BlackIceLSC
Registered
To save some of you from some reading, here's a quick preface:
a racing-friend of ours went through a real tough time recently, and what happened from then on, is truely amazing. A story of human stregth and endurance, on a mental scale.
a couple months ago, Brenda and I went with her brother Tommy, to a "big Bucks" race at sacramento raceway. On the saturday afternoon of the weekend event, we watched with great horror as a good friend of ours, Mark Simonian, was involved in a racing accident. The opponent had locked up his brakes at the finish line, lost control of his car(lost the round as well), and crossed the center line, crashing into our friend. Both drivers were not hurt, but our friend's car was virtually destroyed. The whole front end was pushed over, destroying the suspension and body.
That night, another friend of mine invited Mark to pilot his car the next day for the "big bucks" race. Mark accepted(wow-after a horrific wreck, he still wants to race). Well, the next day, Mark was in the final round, and the tree malfuctioned. Both racers took off, and Mark ended up the runner up as he had no idea there was a malfunction. Both racers agreed to split the 1st place/runner up POT, and call it even. Can you believe that? Talk about adversity! But the story doesnt end there...it gets better.
That weekend's wreck would normally be chalked up as a typical racing accident, with the exception of timing. The one major event many drag racers look forward to, and finacially plan for, is the annual pilgrimage to the "Summit ET Finals". The winner of each class of the Summit finals gets a cash prize of $3500 for expenses to make the trek to Pomona, Ca to race for the National Championship. There are 8 divisions, and the class winner in each division's ET Finals gets to go to Pomona to compete against the other division's class winners to crown the National Champion. Believe me, THIS is a big deal.
Well, our friend Mark is a very competitive, and succesful bracket racer. He is liked by everyone, and I mean EVERYONE. Not one of his competitors has a bad thing to say about him ever. Therefore, this accident sort of put a dark shadow of gloom over many of the Div 7 racers, as no one ever wants to see this sort of thing happen, let alone to him. Besides, he is always considered a probable winner at any event.
So, suddenly all his peers start offering to help, either with money, or labor, or parts, to try in desperation to fix his car. Sure he could have probably borrowed a car, but that isnt Mark's way. He is very humble, and asks for nothing from anyone. So, all these people started shipping parts to mark's house. new front wheels, new front tires, old/new/used/good suspension parts. One fellow even offered his old front clip of an identical car. Suddenly, this whole fixing the car-scenario is getting realistic. Mark lives out in the central valley town of Sanger, and believe me, there aren't many people around to help him fix his ride, let alone on a voluntary level.
Well, they got it fixed. 2 days before he was to leave on the long tow to Arizona, the car was being painted(which is odd, because his car has been primer-gray for about 10 years...no one would even recognize it painted!)
So, he arrives in Arizona on time, competes in some of the toughest racing of his life, and goes on to WIN the event. And after looking at the round-by-round results, not one of his round wins was a "gimme".
The guy did it. He suffered a major loss a mere 5 weeks before, and comes back to win it all...but not quite. There's more. He also earned himself a trip to Pomona, to run in the National Championship at this past weekend's season finale.
He has to compete on a ladder against 7 other racers who equally earned a trip to be there. These are the top 8 racers in the country in that class.
Mark Simonian did it. He won. He is the Summit ET Series Pro-class National Champion.
I was so thrilled to learn about it, that I just had to share. None of us could believe it. Actually, we could...we just didnt believe fate would deal someone such a crummy hand, and that Mark could turn that hand into a Royal Flush. But I suppose if anyone could do that, it would be Mark.
He wont ever read this, but I wanted you folks to. it's a great story. Even Cinderella didnt have an ending this good.
Gray '69 Camaro/near lane
http://competitionplus.com/albums/album515/DSB_4183.jpg
Short guy holding the covetted "Wally"
http://www.dragracecentral.com/stories/photos_go_here_05/0545-8028.jpg
Mark Simonian-Pro, Kyle Roberts-Sportsman, Jackie Jones-Super-Pro and Roy Nealy Jr.-Motorcycle,
Mon, 7 Nov 2005, 7:29 PM
Posted results/round by round:
http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=107913&Filter=30#indextop
a racing-friend of ours went through a real tough time recently, and what happened from then on, is truely amazing. A story of human stregth and endurance, on a mental scale.
a couple months ago, Brenda and I went with her brother Tommy, to a "big Bucks" race at sacramento raceway. On the saturday afternoon of the weekend event, we watched with great horror as a good friend of ours, Mark Simonian, was involved in a racing accident. The opponent had locked up his brakes at the finish line, lost control of his car(lost the round as well), and crossed the center line, crashing into our friend. Both drivers were not hurt, but our friend's car was virtually destroyed. The whole front end was pushed over, destroying the suspension and body.
That night, another friend of mine invited Mark to pilot his car the next day for the "big bucks" race. Mark accepted(wow-after a horrific wreck, he still wants to race). Well, the next day, Mark was in the final round, and the tree malfuctioned. Both racers took off, and Mark ended up the runner up as he had no idea there was a malfunction. Both racers agreed to split the 1st place/runner up POT, and call it even. Can you believe that? Talk about adversity! But the story doesnt end there...it gets better.
That weekend's wreck would normally be chalked up as a typical racing accident, with the exception of timing. The one major event many drag racers look forward to, and finacially plan for, is the annual pilgrimage to the "Summit ET Finals". The winner of each class of the Summit finals gets a cash prize of $3500 for expenses to make the trek to Pomona, Ca to race for the National Championship. There are 8 divisions, and the class winner in each division's ET Finals gets to go to Pomona to compete against the other division's class winners to crown the National Champion. Believe me, THIS is a big deal.
Well, our friend Mark is a very competitive, and succesful bracket racer. He is liked by everyone, and I mean EVERYONE. Not one of his competitors has a bad thing to say about him ever. Therefore, this accident sort of put a dark shadow of gloom over many of the Div 7 racers, as no one ever wants to see this sort of thing happen, let alone to him. Besides, he is always considered a probable winner at any event.
So, suddenly all his peers start offering to help, either with money, or labor, or parts, to try in desperation to fix his car. Sure he could have probably borrowed a car, but that isnt Mark's way. He is very humble, and asks for nothing from anyone. So, all these people started shipping parts to mark's house. new front wheels, new front tires, old/new/used/good suspension parts. One fellow even offered his old front clip of an identical car. Suddenly, this whole fixing the car-scenario is getting realistic. Mark lives out in the central valley town of Sanger, and believe me, there aren't many people around to help him fix his ride, let alone on a voluntary level.
Well, they got it fixed. 2 days before he was to leave on the long tow to Arizona, the car was being painted(which is odd, because his car has been primer-gray for about 10 years...no one would even recognize it painted!)
So, he arrives in Arizona on time, competes in some of the toughest racing of his life, and goes on to WIN the event. And after looking at the round-by-round results, not one of his round wins was a "gimme".
The guy did it. He suffered a major loss a mere 5 weeks before, and comes back to win it all...but not quite. There's more. He also earned himself a trip to Pomona, to run in the National Championship at this past weekend's season finale.
He has to compete on a ladder against 7 other racers who equally earned a trip to be there. These are the top 8 racers in the country in that class.
Mark Simonian did it. He won. He is the Summit ET Series Pro-class National Champion.
I was so thrilled to learn about it, that I just had to share. None of us could believe it. Actually, we could...we just didnt believe fate would deal someone such a crummy hand, and that Mark could turn that hand into a Royal Flush. But I suppose if anyone could do that, it would be Mark.
He wont ever read this, but I wanted you folks to. it's a great story. Even Cinderella didnt have an ending this good.
Gray '69 Camaro/near lane
http://competitionplus.com/albums/album515/DSB_4183.jpg
Short guy holding the covetted "Wally"
http://www.dragracecentral.com/stories/photos_go_here_05/0545-8028.jpg
Mark Simonian-Pro, Kyle Roberts-Sportsman, Jackie Jones-Super-Pro and Roy Nealy Jr.-Motorcycle,
Mon, 7 Nov 2005, 7:29 PM
Posted results/round by round:
http://www.dragracecentral.com/DRCStory.asp?ID=107913&Filter=30#indextop
