Dirt
Top Fuel fan-favorite Scott Palmer
is right where he wants to be
By Josh Hachat
T
he first – and only – race Scott
Palmer attended as a spectator was a
NHRA national event at Heartland
Motorsports Park in Topeka. He recalls
sleeping in the parking lot in his truck, but a size-
able impression was left on him that weekend. “Af-
ter that, I knew what I wanted to do,” Palmer says.
Palmer, though, never expected it to be on
this level. He’s now campaigning a full-time Top
34 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Fuel ride with Tommy Thompson Motorsports
and Magic Dry Organic Absorbent, in the midst
of his third straight full-time season. Palmer
has been to one final round, advanced to the
Countdown to the Championship two straight
years and become a genuine threat in the class.
Less than five years ago, this all seemed like a
pipe dream for Palmer. “You never think you’re
going to get the opportunity,” Palmer says. “Now
I have to back it up.”
As Palmer prepared to race at Heartland Mo-
torsports Park this year, he talked to D rag I llus -
trateD about the incredible ride he’s been on, ad-
justing expectations and not changing who he is.
It’s amazing how much things have changed.
What has this ride been like?
I don’t know how this happened. I tell someone
it’s like watching your puppy grow up. If you’re
there every day, you don’t realize your puppy is
grown up in a year. But if you don’t see it for 2-3
months and you walk in and see it, you can tell
it’s grown. It’s kind of just happened.
I’m set up (in Topeka) and I’m right across from
Kalitta’s pit, directly beside Steve Torrence’s pits.
We have hospitality and I just look around and
say, ‘Wow.’ This is just us. This is not someone
else doing this. Somehow this has worked out.
I’m just lucky I get to do it.
Issue 146
Doing It the Right Way