: In your long career in this sport what accomplishment are you most proud of? Is there anything that you have not done in the sport that you would like to do? 

CW: There are some things I'm proud of regarding the business end of drag strip operations and some regarding racing my own cars. If I had to pick just one regarding the business, it would be that I signed a lease on the Orlando Speed World Dragway agreeing to pay lease payments that were way more than I should have. A lot of my friends in the business, including Maple Grove’s Lex Dudas, thought and said I was crazy and gave it less time than a Zsa Zsa Gabor marriage before I would be broke and out of business.

Hell, I was already broke. But, somehow it worked out and with the help of family working at the track we were able to pay millions of dollars in lease payments over the last 25 years and spend a couple more million for maintenance, improvements and equipment over that same time period. 

In racing, the year 1990 I'm real proud of. With the help of Mike Heintz and Tom Callis, we took the NHRA SS/BA national record away from the "Hemi Guys" at Rockingham with a Chevrolet Camaro and then went to Indy and won the SS/BA class there. My little old Camaro looked like Barney Fife in with a bunch of NFL linemen as it sat in the front of the lanes with several of those big old Hemi cars behind it. Man, there is nothing like heads-up racing when you have the fastest car.

:  When you are done with the sport, how would like to be remembered by historians and fans? 

CW: I hope to be remembered by the end of this year as a guy that used to operate a drag strip and gave full measure of everything ever promised or posted for a race and never cheated anyone out of a dime. 

: Anything stand out in particular that you have learned? 

CW: Here is my top ten list:

  1. 10. People do what you inspect instead of what you expect. 
  2. 9. Being "firm but fair" doesn't work anymore. You have to kiss asses. 
  3. 8. Never ask a lady "when is your baby due?" 
  4. 7. The person that bitches about the win money the most has never won and probably never will. 
  5. 6. If you're meeting a known pickpocket for lunch and he insists on buying, check to see if your wallet is missing. 
  6. 5. Never let anyone into the lanes for one more run after they have closed. The one you let in will lose respect for your rules and everybody else will be pissed off. 
  7. 4. If a lady asks you if the clothes she has on make her butt look big, don't answer, just grab your chest and fake a heart attack. 
  8. 3. Learn how to say "no" in the kindest way possible. 
  9. 2.  Never let anyone make a time run just before the finals of your biggest race of the year. They will oil the track from wire to wire every time. 
  10. And, number 1. Never look a man in the eye while you are eating a banana.