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Drag Racing Stories
So Long, Don Kline
By David Hapgood
It was with a heavy heart that I read the obituary of former Lebanon Valley Dragway track manager, Don Kline, who passed away on Tuesday, January 22, 2008. I think it would be accurate to say that no other individual in drag racing exerted as much influence on my life.
To begin with, I might never have even attended a drag race if it wasn't for Lebanon Valley's great 'screamer' ads of the 1970s and its match races featuring the biggest superstars of the day -- Kline booked them all. He also booked the very best regional cars. In fact, you could rely on seeing an excellent funny car show at Lebanon Valley, as Kline never hired 'leakers.' He had a very conservative approach when it came to hiring the pros, and the fans benefited.
When I was all of sixteen years old I decided that I would follow my dream of becoming a drag racing photographer, and Don Kline gave me that opportunity. By the following year he was referring to me as the 'track photographer,' and the next year he presented me with a 'Division 1' photo pass, which gave me access to the starting line at any track in the Northeast. It was perfect.
To me, Don was more than just a track manager: I considered him a friend. He was a busy man, but whenever there was a lull in the action I'd hunt him down to pick his brains -- he knew everyone in the business on the Eastern seaboard, and many from the West coast, too. As a result, he was always up to date with the latest news. He was also a good source of information about the past: I'd show up at his house with photos from a recent FC show and he'd drag out historic photos from the track and answer all of my questions about them. I learned from his years of experience as a dragstrip operator, and I gathered that he got a kick out my youthful enthusiasm for the sport.
As a track manager, Don Kline was one of those blessed with an instinct for both amiability and justice. Everyone knew they had to follow the rules, end of discussion. I only really learned to appreciate Don's management style later on, after watching numerous track managers poison the atmosphere by shouting themselves red in the face while threatening their racers. Things weren't like that at Lebanon Valley under Don Kline. Sure, errant racers would get the boot, but minus the theatrics.
The last time I saw Don was in the early nineties, the last years I lived on the East coast. We were having a conversation up in Lebanon Valley's tower when a track official started screaming over the radio, complaining about a fellow employee. The gist of it went something like this.
Official: "He trailed oil all the way down the return road!!"
Don Kline: "I see it."
Official: "It looks like....damn it! It goes all the way into the pits, too!!"
Don Kline: "We're going to have to clean it up."
Official: "What the hell was he thinking?!"
Don Kline: (calmly) "S*** happens."
Amen, and goodbye my friend.
David Hapgood
hapgood_d@hotmail.com
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