Dick Lahaie warmups (1 Viewer)

[Mooseman]

I don't have any footage or pics but I love to watch old footage from the 80's and before and one thing I notice is that Dick Lahaie had a unique warmup in that he warmed up on the ground. No jack stands at all.

I was just wondering if anyone had any input on this and why he did it this way?

 

[mastertone]

Many did back then, then they made a rule you had to have the car on stands.

 

[Butch]

Back then the coupler was out of the car to prevent any accidents. It was a lot easier to warm up when people ran with small crews. I can remember a lot of times it being just Kim and Dick.

 

[I was NITRO BREATH]

Back then the coupler was out of the car to prevent any accidents. It was a lot easier to warm up when people ran with small crews. I can remember a lot of times it being just Kim and Dick.

ahh... miss them both

 

[Leebone]

The only times I saw Dicko's warmups is with the Miller Lite car. It was on jack stands and he had Larry whack the throttle twice, on the high side. It was stunning. I was at Norwalk this year and was so disappointed that nobody does that anymore, with the exception of Blake Alexander. He's the only one that blipped the throttle. I am NOW a Blake Alexander fan.

 

[rckymtn3]

Back then the coupler was out of the car to prevent any accidents. It was a lot easier to warm up when people ran with small crews. I can remember a lot of times it being just Kim and Dick.

He was always a favorite of mine. Ran a smaller engine, turned the good times, pit was nothing fancy, all-business, gooseneck and dualie with a long spindly loud car tucked inside. (could usually reach over the flags and touch the car it was so close). Between the JOB and Miller sponsorships, many times I would be one of only a few that would watch the two of them go through between run maintenance.

As for preferring them on the ground to jack stands, it was probably easier for him to reach everything he needed to (not a short joke). Kim would be in the seat, and Dick, chewing the sh*t out of some gum, would grab the barrel valve and twist it with authority....

Still happy I got to see one of the best, and real championship battles ever, between he and Amato. No contrived countdown. Just two racers after a season-long battle ending up in the last race with the title up for grabs. GOOD STUFF.

 

[TF CREW]

The only times I saw Dicko's warmups is with the Miller Lite car. It was on jack stands and he had Larry whack the throttle twice, on the high side. It was stunning. I was at Norwalk this year and was so disappointed that nobody does that anymore, with the exception of Blake Alexander. He's the only one that blipped the throttle. I am NOW a Blake Alexander fan.

At Scott Palmer Racing we do it everytime

 

[Butch]

Lahaie you have to remember came from the days of push-starts. Back then we didn't have starters and use jack stands.
Wayne Farr's shop, was right out Dick's back door of his house in Lansing and that's where he built his own cars. He learned how to race on very little $$.
I used to go to Farr's shop a lot when I helped Tim Arnold with his T/F car.

 

[Leebone]

At Scott Palmer Racing we do it everytime

Awesome. Now I know who's pit I'll be heading to next time!!

 

[Mooseman]

I have a video with an incredible clip of a on the ground lahaie warm up.

This is the best I can do currently

At the 1:05 mark. 1990 NHRA Winternationals - YouTube

 

[FC138fan]

Awesome. Now I know who's pit I'll be heading to next time!!

Ditto in Brainerd!

 

[FC138fan]

I have a video with an incredible clip of a on the ground lahaie warm up.

This is the best I can do currently

At the 1:05 mark. 1990 NHRA Winternationals - YouTube

Warming up the car in khakis and a tucked in blue collard shirt... NICE!

 

[mick]

great clip from 90' winters....can't help but notice how
packed the stands were back then....all the way to 1320'.

 

[Huge]

great clip from 90' winters....can't help but notice how
packed the stands were back then....all the way to 1320'.

The stands were just about always full back in those days. Then came all the computer and video games. I think we still do pretty good even though the odds are stacked against us. It's hard to compete against a life like video game in a nice air conditioned room with all the food and drinks just a few steps away. Kids have it pretty good in this new electronic world that we live in now. They can spend 10 hours a day just on face book and twitter. But, I don't blame them, if I had all these electronic gadgets when I was a kid, then I probably wouldn't have ever left my room either.

 

[Dave]

I have a video with an incredible clip of a on the ground lahaie warm up.

This is the best I can do currently

At the 1:05 mark. 1990 NHRA Winternationals - YouTube

Nice! That guy has some pretty decent videos.

 

[scubasteve]

ashley even wacks it from inside the car now,,,team 5050,,,sean u goin be in kentucky this weekend for the match race

 

[.]

They are my favorites. The man would stand behind the car, turn his back and just listen. Just listen. He can hear the tune up. Dick LaHaie rules, is and always will be the man.