This was the second worst "Blow Up" I ever had...it was toward the end of my Drag Racing Career and it was the first Event I ever entered where I was alone...Everybody stayed home this year except my Son and I and the last race before this he fell in love with the local "Beauty Bar Maid" so I ended up here by myself...
It was an All Bike Meet in Cincinnati and by now me and the Double knew what to do to Qualify without to much trouble and usually number one...so, I waited until just before midnight to make my Pass...When I first got to the strip in the afternoon I knew I was going to need a helper with the starter and being pushed back after the burn out...and while unloading the Bike this giant of a Biker begin helping me and said he volunteered to be my helper and just to prove it he hollowed across to this very large women leaning against a tree, "hey babe show Joe some tit" which she did...Now this guy was twice my size so being the smaller of the two, I knew I had my helper...
I did wait until the very last to make my Qualify Pass, got the bike Fueled and ready, was the last Fuel Bike to run as I recall, waiting to be called to start motors...got the call and the "Giant" had a little trouble getting the starter on and off but we got it fired and about that time the two bikes just making a pass, one flipped his bike at the line and we had to shut off... because my Son wasn't with me there was some shut down steps that got missed, I forgot to shut off the Fuel Petcocks...
After about 15 minutes we got the call to start motors, by now the air had cooled even more and there was a slight frost on the top of the Carburetors and I seen that I had forgot to turn off the fuel but the motors started without any problem and sounded OK, pulled around and made the burn out, I did notice the bike seemed a little sluggish, the "Giant" pushed me back...now at the NHRA while doing the Exhibition I did, I used to test the clutch to stage, the Spectators always like to see me carry the front wheel on a clutch blip so I thought because it looked like it was going to be the last fuel bike to run that night I would do that, the first blip it did just what it was suppose to do, the second it came apart like a Grenade...
I had very few Friends at this race and while laying waiting to be put in the Ambulance I had them call the one guy I knew a little to come to the start line and I ask him if he would load my stuff and bring it to the Hospital, I had a lot of Travel/Winnings in my wallet and it was still in the Camper and he was nice enough to do that...
The trip home is another story...I did find when I was able to look at the Double, the Double Float Bowl on the rear motor one of the Floats collapsed and fuel was running in that motor because of not shutting of the fuel between starts...