"The Bomber", Tom Baum...

[Bret Kepner]

It's a sad day for fans of the underdogs in the sport. Drag racing lost Tom Baum on October 27th.

He raced every kind of dragster, (including Top Fuelers), in a career which spanned almost four decades. He was best known for his long line of Top Alcohol Dragsters, all raced under the name "Xecutioner" and all built with his own hands in his one-car garage in Des Plaines, Illinois.

As much as he was a determined drag racer, he was a true character. His personality always shown through even when things were worst. He was excited to wake up every morning as long as there was a race car in his garage. He could be hilarious, intense or nearly nuts but he was always a friend to anybody...including those who'd never met him.

"The Bomber" was one of the only individuals who made a living racing on the UDRA circuit through the 1970s and 1980s. He pushed his homebuilt engines to the absolute limit on nearly every run and, by his own admission, he blew up a lot of stuff. Still, when he'd saved up enough money, he would hit the road for the nearest AHRA, IHRA or NHRA National Event and give it a shot. He was a fixture at NHRA WCS events in Divisions III and V and booked himself for match races against anything including jets, funny cars and fuelers.

Routinely, he would finish in the Top Ten point standings in UDRA competition. At one time, he was the quickest driver in history at the wheel of a cast-iron Chevy blown alcohol dragster. His greatest moment, however, came when he won the overall TAD title in the grueling Olympics of Drag Racing at Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, Wisconsin, in 1988. He considered "The Grove" his home track and had a truly massive following there. Track owner "Broadway Bob" Metzler had a special place in his heart for Baum, who once crashed his first front-engined dragster off Metzler's property in 1960.

The Olympics featured category-specific competition for the first two of its four days but always deteriorated into a free-for-all for its last two days. In those final forty-eight hours, any and all pairings occurred but the racers still battled for points to determine the overall championship. On the final day of the '88 event, "the Bomber" beat UDRA and Olympics kingpin Tony Zizzo, multi-time UDRA World Champ Hal Canode, NHRA National Champion Al DaPozzo, and the short-wheelbased Top Fueler of "Diamond Dave" Miller to win his biggest title. It was one of the few times "The Bomber" was ever publicly overcome by emotion.

During the 1991 Olympics at "the Grove", Baum barrel-rolled his Fel-Pro Gaskets "Xecutioner" four times on the first day of the event. He was battered and bruised but loaded the remains of the car into his ancient homemade trailer and headed back to his garage. Twenty-four hours later, he returned to the track and unloaded the same car, rebuilt by Baum alone, and continued to compete in the event.

It seemed everybody in drag racing knew him. He was a phenomenal promoter of his own racing team and often displayed his car for charitable organizations free of charge, feeling the "good karma" would come back to him some day. He was the kind of guy you couldn't dislike, even if he had just oiled the left lane from starting line to turnoff with an engine even he knew shouldn't have even been able to fire. He raced hard, drove all night to make an event the next day in another state, unloaded and raced hard again. He laughed when he lost in the first round and was still smiling when he headed out the gate for an all-night drive home. He was as hardcore as they will ever come.

Tom Baum was one of a kind. He was, and shall forever be, "The Bomber".

[WCB]

R.I.P. Tom

Well written, Bret

[pro70z28]

R.I.P. Bomber

[draglist]

Thank you, Bret, for letting us remember the real guys who make this sport special. bp

[WildcatOne]

Thanks, Bret, for those great words. Farewell to The Bomber. What a great guy and drag racer. Rest in peace. WC1

[mbaum]

Dear Bret,

Wow. What an amazing write-up and tribute you posted for my beloved uncle Tom Baum. You must be a true drag racing expert and historian, with all the detailed highlights you provide about Tom's career. I learned many things I did not know, but you also sparked many memories I have of going to see Uncle Tom at "the Grove," his home-made, hand-welded trailer, his Xecutioner dragsters, etc., etc. You are right that he achieved great things with sparse resources. Think of what he could have done if he had access to the latest engines, tools, and technology.

You also touched on his warm personality and great sense of humor. Tom went out cracking jokes and making light of tough situations to the very end. You may know that he was battling severe heart trouble these past couple of years, but we were still not prepared for what happened yesterday. "The Bomber" will be missed.

Thank you so much for your wonderful tribute. It means a lot to our family.

Sincerely,

Mike Baum
Tom's 2nd nephew

[mbaum]

Oehler Funeral Home
2099 Miner Street (Rt. 14/Northwest Hwy. at Rand Road)
Des Plaines, IL 60016
847.824.5155

Visitation Friday 10/30/09 3:00-9:00 pm
Service Saturday 10/31/09 9:15 am (also held at Oehler's)
Interment All Saints Cemetery

followed by luncheon for all in attendance at
White Eagle Banquets
6839 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Niles, IL 60714
847.647.0660

Tom's obituary is in today's (i.e., Thursday 10/29/09)
Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times, and The Herald.

[morebetter99]

Here's a link to some video of Tom. Thanks to Mike Alberts...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL3BXBTYg90

[draglist]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and the arrangements with us, Mike. Thanks for the video, Pete. bp

[racersforcoffee]

..we're not just honoring a great man- but the real spirit of the sport.