Fast Company Page #3

I was just supposin.

Slezak, look at this

as an agent's commission.

it'll make you feel better.

The FastCo team and Lonnie Johnson

sell tickets at this mosquito patch.

if you dont want us to come-

I was only talkin, Phil.

I wont rock the boat.

Good.

'Cause if you rock the boat and it tips over,

you'll be the first one to drown.

Take care.

[Lonnie]

Lets try 70. Cant hurt none.

[Man Laughs]

Lonnie.

Hi, Glen.

Phil.

I got a photographer waiting for you

in that shack they call the timing tower.

So get something on that says "FastCo."

Be nice to him. Hes syndicated. Okay?

Okay, Phil.

Look, Glen, I wasnt kidding

about that quadra-vane.

You want it, you stick it on there,

it's yours.

Thanks, man.

Phil.

Man just dont know

his own strength.

Yeah, he's a good boy,

Lonnie.

[Radio:
Country]

# I'm a man, not a child #

# I'm an outlaw #

## [Continues]

That guy

really burns my ass.

Hey, Gary, check this out.

Its that a**hole

Johnson.

[Grunts]

Well, you gotta take your rides

where you can get em.

Gets em too easy.

Guy's a joke, man.

Yeah, but he sure does know

some nice-lookin women, dont he?

Well, he does.

All right, all right!

Its summer! it's drag racin!

it's the Big Sky drag race!

And youre watching the very last

of our single qualifying funny car runs!

[Engine idling]

[Engine Off]

[Billy Exhales]

[Engine idling]

[Engine Off]

Hi.

Hi, Billy.

Miss FastCo, huh?

How do I look?

it's terrific.

I looked for you this morning

when we got in.

Oh, yeah. Uh, my outfit

wasnt ready until lunchtime.

And then Phil had me come over in a cab

and pose for pictures with Lonnie and stuff.

It was real tight.

So you and Adamson

getting along okay, are ya?

Yeah, we get along okay.

He's pretty smooth.

Oh, yeah.

Well, listen, I gotta-

You'll be around, huh?

Uh, yeah.

I'm sorry I missed your race.

That's okay.

it was only a qualifier.

Great. Can I watch you fix your car

till Phil needs me again?

Well, youre Miss FastCo,

arent you?

Sure am.

Yeah, P.J.?

Yeah.

Why dont we just step

into my office here and talk.

Sounds serious.

Just a little business.

That's serious.

What's on your mind, Phil?

I got a problem,

and youre the only one

that can help me.

Well, sure. What is it?

I dont normally bug you

with my problems.

Youre supposed to drive,

I'm supposed to take care of business.

That's the way it's supposed to be.

But I think I should let you know

that the boys from the front office

in Kansas City...

are putting on an awful lot of pressure

to drop the fuel dragster completely.

Now, that's my problem.

And I'm gonna go

to the wall for you, Lonnie.

Youre gonna get that car. Believe me.

Great. Hey, look, Phil-

Look, I know youll go to bat for me.

Damn right.

Let's talk about today.

I cant let the Kid drive.

it's gotta be you.

[Laughing]

What, me in a funny car?

Hey, Phil, look, I drive fuelers.

it's what I'm known for. it's what I do best.

Lonnie, we dont have a fueler.

I'm not blaming you

for what happened.

Its just that those fans out there

came to see Lonnie Johnson drive,

not the Kid.

We owe em that.

Phil, are you asking me

to take that kid's ride from him?

Just for a couple of meets.

Jim Cain at Redline says that

in three or four meets the carll be ready.

I mean, the Kid's

gotta pay his dues too.

The bottom line is

that he's not Lonnie Johnson.

There's nothing I can do about that.

[Exhales]

Oh, boy.

That is gonna hurt.

Hey, Phil, look, hes just starting to fly, man.

You know that.

I'll tell you what.

Why dont you talk to him.

Youre both drivers. He respects you-

Respects you? He idolizes you.

I mean, if I talked to him

it wouldnt be the same thing.

[Sighs]

Two meets.

[idling]

is that the gasoline?

Well, no. They call these fuel cars

'cause they run on nitro-methane fuel.

Oh.

You want a sip?

No.

[Laughs]

No, it's not all nitro.

Its about, uh... 80%.

Or should be.

About 20% alcohol.

We try and mix it

just before we race so it doesnt

go sour on us before we start.

Yeah, that'll be okay.

Every drivers got his own

special- special mixture...

and, uh, likes to do it himself.

Except for the big-time drivers

like Lonnie.

Hmm.

What does he do?

Oh, he lets Elder do it.

Guess they must really

trust each other, huh?

Yeah, I guess.

Hi, kids.

Hi, Lonnie.

Billy?

Yeah?

I gotta talk to you alone.

Right now?

Yeah, now.

[Engine Revving]

She's, uh-

She's kinda cute, isnt she?

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

You, uh- You like her?

Yeah, I kinda do.

She's different.

You didnt get me up here

to ask about Miss FastCo, did ya?

[inhales]

Uh, no.

[Exhales]

Hey, uh, how about a beer?

Oh, no, thanks.

I got some adj-

Billy, have a beer.

Okay.

Good.

I just, um-

just got done talking

to Adamson.

Yeah?

Yeah. We got ourselves

a little problem.

What?

Uh, youre gonna be walking

for a while.

Pardon?

I said youre gonna

be walking for a while.

What do you mean?

I'm gonna drive the funny.

You dont drive floppers.

Yeah, I do today.

Its my car!

Billy, its just gonna be for a couple of rides

till I get the fueler back.

Bullshit!

Come on, Billy.

Come on, Lonnie!

You used to be a real racer.

And you used to be good.

I used to read about you

when I was 12 years old, man.

What do you wanna be,

a movie star?

You wanna get your picture

in the papers?

You wanna sign autographs?

You wanna wave to the crowd?

You wanna get laid? Well, you got it.

Billy-

Jesus Christ!

I'm sorry, Kid.

Youre walking.

I'll have your, uh-

I'll have your clutch adjusted

in about 20 minutes.

Got about half an hour.

[Door Opens, Closes]

Final round.

Gary Black is ready.

FastCo funny car

to staging, please.

[P. A:
Slezak]

Five minutes till the final round

of the funny car eliminator.

And how 'bout it, race fans?

it looks like we got a first here.

Yes, yes, it looks like

Lonnie Lucky Many Johnson himself...

is gonna drive

the FastCo Firebird funny car.

To my knowledge, this is Lonnies

first time ever in a double-A funny car.

What a place to start!

Lonnie will be squaring off against

someone all funny car enthusiasts know-

one of the toughest competitors

in the Pacific Northwest,

Gary The Blacksmith Black.

So dont go away, folks!

This just has to be

a ground-pounding track burner!

Remember, its all happening here

at Big Sky Dragways here in Montana,

the Big Sky state!

[Engine idling, Revving]

Bastards tried to burn him down.

Yeah, that engine

got pretty damn hot.

Sounds good anyway.

It'll be all right. Dont worry about it.

[Engine Starts]

Come on, Billy.

Get the lead out!

[Engines Off]

[P. A:
Slezak]

Speeding with a flaming 221 miles an hour

through those tracks! What a bitchin run!

[P. A:

Slezak Continues, Indistinct]

Whoo!

Not bad for a beginner,

boss man.

- Well, how's it feel, Lon?

- Lumpy and squirrelly.

Billy, how do you see

outta this thing?

[P.J.]

We can give you a bigger sunroof

if you want.

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