I wasn't going to comment on this but when somebody craps all over one of my friends, I feel I must.

When you are flying down the Dragstrip you don't have much time to think about what you are going to do. I have never driven a Top Fueler but I have had a catastrophic engine explosion in a 9 second door car. It blew up at around 800 feet and took out the entire left side of the block, broke the crank in 3 pieces, blew all but 2 rods out, broke the front off of the transmission, and 3 pistons ceased to exist. One of the peices hit a brake line and ripped it off so I had NO BRAKES and the car didn't have a parachute. The car jumped the sandtrap but I got it stopped and didn't hit a thing. My point is that I had the same situation as Hillary. The engine didn't feel right and I was just about to lift and it exploded. It doesn't matter what you are driving, things happen quickly out there and this type of thing happens from time to time. Hillary hasn't had all that many boomers in her career so knowing when the engine is going to nose over might not come as natural to her as say John Force.

The thing I just can't figure out is why some people seem to get so much pleasure out of throwing Hillary under the bus. I really have to wonder just how many of these people have ever been down a Dragstrip? There is nothing wrong with having an opinion but when the opinions turn into personal attacks, thats when there is a problem. Hillary knows how to drive a Top Fueler and she does a good job. As far as reaction times and keeping it straight, lay off. True, she has struggled with her lights but I have seen a lot of improvement lately. How quickly the car leaves the line isn't always all on the driver. Sometimes the car just doesn't react, it can be any number of things. As far as the deal at Columbus in '06, it's just one of those things that happens sometimes. I was in the tower watching that pass and it sure scared me. I ran back to the pits and Hillary & the crew had just arrived back at the trailer. She and I talked right after the run about what had happened. I can assure you she didn't do it on purpose. Let me tell you, Hillary wouldn't have a Top Fuel license if she couldn't drive the car.

Dave

Dave,

I don't think he was attacking Hillary... I think the thread was intended to discuss the best options in a situation, and not necessarily to critique her skills... At least that's how I took it...

I have to disagree with your last sentance though... A license allows someone to compete, but does not mean they can drive... I'm not talking about Hillary, but I have seen Sportsman drivers who should consider if their place in racing is outside the seat...

CJ Curtsinger

This is a simple question, not a judgement, would either teamates Dave Grubnic or Doug Kalitta lifted ? I think they would have, but perhaps its because they have more time in the seat. And when your at Gainsville for the first time, among people who seemed to almost own that section, you don't turn around and question the comments they are making. But even in the stands at Vegas and at Indy, people seem think another driver would be winning races in that car, look at the e.t. and mph. Lack of Walleys is not the problem of the crew chief or efforts of crew. And strangley most of the tossing under the bus comes from women.

And as to that bump in the track and at other tracks that have had photos posted showing them , with the high cost of parts and the high speeds why is this not a problem being solved. A car thats airborn at 300 mph is a tradgety waiting to happen. Bumps can be fixed. John Medlin can't fix tracks and cars.

Dave, I didn't think that I was crapping on anyone. I candidly admitted that
I -do- watch Hillary with a more critical eye. Just the semi-informed opinion of a mere fan, I know, but Columbus raised a lot of eyebrows at the time.

That being said, I was asking a QUESTION and looking for the opinions of folks with the time in the seat/pits to be in a better position to judge than me.

The responses I was looking for were like this: "Hillary hasn't had all that many boomers in her career so knowing when the engine is going to nose over might not come as natural to her as say John Force."

Is it crapping on Hillary to say this? Or it is throwing Hillary under the bus to even pose the question?

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Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward. ~Job 5:7
Buy the ticket, take the ride. ~ Hunter S. Thompson

good grief people. It's amazing how only certain drivers get questioned here.

I can't figure out why, its a male ego? Is is jealousy that she has a ride and you don't. She has a bad light and people ride her, Andrew Hines also pulls .1 light and nobdoy says a word. She ignites an engine and people want to blame her. Over the past few seasons Cruz has made it a regular habit yet its not his fault.


Ask when a driver should lift or how they should react rather then how one driver didn't react to how you thought. But if you are going to point out one driver's fault then you best point them all out.

Also remember in writing a blog you have the chance to write it all out and explain things in detail for the reader. Where as when you are going through it it all happens in a flash.
Ever spun out driving in the winter? Been in a fender bender or any other accident? Think of the miliseconds you had then to respond and what you did? Now think of how you tell that story to others. Sure seems like you had more time to react when you retell it doesn't it. Now imagine making those calls at 300mph.

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Tact is for those not witty enough for sarcasm

Hillary [Will] for president!

Don't lift until you see god! Keep giving those boys fits, Hillary.

PS - I'm still single.....

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ColoradoDragRacing.com

YES PJ, I have been in a car accident just recently. My turbocharged Saab 9-3 was firing on all 4 cyilinders, clutch was 100% hooked up, I was topped out at a blistering 38 mph in the middle of a busy intersection. A Geo Tracker pulled out in front of me head on, attempting to make a left turn directly in my path. You want to talk about about split seconds?? I remember seeing the tracker coming towards me. The next thing I remember I was looking at my deflated airbags........ and we're only talking about a car cracking the 35 mph barrier......

I'll always say that anyone who criticizes race car drivers' actions in crash or high speed failure situations is flat out full of crap.

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Who will? HILLARY WILL !

It's real easy to second guess yourself in those moments. The car can just move on you in a heartbeat.

David,
Here's what you do to pacify the keyboard PC cops and peek a boos from the Orah feel good board. In the future don't specifically mention the driver by name and just substitue "driver" instead. If it's a thread about a crew chief or owner just substitute the word "crew chief" or "owner." Then it becomes a generic question and you won't be labeled a racist, homophobe or gender basher. As you can see some of these posters have thousands of responses on this website in less than two years and that shows they don't have much of a social life and really get a lot of their knowledge or lack of knowledge from the computer.

Very true William , but if you mention certain things about a driver or crew chief people without using names people can figure out who your talking about. For example, The Top Fuel driver who is very very consistant on the tree, or the Funny Car crew chief who makes lots of power, but booms a lot of motors , or the Top fuel crew chief that makes lots of power but has a very calm tune up manner. Most people can figure out who that best describes. As to comments comming from people who sit in stands and don't have a clue, well while having dinner with friends at the Bonefish Grill Rresturant in Gainsville I was in the company of more than a handfull of very well known teams, they were all over that place. And the comments made were much harsher than those posted here. And comments are made in stands of every sport.

At least people have stopped *****ing about her sunglasses.

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"I got a fever, and the only prescription... is more cowbell!"

Buell's and Hardley's suck!

I am personally apalled that we've burnt through 2 pages of all this malarkey being talked about here.... yet NOBODY mentions Jim Oberhofer wearing a gold dress and black curly wig at the picnic !!!!!!

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Who will? HILLARY WILL !

He is a very pretty woman!!!

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It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.
Niccolo Machiavelli

I don't know why the drivers raced on such a bad track. From the views of the bump that I saw on TV, it looked like something that I wouldn't want to drive over at those speeds. IMO, the drivers and car owners should tell NHRA that they will not race on any track that is not in good condition. How many $$$ did this track condition cost to the car owners in broken parts and lost rounds? We're just lucky it didn't result in any accidents.

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NITRO! Some is good, more is better and too much is just enough.

John