I wrote a eulogy for John Thun, the pioneer of an airstrip/dragstrip located just south of what later became Puyallup Dragway. The 'maxdownload'upload..I dunno..thinger on Bill Pratt's site isn't running. Rather than try to save and upload it later, suffice it that Thun was a gentleman in how he raised his family and ran a safe place for young people to develop themselves, as well as a fun joint for old flyboys to screw around. He maintained his lust for life right up to the end at age 89.
While on Draglist, however, I ran across a Carl Olson retrospective of his fabled "last drag race" at Lions. It seems he's asked to do this nearly every year. We're at the point where we need him and the firsthand story to preserve our history. All I know is he keeps telling it, I keep reading it and keep being shaken every time. so...Go there and prepare to shed tears.
www.draglist.com