OK, just to set the record straight:
1. I retired "voluntarily", but sure didn't want to. However, the "incentive" money to leave 10-31-08 was far better than to wait and see what, if any, job I would have in December.
2. I also want to make it very clear that I was blessed to be able to work at a company where my job was my hobby: cars. And for the last 11 years, I was a part of GM's motorsports program. Not many folks get a chance to do that! And for that, I'm extremely grateful.
3. Gary Claudio (my predecessor at Pontiac) fired Force, I didn't. I followed Gary at Pontiac in Nov, 97; Force's contract was cancelled in early '97. And John will tell you that it "was the best thing that ever happened to him" (his words!).
4. I just returned from a USO Tour to Kuwait & Germany where Warren Johnson, Cory Mac, Jim Yates, and Jason Line entertained the troops for 7 days. I don't care what class of racing you like, or what drivers you like, these four drivers were a class act, and acted as true goodwill ambassadors for GM Racing & NHRA. They worked long hours, but always had a smile for the troops. We were gone 6 nights, but only slept in rooms for 4 nights - the other two were on airplanes. The drivers handed out 1,480 souvenir gift bags to the troops - the contents of which were donated from Goodyear, Mac Tools, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Fram, NHRA, WileyX Eyewear, Jeg's, Summit, Lucas Oil, Redline Oil, and K&N Filters. Fram even printed 1,500 Cory Mac teeshirts especially for this trip, with the front of the shirt reading, "Support Our Troops".
Check out several of the drag racing websites for stories and photos of our trip. Jim & Cory will updating their blogs on nhra.com over the next few days.
You'll be as proud of these drivers as I am.
Fred Simmonds
GM Racing (semi-retired!!)
