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Later that day when we were running 'eliminations', I was next up to do a solo run as I was the only bike in my class. I was going thru the run mentally while sitting on it, and watching Frank Pedragon do a run in his AA/FC (double A fuel coupe - a dragster w/ a very minimal body). The strip ran N to S, w/ a grandstand along the W side of the first half. As I watched, Frank 'lit-them up' basically for the full run, smoke boiling off his slicks, and as he got past the 'stands' and into a STRONG westerly wind his dragster began drifting, smoke still rolling off his slicks, toward the center-line. He hit the center-line timing lights (6.9 seconds, 197 mph IF I remember right), then his run REALLY "went south".
It began to go end-over-end rolling left simultaneously, and I recall looking at the 'crash' thinking "What is a helicopter doing down there?" before I fully realized what was happening!
Later when I was collecting my 'tow-money' Frank drove up, towing his wrecked car, one band-aid on his forehead, to get HIS appearance $$. The strip owner started saying that as Frank had arrived a day later than he had agreed to, that the strip owed him nothing.
Frank stared at him, then mentioned how he was going to "rearrange" the owner's face, and the owner reached for his wallet.
The result, for ME - that was the last time I raced at Shepherds Field.
