5/20/03

On a visit to "Drag Digest" in 1966 Suzy suggested to the newspaper owner what was lacking in drag racing was a social column dedicated to the people behind the sport. "Suzy's Scrapbook" was the result of that conversation and Suzy has been dedicated to "bringing the human side of racing to the forefront" ever since. In 1968 she moved her "Suzy's Scrapbook" gossip column to "Drag News" and was with that publication for several years before going to work for "National Dragster." While at Dragster she wrote "The Social Side" of drag racing and several human interest stories for editor Michael Dougherty. In the '70s Suzy wrote a series of articles for National Dragster, "Women In Drag Racing," which featured the private lives of the women who were the backbone of the sport; drivers, wives, sisters and the mothers. Along the way Suzy has written for "Drag World," "Drag Times," and wrote several feature stories for various programs and magazines. In the early 1980s Suzy was the publisher of the "Sand Paper" which was the official newspaper for the National Sand Racing Association. Her responsibilities ranged from taking the photos, writing the stories, laying out and pasting up the newspapers to selling and designing the ads. "As long as you don't take it too seriously, gossip can be a lot of fun. But you'd better watch out," she states, "it can also be addictive."

here is a new "miracle" herb on the market that has CJ "Pappy" Hart (photo) out of his bed, walking and enjoying life again. It's called MSM and can be bought at most health food stores. Claudia LaHaie is also a strong advocate of the potent arthritis and joint pain reliever and states "I had a terrible pain in my left upper arm several years ago and I was told to take it along with Vitamin C."

Claudia LaHaie is also happy to announce that her son, Darin Stankiewicz, wed Lori Robinson on April 3rd at the Little Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas, during the Las Vegas race. Dick was "thrilled that we have all our children married" and the newlyweds have already returned to their Midwest home where he works for Ford and she is a doctor's assistant.

Speaking of Sin City, Tommy Johnson, Jr. and Don Prudhomme both celebrated there birthdays on Sunday, April 5th while competing in Vegas. Don took out a group of friends to dinner at the Monte Carlo while Tommy and fiancÈ Melanie Troxel celebrated with the Agricultural Lighting crew on Saturday night.

Melanie bought Tommy work-out time with a personal trainer for his birthday as she noticed friends were sneaking him his favorite chocolate treat, M & M's, to him behind her back and she wants him trim for their upcoming New Year's nuptials. Speaking of the big event, Melanie's friends thought she would be disappointed if they had both won their respective classes in Vegas and gotten married then and there. They thought she would be saddened by not having a formal ceremony. On the contrary she states, "It would have saved me from planning a big wedding."

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