October 14, 1999 A Bunny Tale Update!

First I must offer a weak apology for not chatting with you for over a month... September is a most trying month for our team. (For the sake of time, just take a peek at our schedule!)

I am going to go "backwards with my update." Talk about zero to hero... That is exactly what happened to "Bunny and the Boys Racing Team!" We left IHRA's Norwalk National Event as #20 car, never even made the field. We were very upset with our performance that weekend (Aug. 26-29). We went to NHRA's Keystones in Pennsylvania and qualified # 9 with a 6.08 and lost first round with another 6.08.  We were thrilled with our old 1989 war heads and blower. The storm "Floyd" really frightened us with trailers in four feet of water, stranded due to the roads being flooded, no power in our hotel, no food because everything was closed, Bear fell down the steps in the dark and we were on the fourth floor (he hurt his right arm and back). We got water in our fuel in our tow truck on the Pennsylvania Pike and then our generator would not work. After we found out how bad it was in North Carolina, we felt bad that we were even concerned about our racing equipment. The weather cleared up and we had a great weekend after all!

Skipping a few displays (which I will get back to), we went on to the IHRA Nationals at MIR, my home track in Budds Creek, MD. Everything got going on the right foot, by being selected by IHRA to do 2 days of press work. We had a blast running all over the place. We did channel 7, went to Redskins Park and was interviewed by Rod Milstead and chatted with Darrell Green, presenting him a "Bunny Burkett" die-cast car for his son. We also did several newspapers and channel 9. It was so great to be so welcomed by the news media at a time when the Redksins were having their home game. We drag racers are going to make it after all!

Bunny and the Boys are probably still in shock after we found ourselves as # 1 qualifier with a 6.04 after the first qualifying session of 24 cars that ran on Friday. Because of our "no budget at all" situation, the "boys" elected to sit out the Friday night session and found themselves moved to # 3 qualifying position. The "boys" found themselves a seat in the stands and had a great time bantering back and forth with the announcer that said "Bunny and the Boys would no doubt be moved to the slow half of the field, after this second qualifying session.Which was a good guess, since he knew what kind of budget that we must run with, but it ruffled the  "Boys" just a tad. You can just imagine how happy we were when we realized that we only got bumped two places. It sure was nice to be # 1 for about 5 hours!

Friday night was a long one. As the "Boys" had to go over the whole car, checking for worn parts. We have found that careful maintenance pays off in our case. When you do not have new parts to run, you must find a way to make the old ones live another round.

Saturday brought the fans in early in the day to watch the final two rounds of qualifying. Everyone that knows me well, knows how I love racing in front of the crowd. I never let my fans down either, by racing both rounds for them. Even the Saturday Night of Fire at 10:00pm, knowing full well that if I broke anything that I could not race on Sunday, but it was more important for me to race for my hometown fans on Saturday than it was to be there on Sunday. If I raced for money and points, I would have quit a long time ago. I race for my fans and they did not let me down. They cheered me on, even if it was just qualifying!

The "Boys" had another all nighter, because after our three attempts of 6:04, 6:05 (was a 6:18, but I  rolled the lights with a 1.10 60', so it was a better run) and a 6:10, we ended up # 8 qualifier. This was way beyond our expectations, so the "Boys" did not mind working. I must mention how lucky I am to have their support. They are all volunteers and work for "food!" I just wish that I could drive better for them. I still have a great deal of problems with my right ankle that still has the metal rods that they attached the foot back to the leg in 1995, when Carl Ruth rammed into me causing a horrible crash that left me fighting for my life 100 feet in the woods. I have to get my foot exactly in the right position to "flatfoot" the throttle, since I have lost some of the pivoting motion that most drivers take for granted.  This plays havoc with my reaction times. I am just thankful that I can race at all and hope that some sponsor out there takes notice to how hard the "Boys" work and the fact that I am a walking miracle.  Just as a lot of news media have mentioned, my "comeback" has the makings of a Hollywood movie, with the human interest part. The inspiration that I spread in a generous manner to young and old alike, not to ever give up on your dreams. The only thing missing... is the "big sponsor" finding our team and providing new equipment to run with. So the "Boys" do not have to work so hard.

Gee, as usual I get off the subject, get up on my soap box and you can't get me to shut up, especially about my faith and knowing why my life was spared.

Sunday brought beautiful weather and after attending church services, "Bunny and the Boys" were the very first pair of cars down the track. Much to our surprise, the win light came on in our lane by only .006 (six thousandths) of a second with a 6:06 E.T. to a losing 6:04 E.T. Jim Lape, being the "gentleman" that he is, gave me a big hug. =) Jim, Eileen, and "Bandit" have always been great friends.

Second round came along and I got the so-called "bad lane," the left one. You just have to imagine our delight when the win light came on again in our lane, with our fastest run of the weekend: a 6.03 E.T. to a losing 6:04, by a narrow margin of .007 (seven thousandths) of a second! Jimmy Rector got the whole shot, but still complained to IHRA that I took too long to stage. His complaint was silenced by the explanation that the tree is on "AutoStart," and if a competitor takes too long to stage, they are red lighted automatically - with no help from the starter. Needless to say, I was disappointed by his poor sportsmanship. I guess he forgot the days when he got started, before his big sponsorship days, when I loaned him parts to make next round with (which he has not paid back yet, by the way). I did tell him he could keep my "Bunny" side window when he needed a spare at this same race a few years back.

It should be mentioned that I went to Jimmy Rector and told him that I was doing a long "burnout" and I was a little "slow." Do not let me mess you up because of my slow foot. He said "Just do your thing, and I'll do mine."

One of our competitors in the top 10 found out about the "crying" and told me not to worry about it, that he is always trying to blame someone else when he loses, that he is just a "cry baby." For the record, I have never been treated bad by Rector, but I do not attend enough events with him to know him. I have always considered him as a friend and if I did something to offend him, I am sorry. And I hope that he will accept my apology. I am just thankful to be racing at all and do not want any hard feelings with anyone. I know he is an ex-world champion... but so am I. I do not ask or want any special favors from anyone. I am also aware of the favorites that go to all the events and the ones like me that can only afford to go to the close-by races, when I do not have a paid match race some place.

Ooops... Got on my soap box again. Now we are into the third, with 3 runs on the white in my blower, knowing it can't repeat, we take a chance and lean up the main jet... a lot! This round, I have my dear friend, Mark Thomas and the team mate, "Ethanol Performs" car from Ohio. No wonder he has won "Sportsman of the Year" numerous times. He and his whole family are wonderful people. I just feel honored to be in round three, with the class act of Mark Thomas. True to his winning form, he brought my winning streak to an end, with his hole shot and 6.00 to my game 6.05. Since I had to lose to someone, I am glad it was Mark Thomas. He has always treated me with great respect. By the way, I told him the same thing I told Rector, about my long burnout and being a little slow and he said, "Do not give it a second thought. I have been racing you for years, I know your routine." He reminded me of our first match race together in Canada in the 80's. What a GREAT competitor, easy to see why he has been world champion numerous times!!!

So our fairy tale weekend at MIR draws to a close, but the memory will last forever... With all of us wondering where the string of 6.00's came from, we turned more 6.00's in two days than we did all year!  Makes us aware that there is a higher power watching over us.

Now that the month of September is over and we have completed all of our fairs, displays, and grand openings at the Maryland State Fair, Allied Signal Race Day in Richmond, Ryder's Hobby Shop in Herndon, took the show car to the Richmond Fair, attended the Frederick, Maryland Fair, attended the Virginia State Fair for the Virginia Corn Growers and the Maryland Grain Producers - we are finally going to wind down. I am sending our feelers for winter time work, such as auto shows... My truck payments go on all winter whether I am racing or not.

We are going to NHRA Division # 2 at Bristol on October 15, 16, and 17th. I really wanted to go to NHRA in Louisiana, but we just can't afford to go that far on our "no budget at all." I always want to support Mopar, but I need parts to run with before I can travel that far. I am still very happy that Mopar has come over to IHRA.

Our winter time months will be devoted to "looking for a home," Mo lost his job and the company house with it. Can you imagine? Trying to move 25 years of junk? Worse yet, where can we find a place - with no money to boot, and someplace that will take race cars, trailers, dogs, misc. trucks, allow us to put up a big garage... (We had just completed a 20X30 garage this year, concrete and all) and then got fired. Oh well, another hump in the middle of our road. Anyone that knows of a location that may take us, call or fax me, or leave the information on my guestbook. They tell me you can find everything on the "Net," so this is the real test, let me know. I know the Lord will help us find a way... Everything happens for a reason, I will just wait and see.

Another winter time project is to find a sponsor for a new body, we need a new look. J&J are wanting to paint another car for us, but we can't afford the body and mounting. I guess it will be about $10,000.00.  So if anyone out there has any ideas, write me. We even talked about going to "Super Chevy" if we could get a new body and keep our Mopar Dodge Avenger for Mopar. To tell the truth, I am pretty loyal and would like to stay with Mopar, but I have to go where the car can pay the bills. I have not been able to get back to work with my current health problems and disabilities. Not meaning to complain, I am a very lucky person to be here at all. This means that I am not too proud to ask for help. Who knows?  Someone might have the answer. I do believe in "miracles!"

"The secret of life isn't what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you."
- Norman Vincent Peale

Till Next Time... "Run A Bunny"

...and the Boys, too!