Jack and I are friends, but it sounds like Bruce is getting thrown under the bus for having an opinion. He didn't post a "rumor."

The incident he is refering to happened in the Crawford and Head TA/FC at a Phoenix test and tune before Jack went for his TF license. It was the car Dennis Taylor used to drive before starting his own team. Jack came along with some financial support and approached Ken Head about driving his car.

According to Ora Vasquez who was tuning the car, Jack tried peddaling it through tire shake and drove it into the wall on the first pass. The car was heavily damaged and Ken Head called it quits shortly thereafter.

I'm sure Jack will tell you TA/FC is the hardest car of all to drive. The school cars probably didn't prepare him for a 5 second car in the midst of tire shake.

Jack has an opportunity and he should take it. But Whit's plight cannot be blamed on Jack. Both are big boys and can stand on their own two feet.

I think the face of drivers is in for a change. The driver is going to need to beat the bushes with professional marketing people to sponsor their desires, rather than waiting on a team owner like Shoe to invite them in as a salaried participant to the party. There's a lot for a team owner to think about when you consider the option of paying from $100K+ for a driver compared to another driver showing up with a suitcase containing $500,000-$1M for the priveledge to do the same. What would you do?

Driver endorsements and sponsorships will rule the day as more and more money is needed to run these cars. Michael Shumacher in Formula One gets millions from companies just to have their name on his driving suit. Guys like Whit and everyone else need to learn the marketing ropes if they want to survive to play another day. Once they find the $$, they can look for a successful organization like DSR to manage their program, just like Evan Knoll does with Ashley, Troxel, etc.

Jack wants this real bad...bad enough to get agressive about it. He is blessed with a personality that can turn a room full of strangers into long lost buddies in 10 seonds flat. He's the kind of guy who'll work hard to find $$ every year of his career just to make a guy like Shoe happy.

Getting lazy and thinking your a fixture in the drivers seat somewhere isn't going to cut it in the long run unless you're married to John Force's daughter. Thousands of people in the grand stands want your job, and you better have something to offer the team owner come contract time that will make him or her think twice about looking elsewhere.

Randall G.

That's one of the things I wondered. With his popularity and with the way Don's stuck by him, you'd think that Matco leaving would have opened up the opportunity for another sponsor. I know Jim Jannard spoke well of him here, too. Second Oakley car? Schumacher Electric?

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The faster you drive, the further you have to walk to get back to the road.

Post of all posts on this subject!

Randy.....you rock!

KB

this is a bummer for whit

I'm sure Whit will fit in quite well at Worshams.

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Oakley Old School Division

[quote=Randy Goodwin;17626

Getting lazy and thinking your a fixture in the drivers seat somewhere isn't going to cut it in the long run unless you're married to John Force's daughter.

Randall G.[/QUOTE]

It wasnt like he went from never seeing a race car to being the driver overnight. He just won the US Nationals, so I think Robert Hight knows what he's doing.

I don't think Randy is taking a pot-shot at Robert. I think he is trying to convey the point that drivers need to hustle and keep their seat rather than thinking it is owed to them.

Randy,

Thanks for adding more accurate accounting of the deal. Jack will admit that the car was a little bit out of the groove when he tried to pedel it and car reacted violently, sending him into the wall. Anybody that has spoken to Jack about the situation would tell you how terrible he felt about the incident.

Beyond that, Jack was not the first person to ever pedal and have it react that way and tag the wall... or cross the centerline. And he won't be the last!

Those people on here that are casting dispersion on Jack's character because of this situation without knowing him are doing themselves a disservice and directing their anger in the wrong direction.

I can understand being mad at DSR for releasing Whit under these unique circumstances. And I'm not saying DSR is right for doing so. But as Jack's friend I for the life of me can't understand why there is all this hatred for a guy who is simply trying to fulfill a lifelong dream and is able to take advantage of a situation that was completely beyond his control.

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Greg Stanley
2007 NorCal Top Comp Champion

John Goss is right. No pot shots. Blood is thicker than water and that was the point.

But the fact remains, the future in drag racing for the larger percentage of professional drivers is going to be about finding the $$. Whether it's through a special relationship with a team owner who has $$ in place or just plain ol' beating the bushes for it. Going...going...gone are the days of "claiming" a seat in the car. I would also think that the team owner and crew would have a lot more respect for a driver who brings something to the table rather than collecting from the pot every week.

In the old days (1960's and 1970's) a couple of guys with above average jobs could support a professional category car. A handfull of racers actually managed to earn a living off match race money. Then guys like Prudhomme and the Mongoose found a toy company to move them up to the next level. As it got more expensing, sponsor money became the number one concern. The pecking order used to be...Good driver...Fast car...and enough guys to chip in to run it. Now it's...Money...Crew Chief...Good driver (a good driver with funding).

It's interesting to me to see the Snake, Bernstein, Kalitta, and even Schumacher still out their and working hard to support (financially) the teams. I think some of the newer drivers have little understanding of what it takes to spin the starter on their ride, and just how much through the years the team owners (past and present) have been through to get them their.

Of the current crop of drivers I would say Larry Dixon, Jr would be able to tell you what it was like to live in a die hard racers world. Larrry was around when his dad raced, then he worked for the Snake many years as a crew member until he found himself in the drivers seat when Snake retired. A seat that needs $$ to survive.

Anyway, I hope I didn't offend anyone. I never raced a professional category car, but I have raced in a class that is over my head finacially for 16 years because of the generous support of sponsors and friends. I drove as long as I could until the choice was clear for me that I either get a driver that can bring $$ to the table or quit. For an owner that likes to drive that's a tough choice. Ask Dean Skuza.

John Force is the best example I can think of when it comes to a driver wanting it bad. I don't need to tell his story because most of you know it, but John in the strictest sense devoted his to life finding $$ just so he could drive his car.

RG

I'll second that.... Randy, you rock!!

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Jay Smith
www.fantasydragracing.homestead.com
www.myspace.com/styxboy

Joker, You Going To Be In Dallas?

Whit Bazemore is one of the best drivers out there. He should be in a seat.
Marketing majors as nitro funny car drivers yay. how exciting.
This is really probably rude but I 'm going to say it anyway.
Paul Dana died in an Indy car this year, and all anyone could say about him was what a great job he did getting the ethanol money.
la di freekin dah.

they coudn't say he was a good driver, because he sucked, and it could have been the IRL presidents son who died that day instead of Paul , when paul made the mistake.

We've seen what can happen when two nitro cars end up in the same lane.

I'mm sorry but I dont' care how nice a guy Jack Beckman is. I don't know anything about his talent level, but we know Bazemore's.

So I really think this sucks. This whole trend toward ride buyers is not a good thing. At all.

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I'm still DamnYankee

"A Friday night run in a Funny Car is just really intense" - Whit Bazemore

POW!!!!! Right in the kisser!!!!

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www.zizzoracing.com

Tryin

KB

Tony - we have butted heads in the past, but you are making some good points.
It will be interesting to see what sponsors are on the (possibly) former MATCO FC Friday. Jack has been a very successful racer and instructor for many years and has a huge number of supporters. Should be interesting to see how Todd and the crew interact with him. Instructions have probably been issued from above.