my daughter and I were at half track and very first top fuel pass of the day. His chute did not deploy, saw the dust and heard the engine go . She said, that sounds so eery. This is the first we'd heard. our condolences to the family and team. OLY The cancer car lives Give to cancer research
Hopefully he was passed out and didnt feel anything...but even at that it would be a better way to go that sickness Thoughts and prayers to the family and friends
i really hate to hear that, and just think of his poor wife that watched it happen before her eyes. my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and team.
was at the track watching from the 1000' mark.god speed John!!!!it is never tragic to die while doing what you LOVE. -Jimmy-............
So sorry that's awful news. Like others have said,I would rather go like that than suffer with an illness. RIP
Hate to hear about a racer loosing his life. But that's better than laying in a Hospital bed going a little at a time! Goodspeed,John.....FULLSPEED!!!!!!
As was told to me when ChopPop passed... in a time when so many spend their final days rotting away ignored and unwanted in a nursing home John Shoemaker crossed the line with his plugs running clean and got the win light. I hope I am as lucky when my time comes.
I had the honor of meeting John a few years ago at Hotrod a rama in Tacoma. He and his wife Judy were some of the nicest folks you could ever hope to meet. Last year, I even became an unofficial part of his "crew" when he so kindly let me help push the American Eagle into a shop space to get it ready for the cackle fest later that night. He let me stand around, watch as he worked, and ask any stupid question I could think of, which he always answered. He was a good man, and will be missed by many. R.I.P John.
We talked to Steve last night at Squeak's shop and he is extremely saddened. Rightly so. I understand Mr. Shoemaker might of had a Heart attack , fuel shut off was still in the "On" position and like you stated the Chute never opened. Bizarre to say the least. Prayers to the family.
This is from the nitrogeezers link attitudor posted: John's rear engine, flat-head powered B-Fuel Coupe that he won the Fuel & Gas Championships with at Bakersfield in 1964. The motor and rear end were mounted on a separate sub-frame from the car and could be separated very fast. You could pick up the body and roll it away from the sub-frame.
He's sitting in the winners circle upstairs staring back down at the guy he beat saying "Top that." RIP
We left the track early but we did see the unforutnate accident. On the news they said that he most likely had a heart attack. Condolences and prayers to the family and freinds.
I was in the stands with my wife and two daughters, we saw the whole run and I knew it was not good when the helicopter showed up. God bless John's wife and family. As for John.... The Bible say's, to be absent from your body is to be in the presence of the Lord!. I am sending prayers up. I would also like to thank all the drivers who risk their saftey to put on a great show for the crowd. We really enjoyed the races, but this news takes the wind out of me.
Newspaper today said heart attack. Makes sense.....too many different things DIDN"T happen to be a mechanical failure and he was already slumped over before he crashed.
I met John many years ago, saw him last at a car show in Washington, he always remembered. What a great guy he was, those of you who did not meet him missed a great guy. Guess we are all getting older , just crappy to have to see good guys pass. Godspeed John, Godspeed Mike
Tinman raised this question.............how do you "slump over" with a full harness, neck yoke and a HANS? Sad day, but the question is out there. RIP JS
I dunno. Good question, I missed it personally.........had to fill in at work. But a limp body is a limp body, no matter the restraints. Why does that picture of his coupe look familiar?
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Mar. 9, 2008) – Fifty years of racing are officially in the books for the fabled March Meet. The 3-day nostalgia drag racing event, which drew record crowds to Auto Club Famoso Raceway, featured intense competition with “Sheriff” Jack Harris winning Top Fuel and Bucky Austin taking Funny Car. “This was a March Meet that will still be talked about in 50 more years,” said Blake Bowser, vice president and general manager of the Kern County Racing Association, operators of Auto Club Famoso and producers of the event. “The crowds, the racing…everything was fantastic for our 50<SUP>th</SUP> anniversary. As always, the March Meet made Bakersfield shine.” Racing always shines brightest at the Meet and 500 nostalgia racers made the trip to compete in the momentous event. At Sunday’s finals Harris, of Kaysville, Utah, rocked the crowd as he piloted his dragster to a 5.568 at 263 mph for the fastest run ever in a front-engine Top Fuel car. He followed it up by beating Brad Thompson, of Vasalia, Calif., in the Top Fuel final. Harris claimed his third March Meet title with a 6.064 run at 239.36 mph. Austin took the Funny Car title by beating last year’s winner, Stephan Romanazzi of Vasalia, Calif. Austin, from Fife, Wash., won with a time of 5.836 at 243.63 mph. Along with celebrating a half-century of racing, the 2008 March Meet was the inaugural race of the Hot Rod Heritage Series, the NHRA’s new seven-race nostalgia racing series. The Grand Marshals were drag racing legends Don “the Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen. Plenty of excitement could be found in the hot rod-packed Grove, vendor row and swap meet. Fireworks and a WWII fighter-plane fly-by sent cheers through the stands as well as in the sold-out camping area. Throw in picture-perfect weather and it was no surprise the March Meet drew an estimated 35,000-plus fans to Auto Club Famoso Raceway. Tragically, the March Meet was saddened by the death of Sacramento veteran Top Fuel driver John Shoemaker. The 65-year old racer crashed during Saturday’s competition and was airlifted to the Kern Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. He is survived by his wife Judee and son Jim. “Our hearts go out to John’s family and racing community,” said Bowser. “It’s a terrible loss.” Shoemaker, and the 50<SUP>th</SUP> March Meet, will live on in the memories of all who attended. The Kern County Racing Association (KCRA) operates historic Auto Club Famoso Raceway (just north of Bakersfield, Calif.) and promotes a full schedule of races year round, including the world famous March Meet. For more details, visit www.famosoraceway.com. # # #
The Jalopy Journal
