Drag Illustrated Issue 114, October 2016 | Page 46
James
Q
&A ‘Birdman’ Finney
J
By Brandon W. Mudd
ames
Finney,
better
known as “Birdman,” is an
interesting character. The
Texas native kicked off the
year with a $15,000 paycheck at Redemption 4.0 at Texas Raceway in Kennedale and has been the terror
of no-prep races since with his Firebird.
When I spoke with him on the phone,
I wasn’t sure what to expect. I have my
opinions on street racing (i.e. not a fan)
and Birdman is an unapologetic proponent of the activity. But when I talked to
him, I was more than a little surprised to
hear his opinions on it, how street racing
compares to no-prep racing, and how he
worries about the dangers of both due to
inexperienced drivers. If you’ve only ever
seen the bluster and swagger, Drag Illustrated’s chat