Seeing Red
Written by David Lamm · May 29, 2005
Multiple car teams in the NHRA are a reality of the modern evolution of the sport of drag racing. I am not so delusional to think that these team owners are not going to abandon a formula that has proven to be successful. On the other side of the coin, I wish teams and their drivers would just come out and admit when there are team orders to take a dive when facing each other. Although I have no proof of which teams intentionally lay down for one another, there seems to be some suspicious activity going on lately.
Red Line Oil: Second in a Row! Kalitta and Red Line Oil win Top Fuel at Atlanta
Top Fuel driver David Grubnic seems to be the biggest offender when it comes to taking dives for his teammate, Doug Kalitta. Grubnic has qualified well in his past three races but in particular, the races in Bristol, Tenn. and Atlanta, Grubnic has fouled out twice. And I am not saying he barely left the starting line early. Both of those red lights have come when Grubnic faced Kalitta. These fouls are pretty blatantly obvious to me at least that Grubnic understands crystal clear who signs his checks. A strange coincidence indeed that the only times Grubnic has fouled at the starting line has come when he faces Kalitta. The most recent red light was not even believable that it was not preplanned. Grubnic cut a -.137 light and went red, handing the victory to Kalitta on a silver platter. Is there any doubt that Kalitta went on to win that race and took over the Top Fuel POWERade points lead at the conclusion of that race?
If team orders come down and one driver is supposed to take a dive for the other, couldn’t the crew chief just over tune the car so that it smokes the tires? Even if the car that is chosen to win smokes the tires as well, the driver taking the dive can choose to not peddle the car as hard as the other guy. We all suspect that the multi-car teams have orders but please don’t insult our intelligence. Just come out and say what is going so that I don’t have to feel lied to. My suggestion is that teams just shut the car off after the burnout and let the other guy have a bye run. That way it would eliminate the skepticism we all have when a team driver “mysteriously” cuts a red light.
Here here! I think the red lights were obvious for a reason. Grubnic knows he has to take a dive, but he can put out some obvious clues that he’s losing intentionally so that his stock in the drag racing world doesn’t go down…from a driving perspecitive anyway…say what you will about the integrity of people who take dives in the first place.
I don’t understand why ANY driver would take a dive. If some smartassed team owner ever told me to take one he’d be looking for a new driver and some teeth.