Asleep At The Wheel (1 Viewer)

[TopFuel@Lions]

It was considered a off night due to no AA/FD or AA/FC on this Saturday night at Lions Drag Strip. The card, circa 1968, early in the season. Had as the headliner a 8-car qualified field of AA/FA, and 8-car qualified fields of Top Gas and Junior Fuel. Also on the card was a 4-car qualified field of BB/GS.

Just before round 2 of AA/FA eliminations, I was coming back from a pit walk, at the head of the lanes in the famous Winged Express, Wild Willie was in the car suited up sans helmet and face mask sleeping in the car! I stood right next to the car listening to Borsch lightly snoring. Mousie came up and had to wake him up! Willie donned his mask and helmet and pushed forward on the track to the rollers, I hauled tail to dad and our seats to watch the master one-hand it down the track.

Great Stuff!

[email protected] a off night was still a big night at the best strip ever!

 

[Cliff]

Willie had a sleep disorder. The kind where the person falls asleep while eating, etc. Can't remember the name, starts w/ an N. Tommy Johnson Jr has it. Willie used to take naps in the trailer between rounds to try to fight it. Some have wondered if he fell asleep while driving. !! Oh, so that's why he hit the guard rail....

I used to love to go to Lions for the shows like you describe. Loved AA/FA, T/G and JR/F. They put on a great show. Remember the Sassy Gremlin BB/GS? AMC Gremlin with a blown Chrysler. That was a great circuit, ran around 9.90's.

 

[Cliff]

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[wireguy]

Willie had a sleep disorder. The kind where the person falls asleep while eating, etc. Can't remember the name, starts w/ an N. Tommy Johnson Jr has it. Willie used to take naps in the trailer between rounds to try to fight it. Some have wondered if he fell asleep while driving. !! Oh, so that's why he hit the guard rail....

I used to love to go to Lions for the shows like you describe. Loved AA/FA, T/G and JR/F. They put on a great show. Remember the Sassy Gremlin BB/GS? AMC Gremlin with a blown Chrysler. That was a great circuit, ran around 9.90's.

The sleeping disorder is narcolepsy, same as the guy in the movie, Weekend at Bernies'.

 

[Nick Name]

I heard stories that Willie would make a pass and when the crew got down to him he would be fast asleep in the car. There is a motorcycle pro stock racer that had a hard time staying awake when driving his truck to races. As I eas in Calif, he would call me from the road and I would talk to him while machining parts in an attempt to help him stay awake.