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Speed channel to feature local drag racer |
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Friday, July 17 2009 |
Racing for the big bucks was something Columbia City resident Bill Bennett could only watch on television until the July 11 weekend.
By ANDREW SHULTZ
Sports Editor
Racing for the big bucks was something Columbia City resident Bill Bennett could only watch on television until the July 11 weekend.
The lifetime race car driver found himself in the mix of 450 entries on the popular Speed Channel show “Pinks All Out.”
“It started back in December when we got the golden coupon in the candy bar so to speak,” Bennett said about beating out thousands for one of the online entry forms.
“In about a minute they were all sold out. They said they had over 5,000 hits. My wife was at work trying to get in and I was at home and she couldn’t get in. Fortunately we got one.”
The entry form took Bennett and his 1968 Chevy Nova dragster to Martin, Michigan’s U.S. 131 Raceway Park where Pinks All Out crew along with host Rich Christensen awaited.
With the lights and cameras filling the field, the 450 drivers were narrowed down to 32 in the first two days based on the closest running time of cars.
Bennett held a small advantage with experience. Making racing a second career, Bennett got some early practice at the Indianapolis “Pinks All Out” event earlier in the summer.
“Indianapolis was just like this one, it sold out in less than a minute,” Bennett said. “It was a blessing really because it was like a dry run to just know how things are for the one in Martin.”
Although, Bennett’s running time of 10.30 seconds was not selected in Indy it was among the best in a group of 32 cars taken for the Martin final.
Putting the rubber to the road, the car Bennett would race was more than just a race car.
“I’ve had it for about 20 years,” Bennett noted. “It’s like a family heirloom. I got it at an auction years ago and it’s been a race car as long as I can remember.”
In the show, Bennett made his way into the 16-car feature for $18,000 dollars.
Down to a single-elimination contest, Bennett worked his horsepower machine through round after round and landing in the finals.
The stage was then set for a Chevy-Ford final. Bennett faced off against a 1996 Ford Mustang driven by John Bodensladt.
I didn’t realize how nuts the crowd was,” Bennett said. “It was awesome. The whole crowd was yelling ‘Nova, Nova.’”
The final was set up in a hot lap with the winner needing the best time in two out of three runs.
It took all three laps to determine a winner but it was Bennett coming out on the second-place side of a close contest.
“Up until the very last 30 seconds where he got a envelope full of cash, it was the same adrenaline run. The crowd was just crazy.
“The neat thing is the race is over but come Sept. 24 you actually get to watch it.”
That’s the date of when the Martin episode of “Pinks All Out” will air on the cable network Speed Channel 48.
The show starts at 8 p.m. for those wanting to see a local resident’s run to the top. However, if you can’t wait there is always YouTube where dozens of amateur videos are already on display. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, July 22 2009 )
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