HISTORY ON DIXON'S SIDE IN COMMERCE
Mon, 2010-05-17 15:30
The history of drag racing is not a lost point on Larry Dixon.
On Sunday in Commerce, Ga. the second-generation Top Fuel driver won national event No. 52 placing him in a tie with Joe Amato on the list of all-time Top Fuel winners.
“I feel unworthy,” said Dixon, an admitted fan of drag racing history. “I feel the same way as the guys I looked up to when I wasn’t racing … Garlits, Shirley and Joe Amato … those were the guys. Growing up and reaching a number that he did … I looked up to Joe Amato when I got started.” The history of drag racing is not a lost point on Larry Dixon.
On Sunday in Commerce, Ga. the second-generation Top Fuel driver won national event No. 52 placing him in a tie with Joe Amato on the list of all-time Top Fuel winners.
“I feel unworthy,” said Dixon, an admitted fan of drag racing history. “I feel the same way as the guys I looked up to when I wasn’t racing … Garlits, Shirley and Joe Amato … those were the guys. Growing up and reaching a number that he did … I looked up to Joe Amato when I got started.”
Awards such as the one he attained on Sunday are always met on a humble basis for the storied Top Fuel driver for one reason. His accolades are being earned in a drastically different era.
“I will always be humble in these instances because those guys I looked up to didn’t race the way we do,” Dixon explained. “They didn’t race a 23-race series. You have more of an opportunity to run the numbers up if you have the opportunity. They didn’t. You look back and Don Prudhomme won all the races in 1965 – that was two. We get 23 shots at it, you’re going to get the numbers.”
Dixon raced just as strong during the 2010 NHRA Southern Nationals as the legends did back in the day.
“The car seemed flawless all weekend,” said Dixon. “It ran a really tight package except the one run on Friday night run when you could really pour it on.”
Dixon wasn’t speaking just to hear himself talk either.
Throwing out the Friday evening run, Dixon had seven runs between a 3.86 to a 3.91 in the heat of the day.
Dixon met up with a resurgent Brandon Bernstein in the final round and the other second-generation driver pulled out all the ingredients in the final round looking for an upset.
Don’t think for a moment a resurgent Bernstein wasn’t trying to spoil Dixon’s flawless weekend. He was -.003 red in the final.
“If he would have gone on the green side of the reaction, he could have gotten me,” Dixon admitted. “He had .08 on us and we went up there with all we thought the track would take.”
Heading into the final round, Dixon looked unbeatable on paper. Just as drag races aren’t conducted on paper Dixon learned long ago there are no unbeatable racers.
“I never feel unbeatable,” Dixon admitted. “Dick LaHaie browbeat it into me if a guy can roll up and stage his car under power that you only have a fifty percent chance of winning. Period. No better. No worse. You are up there for only three seconds. Last race we had a hiccup in the semis and were sent packing.”
Dixon has four victories this season and the victory extends his lead over Cory McClenathan to 112 points.
On Sunday in Commerce, Ga. the second-generation Top Fuel driver won national event No. 52 placing him in a tie with Joe Amato on the list of all-time Top Fuel winners.
“I feel unworthy,” said Dixon, an admitted fan of drag racing history. “I feel the same way as the guys I looked up to when I wasn’t racing … Garlits, Shirley and Joe Amato … those were the guys. Growing up and reaching a number that he did … I looked up to Joe Amato when I got started.” The history of drag racing is not a lost point on Larry Dixon.
On Sunday in Commerce, Ga. the second-generation Top Fuel driver won national event No. 52 placing him in a tie with Joe Amato on the list of all-time Top Fuel winners.
“I feel unworthy,” said Dixon, an admitted fan of drag racing history. “I feel the same way as the guys I looked up to when I wasn’t racing … Garlits, Shirley and Joe Amato … those were the guys. Growing up and reaching a number that he did … I looked up to Joe Amato when I got started.”
Awards such as the one he attained on Sunday are always met on a humble basis for the storied Top Fuel driver for one reason. His accolades are being earned in a drastically different era.
“I will always be humble in these instances because those guys I looked up to didn’t race the way we do,” Dixon explained. “They didn’t race a 23-race series. You have more of an opportunity to run the numbers up if you have the opportunity. They didn’t. You look back and Don Prudhomme won all the races in 1965 – that was two. We get 23 shots at it, you’re going to get the numbers.”
Dixon raced just as strong during the 2010 NHRA Southern Nationals as the legends did back in the day.
“The car seemed flawless all weekend,” said Dixon. “It ran a really tight package except the one run on Friday night run when you could really pour it on.”
Dixon wasn’t speaking just to hear himself talk either.
Throwing out the Friday evening run, Dixon had seven runs between a 3.86 to a 3.91 in the heat of the day.
Dixon met up with a resurgent Brandon Bernstein in the final round and the other second-generation driver pulled out all the ingredients in the final round looking for an upset.
Don’t think for a moment a resurgent Bernstein wasn’t trying to spoil Dixon’s flawless weekend. He was -.003 red in the final.
“If he would have gone on the green side of the reaction, he could have gotten me,” Dixon admitted. “He had .08 on us and we went up there with all we thought the track would take.”
Heading into the final round, Dixon looked unbeatable on paper. Just as drag races aren’t conducted on paper Dixon learned long ago there are no unbeatable racers.
“I never feel unbeatable,” Dixon admitted. “Dick LaHaie browbeat it into me if a guy can roll up and stage his car under power that you only have a fifty percent chance of winning. Period. No better. No worse. You are up there for only three seconds. Last race we had a hiccup in the semis and were sent packing.”
Dixon has four victories this season and the victory extends his lead over Cory McClenathan to 112 points.
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