Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Always kind, Russell will be missed by his peers

Thursday, July 1, 2004 | 9:20 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.

Darrell Russell's public persona always was that of an optimistic, upbeat and pleasant Texas boy -- traits that endured him to legions of drag-racing fans through his brief NHRA top Fuel career, which ended tragically Sunday when he died following a crash during eliminations at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill.

The private Darrell Russell was no different according to his close friend and fellow drag racer, Gary Scelzi.

"He was a person that was so nice and so good, it was almost to a fault," Scelzi said Wednesday. "You almost (thought) 'is this guy really this nice and this pleasant all the time?' He was.

"He's what every human being wished to be but there's no way you could be. This was not an act; this kid was so polite and so for real, it was amazing. Everything you're reading about him is true and everything everybody is saying about him is not just because Darrell passed on; he was just a real guy. It's just a shame."

Scelzi, a two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion who moved to the Funny Car category in 2002, had known Russell since their days competing in the Top Alcohol Dragster class in the early 90s. Scelzi said he immediately was drawn to Russell's engaging personality. After watching Russell capture three Division 4 Top Alcohol Dragster championships in four years, Scelzi urged team owner Joe Amato to hire Russell to drive Amato's Top Fueler in 2001.

Russell responded by winning in his first professional start, added another win at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that fall and captured the 2001 Rookie of the Year honor. He backed up a sensational rookie season by winning three races in 2002. He was winless last season but posted a career-best fourth-place points finish. His sixth and final career victory came June 13 at National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Ohio.

Scelzi, who went on to win the Funny Car final at Gateway shortly after learning of Russell's death, said he has taken some consolation in the fact that Russell, 35, died doing something he loved.

"But it doesn't make it any easier to deal with because there's still no reason why," Scelzi said. "But in my belief, God needed him upstairs to do His work up there -- that's the only reason I can think of.

"That's what I decided a long time ago when I started racing Top Fuel for Alan Johnson. I took the place of his brother, Blaine, who lost his life in Indy. Anybody that thinks this can't happen as a racecar driver or as a person driving your car to work every day on the interstate -- anything -- when the big guys calls you upstairs, it's your time and there's nothing you're going to do about."

Russell died as a result of a head injury -- apparently from something off the dragster striking him when the car broke apart at 300 mph. On Wednesday, the NHRA issued a release mandating roll-cage shielding for all Top Fuel dragsters, as well as specifying a new tire for Top Fuel and Funny Cars.

Scelzi said his Don Schumacher Racing team already was making changes to his Funny Car's roll cage prior to the NHRA announcement.

"Where the driver's head is, there are open spots in the roll cage ... there are all kinds of areas for debris to come through and it's the same way with our cars," Scelzi said. "It's very rare that that happens, but it seems that's what happened with Darrell.

"Don Schumacher called me (Tuesday) and said we're taking the steps right now, before Denver, to wrap the cage and my seat all around me with either non-puncturable carbon fiber or titanium."

Scelzi said he plans to honor Russell by placing a tribute decal on his Oakley Dodge Stratus Funny Car and putting a black line through his car number for the remainder of the season. But he said he would like to see Russell's memory honored in a more permanent fashion.

"He was from Houston, Texas, and I'd sure like to sure a grandstand put in his name at Houston Raceway Park," Scelzi said. "That way, every single time you go back to Houston, there's a memory of him. I think that would be fitting."