DON SCHUMACHER RACING: 7 years ago - I had been out of Drag Racing for many years, busy with my Snap-on Tools Mgmnt career. One day, Shoe spotted me on email and invited my wife and me to be his guest at Sonoma Rcwy. We accepted and enjoyed a great weekend in his camp. Don was a gracious and generous host. 
My big shock was when I witnessed the thrash between rounds - completely rebuilding or replacing the engine, every round of every race! 
When I raced against and with Shoe in the '60's & '70's, we had always been very conscious of making power and winning races, all the while keeping the engine together. Now, that is gone - there is no science left, it is just batter the engine to death every run, then replace it. Don just shook his shoulders - it is what it is...
I was astounded and embarrassed at how CRUDE the sport had evolved. Gone is the poetry of achieving maximum power with minimal damage - the art was gone, the sport was now a hammer and anvil spectacle. (BTW, Pro Stock is just as bad with their $100,000 engines)
I would love to see NHRA follow F1's lead and put a limit on the number of engine replacements allowed. Stop the slaughter of parts, regain some of the purity of years gone by. 
End the senseless carnage and crudeness. Show some style!

Three Funny Car racers rented a shop (an old storefront) that looked directly on to the main street of the little tourist community of Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio, near Cleveland. Members were...
Paula Murphy - Her mechanic, Fat Jack Bynum, was anything but charming, the paradox giving birth to his nickname (in reality, a very nice guy, but don't blow his cover)
Super Chief - Brian Teal, Logghe 200-MPH Club member, ran Nelson Carter's Dodge high-gear car. Now operates Teal's Automotive, north of Austin, Texas. Cool guy, married to a girl named Rhonda. I have a story on him
Huff-Sanders Camaro - Frank Huff owned big-block Chevy-powered car. Fast, squirrelly, this rig could click off 200-mph numbers, if you knew to run it 1st-direct-to-3rd gear so the flexy chassis would stay hooked. Money making car, Huff just couldn't make the move to the Hemi cars, but it was a fun ride while it lasted. Driver (yours truly) got paid 35% off the top!
Fat Jack was a real character, known for putting on a gruff front, so one day I made a sign saying "Fat Jack's Charm School" and taped it to the front window of the shop, just for laughs. When the Geneva-on-the-Lake Tour Bus would pass, you could hear the driver say "and on our right is Fat Jack�s Charm School." We would roll with laughter!
We had a great time that summer (probably 1970), running the UDRA circuit, racing in the Midwest, doing the Wednesday night US 30 Dragway bit, booking through Ed Rachanski. Lots of parties.

I traveled the fabled “Route 66” many times, both directions, in the late sixties. Usually driving a race car hauler, playing 8-track tapes to stay awake 🎶. C’mon Elvis, Janis and Ringo!
We knew to stop in California for burgers 🍔, Oklahoma for a chicken-fried steak, then in Kansas for a T-bone 🥩. Chicago was, of course, pizza 🍕. We basically nibbled our way across the USA, stopping at Truck Stops back when they were REALLY Truck Stops. 
 All the while racing those Hot Rods! Those were the best of times. Clare 🏁

Current Status / Biography - born in NW, grew up in Alaska

C5 Corvette: