Indy 10 years later! (1 Viewer)
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Von Halen
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I wasn't at the race, but I distinctly remember opening my newspaper and seeing that Blaine had been killed. I still get goosebumps thinking about it, and even reading this thread.
Blaine had become a favorite of our family's because he was just so nice.
We still have the cylinder sleeve he signed for my Son during a torrential downpour after Saturday qualifying at Columbus. We have it in a football disply case along with a 1/64 versions of his dragsters.
Blaine had become a favorite of our family's because he was just so nice.
We still have the cylinder sleeve he signed for my Son during a torrential downpour after Saturday qualifying at Columbus. We have it in a football disply case along with a 1/64 versions of his dragsters.
none
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I too was there. When Elmer made his run I was coming back from the top end, driving my golf cart down the return road. I was hustling to get past the scoreboards to see if he could run in the 5's. I was just passing the finish line when he went by and watched as he came off the bike. I spun around and went back to where he stopped and was told the bad news. I had met Elmer at VMP just a few weeks before at a Pro-Star race when he became the fist to go 230mph. You couldn’t find a nicer or more humble guy. And Joe is right, he didn’t look like a TF Motorcycle racer, he looked like someone’s Grandfather.
Blaine’s crash was the worst thing I have ever been through at the track. I count almost everybody in the racing community as a friend, but the Johnson’s were and still are family. I had met them in the Alcohol days and got to know Blaine and Alan very well. To this day their parents are “Ma and Pa” to me. The Winston deal was finalized that weekend and they were finally going to have the financial support to make them even stronger than they already were. And then Blaine crashed. I have never seen the replay, I can close my eyes and see it whenever I want. I was at the end of the track and when he stopped he wasn’t 30 yards from me. Keith Adams and I drove the truck back to Santa Maria after the race so that Blaine’s dad who was the truck driver for them wouldn’t have to worry about it. One of the things that I remember most was that Keith didn’t like the CB radio and never used it. When I got behind the wheel, I turned it on and before I was out of the parking lot someone called for “that Blaine Johnson rig” and it was non-stop for as long as I was driving. We drove straight through, only stopping for fuel and to switch drivers because we wanted to be with the family more than we wanted to sleep.
I also have the Pre-race on video, and to this day I can’t watch it without a few tears. I was announcing the first round with Garlits and the Goose. If you ever get a chance to hear it you will hear me crying in the tower. And both of my cars still wear a tribute on the license plates, one is 7050TF and the other is TF7050
I could go on for hours, but I better get back to work,
Alan
Blaine’s crash was the worst thing I have ever been through at the track. I count almost everybody in the racing community as a friend, but the Johnson’s were and still are family. I had met them in the Alcohol days and got to know Blaine and Alan very well. To this day their parents are “Ma and Pa” to me. The Winston deal was finalized that weekend and they were finally going to have the financial support to make them even stronger than they already were. And then Blaine crashed. I have never seen the replay, I can close my eyes and see it whenever I want. I was at the end of the track and when he stopped he wasn’t 30 yards from me. Keith Adams and I drove the truck back to Santa Maria after the race so that Blaine’s dad who was the truck driver for them wouldn’t have to worry about it. One of the things that I remember most was that Keith didn’t like the CB radio and never used it. When I got behind the wheel, I turned it on and before I was out of the parking lot someone called for “that Blaine Johnson rig” and it was non-stop for as long as I was driving. We drove straight through, only stopping for fuel and to switch drivers because we wanted to be with the family more than we wanted to sleep.
I also have the Pre-race on video, and to this day I can’t watch it without a few tears. I was announcing the first round with Garlits and the Goose. If you ever get a chance to hear it you will hear me crying in the tower. And both of my cars still wear a tribute on the license plates, one is 7050TF and the other is TF7050
I could go on for hours, but I better get back to work,
Alan
Well, thanks for the recounting Alan. Very touching! I wasn't there but remember my dad was visiting that weekend and we heard the news together. We were shocked. Blaine was my favorite driver at that time....
Rocketman 207
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Same here...
My late buddy "Panhead Hank" & I were also at those two races...
Doesn't seem like 10 years, does it?
mike
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10 years ago I was sitting in the lounge with my Dad and Sister, watching the news when I saw the sports section come up.. "after the break footy blah blah and a tragic end for a drag racer" It showed a snippet just before the ad break I could only make out Cory Macs car, then when it came on after the break and I could see Blaine’s yellow/blue Travers tool car I started to go numb and my stomach started to feel all icky… as I heard the news reporter read out "34 year old Blaine Johnson" I just busted into tears and went straight to my room, and went through all my Blaine Johnson stuff, everyone has their favourite racers like Force, Bernstein’s etc, but for me Blaine was my favourite, and still is. He was a racer who I started to follow from when he was driving t/a dragsters, and was a racer I always wanted to meet... I didn't think I'd get any more bad news, but when I heard that Elmer Trett was also killed that weekend my heart sunk, it REALLY sunk (I have that last pass on tape it’s blacked out b4 the end even then I don’t like to watch it) Anyway I got the news just before I went off to school, I wanted to be sick, I just felt like throwing up and going into a box and being left alone! I use to talk with Jackie Trett a lot about Elmer, also with my friend Jay who‘s been lucky enough to watch the mountain magic fuel bike and meet the god farther of fuel bikes, I could go on and on about how much I loved Elmer Trett and Blaine Johnson. Two racers I never got to meet personally, but two racers that will always be my favourites and in my heart!
R.I.P
Mike
R.I.P
Mike
HEMI6point1
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It's hard to believe it's been ten years. I was still in NY at the time.
At the time, Blaine was my favorite top fuel driver, next to Kenny. I was 14 at the time, and it was the weekend so I had the days off, no school night so I could watch the news or play Nintendo or whatever. I was playing my video games and looked at my clock and figured I could catch the last half of the 10 o' clock news. I remember the sports section coming on, and the news caster said, "Tragedy at the race track," and I figured it was an indy car person or something, but then it showed that infamous shot of the camera panning on blaine's car as it was staging. Blaine was going down the track and the newcaster said, "Blaine Johnson qualified number one, and as a matter of fact set a speed record, but then THIS happened...." and then I saw it - Blaine smashing into that turnoff and then going right and disappearing into that cloud of dirt. It was then the newcaster said, "Blaine Johnson later died of his injuries." At that point I didn't care. I cried. I came into my room and told my dad, "Dad, I just heard on the news that Blaine died today." He was completely frozen.
Then the bad news was just worse when Steve Evans on the broadcast announced that Elmer Trett was killed when he fell off his bike.
I remember watching as Tony Shumacher did that tribute to Blaine with his car. It was special.
At the time, Blaine was my favorite top fuel driver, next to Kenny. I was 14 at the time, and it was the weekend so I had the days off, no school night so I could watch the news or play Nintendo or whatever. I was playing my video games and looked at my clock and figured I could catch the last half of the 10 o' clock news. I remember the sports section coming on, and the news caster said, "Tragedy at the race track," and I figured it was an indy car person or something, but then it showed that infamous shot of the camera panning on blaine's car as it was staging. Blaine was going down the track and the newcaster said, "Blaine Johnson qualified number one, and as a matter of fact set a speed record, but then THIS happened...." and then I saw it - Blaine smashing into that turnoff and then going right and disappearing into that cloud of dirt. It was then the newcaster said, "Blaine Johnson later died of his injuries." At that point I didn't care. I cried. I came into my room and told my dad, "Dad, I just heard on the news that Blaine died today." He was completely frozen.
Then the bad news was just worse when Steve Evans on the broadcast announced that Elmer Trett was killed when he fell off his bike.
I remember watching as Tony Shumacher did that tribute to Blaine with his car. It was special.
Jim
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I hung out in the old Drag Racers Forum on AOL most of that day. Lot's of people in and out all day in total disbelief.
