by Aaron Polburn

Incredible Act Of Kindness

Sometimes you run across a person whose love of the sport of drag racing is only overshadowed by his kindness for others. Such a person is Jerry Dick, who races a 1969 Mustang out of his shop in Pennsylvania. This isn't just any 1969 Mustang, but one of nearly 100 that were part of a huge promotional sales effort by the Cleveland Ford District in 1969. The deal went like this.

The Cleveland Ford District made available nearly 100 special "Going Thing" Cobra Jet Mustangs for a special sale to the general public. The kicker was that you ordered the car but couldn't take it home. All 100 cars were transported to Thompson Drag Raceway. The first time you got to drive your car was to make a quarter-mile pass after being handed the keys by a Ford VP.

If memory serves correct, three of the cars went home on the hook of a tow truck due to the number of banzai passes they made. What made the whole scenario so bizarre is that I had no idea what I was looking at. I was 17 and my greatest joy of this gathering was the fact I got out of school to announce. I was part of one of the greatest gatherings of brand new Ford muscle cars on earth and I didn't realize it. Enter Jerry Dick.

All Jerry did was tow his car from Pennsylvania to Ohio so I could relive a bit of personal history. Jerry gave me a "do-over". It was like Christmas. After two parking lot burnouts, the adrenaline rush I was on was epic. It was a day I will never forget. And it was a subtle reminder that the joy of drag racing isn't about the cars. It's about the people.

Fact or Fiction 2015?

The two drag racing presidents, Tom Compton and Scott Gardner, will be replaced by Joe Biden and Jesse Jackson.

In an effort to keep up with NASCAR both drag racing organizations will include mandatory fighting between rounds.

Legalized betting will come to drag racing, paving the way for more family sponsorship. The Gambino Family. The Bononno Family. The Soprano Family.

Jeff Burk will become the new spokesperson for the Tony Horton "Fitness in 30 Seconds" DVD.

Aaron Polburn will return to run AHRA -- Aaron's Hot Rod Association. National event stops include the K-Mart parking lot in Medina, Ohio, Yosemite National Park, and Eldora Speedway.

The Nobel Prize winner in quantum physics has been hired by NHRA to try and figure out how the Countdown works.

National event entry fees will be raised to $100,000 with the philosophy being, "We only need two."

Hell actually freezes over when Steve Earwood switches to NHRA.

Earwood announces major renovation at The Rock starting with 2-ply toilet paper in every restroom.

RACE SAFE. GODSPEED.