re: Top Fuel Drag Racers are quite amazing

I went to the Cajun Nationals for a few years around middle school, got introduced by a friend that was really into it. You could bring ice chest in and I remember watching coke/beer cans rattle off the chest when the cars burned out.

One year, I won tickets from WFMF with pit passes. I got to sit in Darryl Gwynn's Miller High LIfe top fuel dragster while it was in the pit. He died in a fiery crash a few weeks later at another race. It was a big deal to me at the time. Could have been me!

My favorite Top Fuel racer was Joe Amato but I can't remember why I liked him and I had to use google to remember his name.

I saw Kenny Bernsteins funny car, the Budweiser King explode right in front of me. Right at the end of his burnout, his car exploded and blew the body of the car about 50 feet in air (seemed like 100 yards to 13 year old me.) I remember thinking he had to have died but he walked away from the explosion.

The Cajun Nationals were one of the big races on the circuit at the time. Once they quit being an official NHRA event, I'm not sure I ever watched a drag race again.

I remember John Force winning so many events and him thanking Quaker State and all his other sponsors over and over with his funny accent.

Thanks for this thread, this brought back great memories.