Pomona Starter Comp Eliminator

[Joe Santangelo]

I can only imagine how most of us would have handled that. It’s too bad, he’s probably a nice guy and felt he was doing his job but he definitely crossed the line. Pulling the guy away from the car would have got the job done and kept the guy safe. He threw him to the ground. I can think of around 20 racers who have fathers on the starting line. If that starter threw one of them to the ground like that... forget about it.

[Gary Merrick]

My Dad started taking me to the drag races in the 1950’s, he couldn’t afford to race, but a lot of his friends raced and we would go to watch. In fact, when I first went to the drags, there was a flag man, who was the starter for each and every race. I started drag racing in 1970 locally, and in 1971 I attempted to run an NHRA divisional race at National Trails in Columbus, Ohio, with my 1969 Yenko Camaro in SS/D, but Marty Barrett, who was the Division 3 tech director failed my car during tech inspection because; Violation #1 - I didn’t have an outside mirror on the left side door and the open mounting holes were still in the door; Violation #2 - we had removed the AM radio to save weight, but didn’t have a delete plate on the dash panel. That’s the way things were done back then and we accepted that without question, went home and fixed the car.

Fifty some years later, I am still a no-name racer, but I surely have enjoyed the competition and especially the friends and acquaintances that I have met racing at NHRA events. I have seen a lot of things during those 50 plus years, but never did I see anything like the incident at Pomona during the first round of Competition eliminator when the crewman walked up to the truck after it was pre-staged. In my humble opinion, the starter at a drag race is the most important person at the event, he is in control of “ALL” that happens. This NHRA employee, who is supposed to be highly trained and in control of things did the worst thing he could possibly do, he put his hands on a crewman and pulled him backwards and threw him to the ground. That starter has a box in his hand that controls the race!! I would ask why didn’t he stop the race, put on both double red lights?? If that starter doesn’t know what to do, he shouldn’t be on the starting line. If he doesn’t know what to do after putting on the double red lights, then radio the tower and ask race control for a determination of what to do. If the starter or race control determines that this competitor and his crewman should be disqualified for touching the vehicle after it is pre-staged, then so be it. The starter was supposed to be in control and not throw a crewman around like a rag doll. I think NHRA should make a statement about this incident………..

Just my 2 cents!

Gary Merrick
3522 Stock

[tommy d]

I think the crew guys shoes sticking to the track also had something to do with the fall. What he was doing wasn't safe and a major distraction for the driver as well. Maybe the door wasn't closed tight?

[BG56]

Didn't catch it, what round and whom?

[James Perrone]

That was crazy. But the starter is the boss

[Ed Carpenter]

Originally Posted by BG56

Didn't catch it, what round and whom?

Kurt Hugger was driving the Pro Stock Truck owned by Tom Mettler. I said the starter should have turned the red bulbs on the tree and dq the truck and let the other car go down. Throwing an 70-80 year old man down is not the answer but I was crucified for saying this on FB 🤷*♂️

[Brett C]

Originally Posted by Ed Carpenter

Kurt Hugger was driving the Pro Stock Truck owned by Tom Mettler. I said the starter should have turned the red bulbs on the tree and dq the truck and let the other car go down. Throwing an 70-80 year old man down is not the answer but I was crucified for saying this on FB ��*♂️

100% agree...totally uncalled for. Turn on the flashing bulbs, red-light the guy, something.
That certainly was not in the spirit of what we do out there!

[SBillinson]

Originally Posted by Ed Carpenter

Kurt Hugger was driving the Pro Stock Truck owned by Tom Mettler. I said the starter should have turned the red bulbs on the tree and dq the truck and let the other car go down. Throwing an 70-80 year old man down is not the answer but I was crucified for saying this on FB ��*♂️

There is no justification for what the starter did. None. He has no right to put his hands on anyone, especially a senior. Anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot.

It is clear from the video that the starter was not trying to pull the guy away for his safety. That's a strawman argument.

His behavior was outrageous and needs to be dealt with sternly by NHRA.

If the reverse situation had occurred and a member of the crew even grabbed the starter, that crew member would have been arrested and barred for life by NHRA.

[Mike Schwartz]

It also looked like he never went back to check to see if the open door was latched after pulling the crewman away.

[63corvette]

Originally Posted by Ed Carpenter

Kurt Hugger was driving the Pro Stock Truck owned by Tom Mettler. I said the starter should have turned the red bulbs on the tree and dq the truck and let the other car go down. Throwing an 70-80 year old man down is not the answer but I was crucified for saying this on FB 🤷*♂️

On of the best examples of why I do not have Fake Book and never will.
The jr high girls always show up to show their ignorance and arrogance.
My 10 Cents
Rick Cates
Canyon TX