Gary Densham will readily admit one thing. He’s a much better race car driver than a writer. But this didn’t stop the former school teacher from putting his so-called thinking cap on and pecking out a revelation on his computer.

Once he typed the title, WHY I LOVE DRAG RACING, it all began to flow with the intensity of a three-second nitro Funny Car run.

I went to my first drag race at Lion’s Drag Strip when I was 13 years old. I was hooked. I spent my time making my car faster than the other guy. That’s the goal of drag racing. But the races won, and the records set are not what I remember most. The memories most important to me are the people who have become my friends. I would not trade them for all of John Force’s championships.

Sometimes, in the thrash, to get the car ready for the next race and find the money you need to do that, you forget what is important. Due to the pandemic, we lost our major sponsors, and with a $20,000 dispute with NHRA last year, we thought we might be through with racing.

Then a new friend showed up.  Glen Davis, owner of Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse, came along and helped us get the parts and fuel needed to get to the Winternationals. He even works on the car.  So go get your tie cut off at a great restaurant not far from the Pomona track.

Sometimes, lightning can strike thrice. And for Densham, it came just one week before the most recent race on tour, the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Ca. Densham was informed his Centerline wheels he’d raced for years, were no longer legal for NHRA competition due to the company not being in business anymore.

“I didn’t find out officially until the Monday before the race,” Densham said.

Because they were out of business, they could not certify the wheels, which Densham had run for a decade or more, with annual safety certifications.

Densham, being Densham, hopped on the phone and started calling the more prominent teams seeking to purchase a new certifiable set of front wheels, but with no luck. The Force, Kalitta, Schumacher, Tasca, or any other teams had any front wheels they could afford to part with. He even called manufacturers, including a local manufacturer, who told him an order would be out six to eight weeks.

It was a tip from an NHRA official who sent Densham to Illinois-based wheel dealer Larry Hodge Racing Tires and Wheels.

By this time, Densham was desperate and on his last line of effort. Little did he know he was speaking to the 2001 NHRA Mid-South Nationals Stock Eliminator champion Larry Hodge. Ironically, it was the first NHRA national event Densham had won.

“I said, ‘My name’s Gary Densham. I’m looking for a set of front wheels, three and a half by 15, Welds or Sandler. What do you got?”

There was a pause on the other end of the phone, and the response was something Densham wasn’t prepared for.

‘Well, basically, he goes, ‘This is Larry. You probably don’t remember me, but 20-plus years ago, when you won your first race at Memphis, I also won Stock and shared the same stage with you. You were so emotional and so happy about winning that, and yet you had time for everybody up there. It didn’t matter who it was, Stock, Super Stock, top two, or whatever, congratulating everybody and just being so happy.”

“He said, ‘Since that time, I’ve kind of followed your career and been proud of you being able to fight with the big guys and all that sort of stuff.”

Densham said one of the most important lessons he learned early in life is respect. Last week, Densham received an object lesson on how this practice will ultimately pay dividends.

Hodge revealed to Densham how he bulked up his supply of wheels in the middle of the pandemic when other companies that couldn’t move the product were willing to part with them at a discount.

The next part floored Densham, who was just excited someone was willing to sell him some wheels.

“He told me, ‘I’ve already made my money back. It ain’t going to hurt me at all, but I’ll just give you a set of wheels.”

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For a man, who has never been at a loss for words, Densham said he was speechless.

“I didn’t know what to say,” Densham admitted.

Hodge sent the wheels, and Densham raced Pomona.

“I just can’t believe the guy was just so nice,” Densham said. “He didn’t have to do that. He didn’t even have to tell me anything. If he wanted to, he could have charged me $1000. He could have got it because I had no choice.”

After decades of paying it forward, the act of kindness came around for Densham and from a fellow drag racer, who was taken aback by the veteran Funny Car racer’s kindness over two decades ago.

The kindness for Densham is something the trusty veteran has truly enjoyed exhibiting.

“I’ve said so many times it’s the people I’ve met that have made the sport as great as it is today,” Densham said. “I would not swap that in exchange for John Force’s 16 championships because the people I’ve met and seen this just brought it all back into perspective. All the great friends I’ve made in Australia and being able to go there and race and meet them all and be lifelong friends and all this other stuff all of a sudden comes back to you when something like this happens, and you go, ‘wow, the sport really is cool, and it’s really cool because of the people.”

“Don’t get me wrong, driving the race car is cool and challenging. Trying to make a run good is cool, but when you cut through it, it’s the people.”

And that, Densham emphasizes, is why he loves drag racing.