D.I. COLUMNIST
The Real Deal
with Tommy D'Aprile
F
lipping through television channels the
other day, I came across a bull riding competition.
I can’t remember what the organization was, but I
couldn’t help but get drawn in by the spectacle. Watching these young men willingly strap themselves onto
an unruly animal weighing as much as 2,000-pounds
was mind-boggling. I mean…you have this bull that’s
already pretty pissed off, and then you have someone
jump on his back! Of course, the idea is to stay on the bull for a full eight
seconds without being thrown off, and while that might sound like a very
short amount of time, I can imagine it feels like an eternity when it’s your
hand under that rope wrapped around those horned beasts.
As I watched, and enjoyed a little bit of behind-the-scenes perspective
on the sport, it became abundantly clear that these aren’t just wild-andcrazy young guys that will try anything. These are athletes – trained bull
riders – that spend countless hours practicing and years training to be
successful in their sport. Preparation is paramount, as riders and crews
endure travel, setup and days at the event all hoping for a solid eightsecond ride and shot at victory. Sound familiar? Well, it should.
Watching bull riding reminded me a lot of what we do in the sport of
drag racing. Someone willingly straps themselves into an absurdly powerful race car that is more than capable of killing them, and spend hours
– if not days, weeks, months or even years – preparing, building, traveling, and do it all in hopes of a successful trip down the drag strip maybe
three- or four-seconds long. Now, I, for one, will tell you that I think
drag racing is much safer than bull riding, and I give those men and
women all due respect for the courage and ability they possess. It wasn’t
the inherent danger of their sport versus our sport that really struck me,
though. It was the tremendous amount of work so many of us – and,
apparently, them – are willing to put forth in exchange for a few brief
moments of satisfaction. All the preparation and all the sacrifice – all for
three seconds?
My longtime friend and beloved drag racing announcer Al Tucci
brought this to my attention earlier this year in Martin, Michigan, at
the PDRA Summer Drags. We were talking about all the great people in
our sport and all the sacrifices that are made by people in drag racing in
order to be a part of it. We all love racing, and it’s plain to see if you just
take time to look beyond the car on the drag strip and the performance
thereof. The amount of time and money that is invested by team owners, drivers and their crew is astounding. If there was ever an awesome
stage for a reality show, especially one that has a ton of built-in emotional
highs and lows, I think an in-depth look at the operation of a race team
would be it. And it goes well beyond working on cars and making tuning
decisions – most everyone on a race team makes incredible sacrifices just
to be involved. Many days and weekends away from home and family,
time off work, and everything else imaginable – all to be a part of the action. Heck, some guys that I know work for very large NHRA teams and
at the beginning they thought it would be great, but soon realized that
if you’re not willing to sacrifice everything you probably won’t make the
cut. To be honest, most crewmen sacrifice and work more than anyone
else involved, but rarely get the credit for it.
What am I getting at? Well, I’m simply trying to say that drag racers, like bull riders, sacrifice tremendously for a few seconds of glory (if
things go according to plan), and we need to take time to appreciate all
the time, effort and energy that goes into putting on the show that is
drag racing. We need to realize all that is being put on the line, and be
appreciative and respectful of our fellow racers and crewmen for our
shared contribution to this great sport. I’m not sure that many would
or could possibly understand how fast things happen in these sports of
no second chances, but I will say that I am truly proud of the men and
women that comprise drag racing and tirelessly dedicate themselves to
it. On all levels, it takes a substantial effort and it’s worth recognizing
and applauding.
So, the next time you’re at the drag strip – competing or watching –
don’t hesitate to let racers and their teams know how much you appreciate their doing what they do, making the sacrifices they make and taking
the risks that they take – all for a few seconds of potential glory.
Tommy D’Aprile
[email protected]
June 2016
DragIllustrated.com
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