Faith and a supportive team inspired Bruce Litton to win his first-ever IHRA Top Fuel championship

 

Bruce Litton couldn’t have felt any lower than he did in September of 2006. The veteran IHRA Top Fuel racer had just suffered his second major crash in as many seasons, yet this time he was badly injured.

Litton’s mishap during the IHRA North American Nationals in Epping, NH, left him nursing injuries serious enough to suspend his racing activities.

Litton’s subsequent wounds served as a reminder to just how fortunate he had been to escape with minor scratches following his accident during the 2004 season-opener in San Antonio, Texas. Faith and a supportive team inspired Bruce Litton to win his first-ever IHRA Top Fuel championship

 

Bruce Litton couldn’t have felt any lower than he did in September of 2006. The veteran IHRA Top Fuel racer had just suffered his second major crash in as many seasons, yet this time he was badly injured.

Litton’s mishap during the IHRA North American Nationals in Epping, NH, left him nursing injuries serious enough to suspend his racing activities.

Litton’s subsequent wounds served as a reminder to just how fortunate he had been to escape with minor scratches following his accident during the 2004 season-opener in San Antonio, Texas.

This time was different. Litton would be out of competition for at least the final three races ensuring his worst finish since 1999. That prognosis didn’t set well for Litton.

Never mind the fact that he’d cracked his skull, broken his nose and elbow, as well as suffered a severely lacerated shoulder. He wanted back on the proverbial wild horse that had thrown him.

The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak.

[Video of Litton's 2006 crash]

What’s a drag racer to do? Litton’s faith as a born again Christian wouldn’t allow him to lie to the doctor. But, he adds, there are no provisions in the Ten Commandments to offer up advice if the physician doesn’t ask the questions.

“A week before Rockingham, which had been like 4 weeks after the crash, I was talking to the doctor and I asked him if I was clear to drive and he said yeah you can start driving again,” Litton said. “So he didn't really make it clear if it was my Suburban or my Top Fuel car that I could start driving again so I went back and told [crew chief] Mike [Wolfarth] that we're going to race at Rockingham just to get a race under our belt and Mike asked me if he cleared me for the truck or for the race car.

“I didn't ask that question but I think he meant the Top Fuel car … <smile> so that's the car that we ran,” Litton added. “When we ran I was just trying to be careful and I felt pretty good about it so that's why we went ahead and ran.”

Just returning to the seat after such a violent experience was a major step forward for Litton’s morale as well as that of his team. A lesser man might have believed that God was merely pointing out that He wants them to go in another direction. If you ask Litton, adversity can be discouraging but also a faith builder.

“I wondered if I needed to be out there at times,” Litton remembered. “We still had fun doing this and our dedication had not wavered. I guess you could say that we had every right to be discouraged. It was always something that held us back like an oil down here, crash here and a crash there -- it always seemed like that beat us up but this year my first goal was to stay out of the hospital.  My second goal was to be a good contender.  God blessed us and kept us out of harms way all year so that was really crucial.”

Litton will be the first to admit that he pulled out all of the stops en route to this championship run. He even reunited with members of his original crew, the same gathering of veteran wrenches who exerted fierce challenges to IHRA champions Don Lampus, Paul Romine and Clay Millican.

Litton knows the challenges of defending his first title will be tough, but in winning this first one, he’s had a tremendous weight lifted from his shoulders. He cautions that winning that first one is not a guarantee that others will follow or be any easier.

“I don't think it's going to make anything any easier to attain but I think it gives you a sense of accomplishment,” said Litton. “You can put your mind to something and if you work hard enough at it and you are blessed and if you get past a couple of rounds then you can get it. You can just kind of put that thought to anything that you're doing. It gives me more confidence to go after another goal.”

But for Litton, he’s enjoying this one today.

[Video Tribute of Bruce Litton's first-ever IHRA Top Fuel World Championship]