TRIBUTE

By Nate Van Wagnen

Richardson cut his teeth racing at Texas Raceway in Kennedale , Texas . At just 17 , he earned his first Wally in Super Gas at the NHRA ’ s firstever stop at Houston Raceway Park . He went on to win a total of 39 national event titles during his NHRA career , spread across Comp , Super Stock , Stock , Super Comp , Super Gas , and Super Street . He became the first driver to win two world championships in the same year in 1994 when he won in Super Comp and Super Gas . Richardson earned five NHRA world titles , while he lost two more on a tiebreaker . During NHRA ’ s 50th anniversary season in 2001 , he earned a spot on NHRA ’ s 50 Greatest Drivers list .

“ It ’ s not fair , it doesn ’ t feel anywhere close to real , and it is definitely the sad part of life ,” said Jerry Emmons , a fellow NHRA Lucas Oil Series world champion . “ I believe we all felt Scotty Richardson was immortal . One of the greatest of all time the sport of drag racing has ever seen . Much more impressive than his successful racing career is the friend he was to my family . He was like a brother to all of us and nothing will ever be the same , ever . I pray for Scotty ’ s family . May peace and strength be with all of them .”

“ Today we lost the greatest sportsman drag racer of all time ,” said Ray Miller III , the 2019

NHRA Super Comp world champion . “ I never went to his school but I learned so much from watching him and getting my teeth kicked in by him . He was one of the first people to congratulate me in Pomona when I won my world championship . Great person gone way too soon . Prayers to the Richardson family .”

Richardson was also a prolific competitor on the big-money bracket racing scene , where he stacked up piles of money by winning some of the biggest events , like the Moroso 5-Day E . T . Championships , the Spring Fling Million , and the $ 100,000 Allstar Shootout at the JEGS Summer Fling .

“ Scotty changed our sport with a unique and impressive talent that couldn ’ t be matched ,” said Jared Pennington , a racer whose Coalburg Racing Promotions puts on events like the massive World Footbrake Challenge . “ He was simply better than anyone he staged beside . The pressure on him to win was greater than probably any other racer in history . No one ever expected him to not win . Through it all , he still exceeded expectations . That ’ s how good Scotty was .”

Outside of the driver ’ s seat , Richardson contributed to the sport through his drag racing school . He would travel to tracks across the country to work with aspiring bracket racers looking to take their performance to the next level . Attendees were eager to pick up any tips that might result in even a percentage of the success Richardson experienced throughout his career .

For brief stints , Richardson also held the lease at Kentucky ’ s Mountain Park Dragway and later served as the race director at Ohio ’ s Edgewater Sports Park . He brought a racer ’ s mindset to those roles , but he also gained a new appreciation for track operators and promoters .

Richardson was also known as a great friend and family man who inspired many with his abilities on the racetrack .

“ The on-track stories and hall-of-fame list of statistics are nearly untouchable ,” said racer , Virginia Motorsports Park vice president , and PDRA series director Tyler Crossnoe , who recalled the time he was asked to help Richardson with his racing school at Holly Springs , “ but I ’ ll never forget how I was just a young kid at Holly Springs running the computer and helping out , but Scotty treated me like gold and like he had known me my entire life . We will all miss that smile , those quick one-liners that you definitely were not ready for at times , and that skill set on the racetrack that I am not sure will ever be duplicated .” DI

PHOTOGRAPHS BY VAN ABERNETHY AND SPRING FLING BRACKET RACES

54 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 190