Bruce Mullins' Top Alcohol Funny Car
Featured in Children's Book
By Bill Pratt
Division
1 Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Bruce Mullins took part in a photo shoot
near Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C., in November 1999
for a very special purpose. He and the "War Horse" Top Alcohol
Funny Car had been chosen to represent drag racing in a children's book
about race cars.
The 32-page children's book, titled the "Dorling Kindersley (DK)
Big Book of Race Cars," features a variety of racing machines from
the conventional to the unusual. Mullins is its sole drag racing
representative.
Author Carey Combe contacted Drag Racing List publisher Bill Pratt
after searching the Internet for drag racing cars. She explained that she,
book designer Mandy Earey, and photographer Richard Leeney would be
shooting various racing machines all over the United States and asked if
he could recommend a funny car. Coincidentally, the night before, Pratt
and Mullins had established a verbal contract for Pratt's other website
--
-- to provide associate sponsorship for Mullins' 2000 racing season.
This new relationship, and the acknowledged beauty of the War Horse
Mustang, made Bruce Mullins and the War Horse team a perfect fit for the
project.
The group from Dorling Kindersley made a whirlwind one week tour of the
United States in November 1999. They traveled to Denver (Snowmobile
racing), San Diego (Desert racing), Tampa (Powerboats), North Carolina
(NASCAR), and Indianapolis (Indy car) before making one last stop near
Washington to shoot Mullins' Funny Car before returning home. Pratt got
agreement from Bruce and Pattie Mullins to feature their car, quickly
arranged a shooting location near Dulles Airport, and hoped for good
weather. A sunny day rewarded all involved and the shoot was a resounding
success. Author Combe interviewed Bruce on the operation of the car to
provide the associated text.
British publishers Dorling Kindersley have a huge and well-established
market, and this book joins a successful series of books about big trucks,
amazing cars, and monster machines. The images were cut out and placed on
a white background along with smaller photos containing details about the
machine. The pictures are accompanied by explanatory text. Former drag
racing participants in the Dorling Kindersley series include an NHRA Super
Comp dragster and NHRA Top Fuel racer Joe Amato. The "DK Big Book of
Race Cars" was published in December 2001 and is available in most
bookstores and at Amazon.com.
