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Comeback
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NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals Comp winner Tony Stephenson knows a thing or two about the horrors of a crash
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By Bobby Bennett, Jr., Photos by Photos by John DiBartolomeo and Roger Richards |
Tony Stephenson dreamed of the day when he could make a commitment to run on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series tour. The 38-year old driver from Willow Springs , NC , couldn't have been any happier than he was on this particular February weekend in 2003. Stephenson, a heating and air conditioning contractor by trade, had made the switch to Competition Eliminator following the IHRA's decision to discontinue Modified Eliminator. No disrespect to the IHRA, the GM Performance Parts-sponsored racer had always wanted to run Competition Eliminator, and their decision to cancel Modified is what inevitably forced him to take that route.
Stephenson remembered posting a good reaction time in his C/Econo Dragster, .039 to be exact, and he was quickly gaining ground when everything went blank. Something had gone awry in Timmerman's car, forcing a two-car collision. As quickly as Stephenson had his opponent set up for the knock-out punch, he quickly found himself reeling from a punch the CIC (Competition Index Control) committee couldn't deliver. Stephenson was hurt and hurt badly. “The funny thing is, I don't remember anything about it,” Stephenson said. “The only thing I do remember is waking up as they were putting me on the stretcher. I asked what had happened and I was told that I had wrecked my racecar. I was put on one of the nicest helicopters in the world and I don't remember any of that, either.” Stephenson admits that everything else is a blur. “I did want to know who had won the round,” Stephenson countered. “That was in the hospital, though.” For some reason, Stephenson was declared the loser in the round. He still ponders why he lost and still cannot make sense of the ordeal. The one thing he could make sense of was the great deal of physical therapy that would be required to rehabilitate his battered body.
The doctors weren't overly optimistic of Stephenson's chances for a full recovery. He had suffered a severe laceration to his leg and right thigh. Muscles had been exposed and it became clear at this point that Stephenson stood a chance of irreparable harm. “The doctor wasn't sure how it would all heal up,” Stephenson said. “I was fortunate that everything healed up and I have full use today, but it's not as strong as it used to be.”  Stephenson smiles and admits his only loss outside of the round was skin, and the addition of a few scars is what he has to deal with today. He can't help but remember a daily regimen for six weeks of doctor's visits. Most of the time he spent confined to a bed, nursing injuries to nearly every vital organ on his right side, including his lungs. In fact, his sugar/glucose level skyrocketed and he lapsed into sugar diabetes from being inactive. The situation nearly reached the point of pushing him into a comatose state, but the doctors found it in time. Everything eventually returned to normal weeks later, and Stephenson is no longer insulin-dependant. He now enjoys life as normal. Normal is something that pushed him back into a racecar once again. “I had to do it,” Stephenson admitted. “If I didn't, I would never have raced again.”
“The hardest thing was running in Gainesville again,” Stephenson admitted. “Throughout qualifying and eliminations, I never thought about the crash. On Saturday evening, we had the second round. I was in almost identical conditions as I was when the crash happened. I went to the starting line and it was on my mind. I missed the tree a little bit, but I still won.” Stephenson is quick to point out that Timmerman called him in the hospital and they've gone as far as to watch the video trying to make sense of what may have happened on that fateful evening. “I certainly have no hard feelings at all,” Stephenson pointed out. “This was by no means intentional. There's nothing he could have done to prevent it. It was one of those freak accidents.
“I owe a lot to the safety of my car. If this had happened on I-95, I wouldn't be here today.” The accident has opened Stephenson's eyes to the dangers of drag racing. He pointed out that the severe accidents are not limited to the nitro categories. “Up until that point, I never considered my ability to get hurt doing this,” Stephenson said. “I always took for granted my car would go down the track and never have a problem. I look at things in a different light now. I think it has made me a better racer.”
“Having a tube chassis is something new for me,” added Stephenson. “We are struggling with it a little, but we are making good ground. It's going to be a great car. We have a few more Pro Stock bugs to work out of it to make it work good with an automatic. “I'm not shy on racing a dragster. The first thing I did when I got back was to order another one. I love my dragster and learned how to drag race in one.” Of course, the silent figure in our article has been Tony's wife of five years, Gail. “She still gets terrified every time I go down the track and I guess I can't blame her.”
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Stephenson had qualified seventh in his very first outing, a Division 2 event in Gainesville , Fla. He was firmly on his game, having won the first two rounds of competition. It was his third round match against the B/Econo Altered of Henry Timmerman that did him in. 
Whether Stephenson won or lost was moot to that point, as he added, “I was still alive and that's all that counted.” 
Stephenson has worked hard to put it all behind him. In fact, in only his third outing following the crash, he reached the final round in St. Louis . The ultimate comeback was during this season's NHRA Mac Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville . Stephenson recorded his first-ever NHRA national event victory. 
Stephenson has no fears about racing a dragster again, but has decided to do battle in an ex-Bullet Motorsports Chevrolet Cavalier. He lines up in the C/Econo Altered division. 