Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Muldowney wishes she could be in series full time

Thursday, Aug. 30, 2001 | 10:16 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

Shirley Muldowney is returning to the NHRA this weekend for the 47th annual U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, but the legendary drag racer wishes she could run with the big boys on a more regular basis.

The three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion has limited herself to occasional NHRA national events and a full schedule of match races and exhibitions during the past decade, but the 61-year-old Muldowney said she lacks the funding to run in the NHRA on a regular basis.

"I'm up for 10 NHRA national events ... but we don't have the funding to run NHRA national events," Muldowney said. "I am, without any question, the only nitro fuel racer in drag racing -- non-sponsored -- that makes a living at this (and) only because of my history and my fan following.

"We don't want to go 24 races a year (without sponsorship) because it takes $3 million-plus to do that -- and that's with no waste."

Muldowney is receiving special sponsorship from MAC Tools and Action Performance to compete in this weekend's U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park, but she doesn't receive that type of help the rest of the year.

"It all boils down to deep pockets and being in the right place at the right time or knowing someone or daddy's got a lot of money," Muldowney said. "It just hasn't seemed to be in our corner for a number of years.

"We have not been able to make an impact since 1990 and I question that -- that makes me wonder where are our sponsor dollars nowadays. They should be there but I don't think a lot of people really realize what an exciting sport we have."

Muldowney said she would like to try to get the funding to start a full-time Top Fuel program and then turn the ride over to a young driver -- either male or female -- when she retires.

In the meantime, Muldowney said she is content to tour the country and put on exhibitions and match races for her legions of fans.

"I make a living at this; this is how we get a paycheck every now and then and I want to be able to pound the ground as long as I can," she said. "Believe me, I love it just as much as anyone else out there, but my true love is with the (nitro) fuel cars -- that is really what the people pay to see.

"Drag racing is everything to me and that's what I want to do as long as I can possibly do it. If I can be at a drag race every Sunday until I'm 80, that's fine, too, but I don't really think that's going to happen. I think the price of it will eventually force me out of the driver's seat."

Nitro qualifying begins Friday afternoon and there was a chance that Muldowney could have faced another drag racing legend, her old nemesis "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, on opening day. That matchup fizzled when it was announced that Garlits would not be able to make his first qualifying run until Saturday.

Muldowney said she hopes she will get the chance to race Garlits at some point this weekend.

"I know Don to be as good as anyone out there -- if not better -- in terms of the driver's seat; he's nobody's fool," Muldowney said. "Anytime you race him, you have to pay attention. He's as clean as they come on the starting line, I find him very professional.

"But I'm just like any other racer out there: I want to win and when you beat Don Garlits, you know that you have done something."

Gary Clapshaw of Las Vegas gave up his ride in his "Spirit of Las Vegas" Top Fuel dragster to allow Garlits to compete this weekend. The "Spirit of Las Vegas" paint scheme will be replaced by a black paint scheme with Matco Tools logos.

"This is a Cinderella story: Big Daddy gets to go 300 mph in the four-second zone, which has been a lifelong goal, and I'll be getting it on at the U.S. Nationals," Garlits said. "This is going to be unreal."