’s also been very quick to acknowledge that without the help of his loving wife, Tara; taking care of him he would have been lost during this ordeal.

Many also don’t know Dusty began his nineteenth year in drag racing on April 17^th of this year. He started racing in the Jr dragster program like so many do today and advanced to bigger and faster cars, as often occurs in our sport. Dusty’s current ride is a beautiful small block powered front engine dragster he competes with in the Southwest Heritage Racing Association. Rose is a two time series champion in the nostalgia eliminator three class. And after a complete rebuilt by Dusty and is racing partner, his dad Milt Rose, they stepped up to the NE 2 class this year, which runs on a 5.0 index in the eighth mile eight race series.

However, before Rose could ever make a pass in his own SHRA NE 2 slingshot during the Oklahoma Spring Nostalgia Nationals, at Thunder Valley Raceway Park, in Noble, Oklahoma, April 15^th he had a problem. All of his safety gear that saved his life had been consumed in the funny car fire he survived in 2016. So, the racing family and industry surrounded the new father and racer with love and support. DJ Safety hooked Dusty up with a new 20X firesuit, boots and gloves and Impact helmets outfitted him with another brand new nitro filtered helmet like the one he was wearing during his fire. There have also been numerous entities that have come to Dusty’s aid including the members of the Southwest Heritage Racing Association and the Outlaw Fuel Altered Association, just to name a few.

Once again Dusty jumped into his own proven car for the first SHRA race of the year. But, with his unproven and untested new NE 2 combination, making his first lap since his fiery accident eight months earlier in Tulsa left him a bit unsettled. Not to worry, once Dusty was strapped in and his dad Milt helped the new beast come to life, both Rose’s had the same look of confidence and determination witnessed by so many for so long; the look of champions, because that’s what they are. Dusty rolled through the water box and completed his burnout. Once staged, Dusty launched the car perfectly with a nice wheel stand and away he went. The new 2017 racing season had been officially kicked off for Dusty and Milt Rose.

So, what’s the future hold for Rose and his fuel racing career, after such an extremely life threatening fiery start? Only Dusty can answer that. But, no matter his decisions and opportunities regarding driving a nitro funny car again, one thing is for sure. The racing family will always support him; they already have and won’t ever stop for him or any other racer.

See you at the drags,

-Bad Brad