14-Time Champion Drag Racer Captures Crown of Best Story Teller …

Nobody tells a story like John Force and for one solid month spanning from December to January, the readers of CompetitionPlus.com agreed.

The fourteen-time champion from Yorba Linda, Ca., called on his older brother Louie for inspiration to defeat Pat Musi in the final round. Force edged Musi by the second closest of margins by claiming victory with a 52.89% – 47.11% margin.

The emotionally and physically drained Force, just in from testing in Phoenix, said the victory is one he ranks among his greatest accolades. Driving an 8,000-horse Funny Car is one thing for Force, but telling a story like a champion is another.

14-Time Champion Drag Racer Captures Crown of Best Story Teller …

WAR STORIES SHOWDOWN HOME PAGE

Nobody tells a story like John Force and for one solid month spanning from December to January, the readers of CompetitionPlus.com agreed.

The fourteen-time champion from Yorba Linda, Ca., called on his older brother Louie for inspiration to defeat Pat Musi in the final round. Force edged Musi by the second closest of margins by claiming victory with a 52.89% – 47.11% margin.

The emotionally and physically drained Force, just in from testing in Phoenix, said the victory is one he ranks among his greatest accolades. Driving an 8,000-horse Funny Car is one thing for Force, but telling a story like a champion is another.

“Anything I do I put my heart into,” Force said. “I love telling stories and people know me for that. When you are talking about people like Shirley Muldowney and Gary Scelzi those are special people to me and then you add in my brother Louie and that takes it to a whole new level for me personally. As I was thinking and talking about these stories I was also reflecting on my life and what it would take to win. Winning is what I do best.”

Musi was quick to point out that he became as much a fan of the competition as a participant.

“There were some really good stories in the competition,” Musi said. “I’m just happy I was able to make some people laugh. I got a lot of emails and calls over this thing. People just wanted to tell me they had laughed so hard they cried at some of them.”

Force spun yarns of humor and heartfelt feelings throughout the competition, a successful mix that inspired more laughter than tears. His championship effort was nearly halted before it began as unheralded Don Gillespie, the 16th qualifier, pushed Force to the line, a scant five votes separating the two at the finish.

Force’s Pig in the Pipeline tale of misunderstanding was nearly ousted by Gillespie’s tale of a teenager given the incredible assignment of photographing Orange County International Raceway only to nearly lose it when discovering the after effects of Vodka.

He moved on to the second round where Shirley Muldowney provided stiff competition, but in the end, losing daughter Ashley Force and winning his first national event in the same week proved to be a more potent story.

In the semi-finals, Force faced down longtime friendly rival Gary Scelzi in a match of arguably two of drag racing’s greatest BS’ers. Scelzi had lane choice and while his story of nearly crashing with Alan Johnson on a private plane had its moments, the tale couldn’t hold a candle to the time Force saw Scelzi dressed as a nurse.

Musi was no slouch from the first round and his No. 10 qualifying position proved deceiving.

From his shop in Carteret, N.J., Musi established himself as the man to beat by scoring the largest single round vote total in a sweeping victory over Whit Bazemore. Musi told how a vengeful act landed him on the People’s Court, an episode that will soon end up on the pages of CompetitionPlus.com.

Musi then knocked off former Blue Max crew man “Waterbed” Fred Miller in the quarter-final by using a story of how he and past War Stories Showdown finalist Roy Hill ended up handcuffing a fully nude Paul Gant inside a Holiday Inn elevator and parading him up and down the floors.

He advanced to the finals by stopping “Big Daddy” Don Garlits with a tale of how former crewman “Joey” became the best “depantser” in drag racing. For those unfamiliar with Musi prank terminology, depantsing is the art of walking up behind someone with loose fitting pants and pulling them to the ankles.

Musi carried lane choice into the finals against Force, but it was the 2,000-word tale of how Louie managed to take his younger brother from poverty to Wall Street that won it for Force.

Musi came to the line in the final round loaded for bear, or maybe a dog loaded with something else. He told of “taking care” of an overzealous mayor looking to put the clamps on local drag racing.

“I tried really hard to beat John, but when you go against someone like him, the odds are greatly stacked against you. That’s a pretty tough old guy there. I used four stories this year but I have plenty more in reserve. I’m gunning for the title next year.”

Event rules mandate one can only win the competition once, thus preventing a John Force return in the 2009 – 2010 competition, but for Musi, he’s making another run for the crown.

“We’re coming with both guns blazing next season,” Musi said. “But knowing Force, he’ll be living vicariously through Louie or Laurie Force if they enter the competition. I’m sure they have some good John Force stories that didn’t get told this year.”

Force was just thankful for the opportunity to share a part of his life with the readers of CompetitionPlus.com, one of his favorite stops on the web.

“I want to thank Bobby Bennett for holding this contest,” Force said. “It kept the fans interested over the winter months and Christmas and hopefully it brought some smiles to their faces. It is really all about the fans and I really appreciate so many of them voting for me and my stories. The fans are the people that made this happen and I can’t thank them enough.

“I know my stories got kind of long and I apologize for that. As I was going along and thinking about my past and all the people that have been a part of my life it became fun for me. I got motivated just thinking about where I had been. Those memories started motivating me and they are going to motivate me to go after this Full Throttle Championship this year.”


Final results from the 2nd annual CompetitionPlus.com War Stories Showdown.

1st round

#1. John Force def. #16. Don Gillespie
#8. Shirley Muldowney def. #9. Joe Lepone, Jr.
#4. Gary Scelzi def. #13. Steve Earwood
#12. Chris Kaufmann def. #5. Bob & Etta Glidden
#2. Fred Miler def. #15. Ted Jones
#10. Pat Musi def. #7. Whit Bazemore
#3. Don Garlits def. #14. Jim Rockstad
#6. Kenny Nowling def. #11. Steve Reyes

Quarter-finals

Force def. Muldowney
Scelzi def. Kaufmann
Musi def. Miller
Garlits def. Nowling

Semi-finals
Force def. Scelzi
Musi def. Garlits

Finals
Force def. Musi