Class Ceiling
NHRA: A tribute to the Mongoose Tom McEwen, and a recap of Virginia's races
By Tery Red ( Crew Chief for Mr. Mad /RigTech Motorsports)
Jun 13, 2018, 6:30 am
The Mongoose helped launched the NHRA. Courtesy photo
Welcome to Femmefanaticsports.
Tom "The Mongoose " McEwen was a prime component molding and shaping the Wild Life Safari that we know today as the NHRA. He helped form and shape the sport into the colorful, adventurous wild ride that Motorsports enthusiasts just can't get enough of seeing.
He had such a clear vision of what he knew the sport could be. He not only made it fun and exciting, he made it profitable. He helped put NHRA on the map.
To have a car that wins is one thing. To put a team together is another. To sign sponsors is altogether a different animal. How do you win the attention of the sponsors and then convince them that you have a product worth endorsing in an uncharted arena outside of the norm? McEwen was a pioneer of thinking outside of the box when it came to winning the attention and the confidence of the decision makers. He was a mover and a shaker.
One of his crowd grabbing rivals was Don "The Snake " Prudhomme. This was a grudge match that not only packed the stands back in the day, (60's and 70's) but also forged an unforgettable bond that parlayed into a lucrative sponsorship deal. Can you say "Hot Wheels?" Kids of all shapes, sizes and ages imagine being on the dragstrip as they race their favorite Hot Wheels car across the kitchen floor.
Who knew markering and advertising through team sponsorship could be a thing?
In addition to winning our hearts, and huge brand sponsorships, Tom "The Mongoose " McEwen also went on to win several National events in Funny Car and Top Fuel as well as induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame .
Thank you Mr. McEwen, for showing us how it's done.
Richmond recap
Give me Liberty or give me the win -- the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Richmond Virginia Motorsports Park.
What a weekend in Nitro Alley!
As the race for the Championship heats up, there is much excitement in the pits.
Last week, Iron Man Clay Millican had back to back wins. Will he keep the winning streak?
The Women of Motorsports Power have been keeping the pace, but with many obstacles. Will Courtney Force stay the course? Will Angelle Sampey make the cut in Pro Stock Bike? Will Karen Stoffer place? (In the meantime welcome to the club, Kelly Clontz!) How will Leah Pritchett fare? Will Erica Enders stay killer on the tree?
The competition here is fierce. You had Mike Green on the sidelines for team DSR. Unbelievable. There was also a parade of gratitude for First Responders. Not to mention a most welcome visit by Veteran Top Fuel Champion Joe Amato as well as Guest Appearances with Great Expectations Jim and Allison Lee, and two-time Pro Stock Champion Jim Yates. And the crowd goes wild! Literally, tickets Sold Out Saturday !
To be back in Virginia for this Mello Yello Drag Racing Series was an amazing feat in itself, and the stakes this weekend are high. Team Force is suffering as the leader of the pack John is scarred from top to bottom but still has a smile, even when paired up for finals with daughter Courtney.
Erica Enders gave herself a scare when her ride headed toward the wall but made a good save. Bob Tasca also danced with lightning. But the salsa trophy goes to Cruz Pedregon with his massive "out of body" experience due to a blower explosion.
This was one action packed weekend, to say the least.
In the winners circle
Top Fuel -- Steve Torrence, 3.812 seconds, 322.96 mph def. Doug Kalitta, 3.844 seconds, 309.56 mph.
Funny Car -- Courtney Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.039, 321.96 def. John Force, Camaro, 4.076, 307.65.
Pro Stock -- Tanner Gray, Chevy Camaro, 6.595, 208.81 def. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.628, 208.46.
Next week: Join the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series in Thunder Valley, Bristol ,Tenn- June 15-17, 2018.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.