What happened to Ron Dudley (1 Viewer)

[Nemo]

Watching the Best of NHRA show today, I remembered watching that Diamond P show when it first aired when I was 12 or so. Anyhow I remember thinking...what ever happened to Ron Dudley who was in the nasty FC far at that event. Without the Internet back then and the long delay in stuff I never heard what happened to him, if he pulled through, if he went back to driving, those kinds of things. He was from Tulsa or OKC I think, only a couple hours south of me, but I never did hear.

 

[Just Paul]

I'm pretty sure he came back and drove, but it took a long time to get better after the injuries. I don't think he even left the hospital for months. The holes in the side windows on funny cars now are the result of the Ron Dudley fire. (Sorry if they addressed that in the show, I have not watched it yet)

I don't remember Dick Moritz ever running a car after that fire though.

 

[Kansas Stan]

The last I saw of Ron, he was driving a nostalgia style front motored dragster on alcohol for a fella out of Oklahoma. Don't recall the owner's name but it was all red. Had a long talk with Ron that day when he brought his grandson over to look at my daughter's junior dragster. Ron told me he put the car up against the guardrail to knock the body off when the fire got too bad, but that only succeeded in collapsing the body onto the frame...making it virtually impossible for safety crew to get it off the car. He said he was told he "died" twice enroute or in hospital but was (obviously) resuscitated both times. He also took me into the trailer and showed me his burn scars on his legs and let me tell ya....that ain't pretty. Being an emt, I know the type of burn that leaves that kinda scar and Ron is very lucky to still be with us. Funny thing though, I ask him if that put funny cars off limits for him and he said no, if someone offered him a ride in a decent car he'd jump at the chance!

 

[none]

I don't remember Dick Moritz ever running a car after that fire though.

Interesting guy.........

Former Funny Car Owner Dick Moritz Dies | National Dragster | Find Articles at BNET

 

[Kansas Stan]

ah yes, the days of Moritz and McClintock....the gorgeous M&M yellow Chrysler gas dragster. Loved that car.

 

[Pete]

The last I saw of Ron, he was driving a nostalgia style front motored dragster on alcohol for a fella out of Oklahoma. Don't recall the owner's name but it was all red. Had a long talk with Ron that day when he brought his grandson over to look at my daughter's junior dragster. Ron told me he put the car up against the guardrail to knock the body off when the fire got too bad, but that only succeeded in collapsing the body onto the frame...making it virtually impossible for safety crew to get it off the car. He said he was told he "died" twice enroute or in hospital but was (obviously) resuscitated both times. He also took me into the trailer and showed me his burn scars on his legs and let me tell ya....that ain't pretty. Being an emt, I know the type of burn that leaves that kinda scar and Ron is very lucky to still be with us. Funny thing though, I ask him if that put funny cars off limits for him and he said no, if someone offered him a ride in a decent car he'd jump at the chance!

I don't mean to sound ignorant, but is this the fire Ron had in Sonoma, 1989? I swear I remember the TV footage of him jumping out of the hatch and rolling over the wall....next thing was the interview with Steve Evans.

Did I miss something?

 

[Just Paul]

That was not Ron Dudley, that was Gary Ritter.

 

[hotrod]

I haven't seen Ron in many years. Kind of wondered what happened to him myself. I bought one of his trailers after he quit racing his alcohol dragster. Shelly Howard bought the trailer from me later on. I moved from the Tulsa area in the mid 80's and lost track of most of the other dragracers. Seems like I remember Ron showing me his hands a while after the fire and you could see where the fire burned through the stitches of his gloves and left burn marks that looked just like stitches.
Before it was named the St. Moritz funny car, it was named the Tulsa Oiler. We always affectionately called it the Tulsa Oiler, Crasher, Burner.
Before Ron started driving the car, I had really thought about asking Dick to let me drive the car. After the fire, I was glad that I had never gotten up the courage to ask.
After the fire, my wife just kept saying that she was glad that we had sold our funny car. She always hated that car. Valerie Harrell and Dale Pulde restored it recently.
I really miss the Tulsa people that we raced with. Great bunch of people.

 

[Pete]

That was not Ron Dudley, that was Gary Ritter.

Thanks Paul, I had forgotten it was Gary.

When and where did Ron crash?

 

[Just Paul]

Thanks Paul, I had forgotten it was Gary.

When and where did Ron crash?

88 Springs.