Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Dixon gets thrill with visit to Raiders’ camp

Thursday, Aug. 8, 2002 | 10:26 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Larry Dixon has seven NHRA Top Fuel victories this season and has led in points since the first race in Pomona. But the highlight of Dixon's year came away from the track last weekend.

While in Northern California for the FRAM Autolite Nationals at Infineon Raceway, Dixon got to live out a boyhood dream by spending the day at the Oakland Raiders' training camp in Napa, Calif.

Wearing defensive end Reagan Upshaw's No. 91 jersey -- the same number on the side of his Miller Lite Top Fuel dragster -- Dixon ran a few pass routes for quarterback Rich Gannon. He later met with Raiders coach Bill Callahan and several players.

"That was awesome -- like going to fantasy camp," Dixon said. "I grew up in Los Angeles and I have been a huge Raiders fan ever since they moved there in the early '80s. At the time, all we had were the Rams and I didn't like them. When the silver and black came to town, that was my salvation. We've both moved on, but they're still my team.

"Today was a dream come true. It's like being a basketball fan and having a chance to play one-on-one with Michael Jordan."

Dixon apparently hit it off with Gannon, a motor sports fan who has driven a stock car in one of the North Carolina driving schools.

"The fastest I've ever gone is 156 miles per hour at a race track in Charlotte," Gannon said. "I am pretty proud of that but the speed that Larry goes, that's really two different worlds.

"His fastest speed is in the 320 mile-per-hour range -- I can't even fathom that. At his top speed, you can't even blink your eye at that rate."

After spending time at the Raiders' camp, Dixon said there are a lot of similarities between racing and football.

"I kind of understand what (Gannon) goes through with the pressure to perform," Dixon said. "It is kind of the same for us. I have a team owner and a crew chief and a team supporting me. When I get in the car for a run, I have to perform and not let down the team.

"The only major difference between us is that he has some huge people chasing him around on the field -- that would be really scary. I have a lot of respect for what he does."

"We wanted to win, for sure, but I said coming into this race that win or lose, this has been an incredible run for our team," Russell said. "I think we've beaten enough good cars over the last three weeks that people now know we have a good thing going on over here."

Russell is in fourth place in Top Fuel points and only 27 points out of third.

"It's unbelievable to win again," Morgan, 47, said. "It's been a while. We've worked really hard and made some major changes to the setup of the car. It's exciting to see the hard work pay off.

"You begin to wonder if you'll ever win again. It's just really tough to win races in this class right now."

"Midnight Mayhem" is open to any driver with a registered car or motorcycle and proof of insurance. Drivers under 18 are allowed to compete but must have a signed parental consent form.