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[h=2]IHRA: Dunn's new appreciation for amateur racers[/h] Tuesday, 08 November 2016


Steven Cole Smith

Mike Dunn, president of the IHRA, did not have to rise through the amateur ranks to become one of the country's top drag racers. The son of Hall of Fame Drag Racer "Big Jim" Dunn, Mike began racing just before he turned 20 in 1976.

The following year he earned his Funny Car license before taking a job as a crew member for legendary car owner Roland Leong and working for him until 1980.
Dunn is one of only four drivers ever to win 10 or more races in both Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars, joining fellow legends Don Prudhomme and Gary Scelzi and six-time world champion Kenny Bernstein. After that, he spent 14 years on ESPN bringing drag racing to a mass audience.
So Dunn's personal experience with Sportsman racing was limited to a weekend at the drag strip with a Chevrolet El Camino, learning the procedure and getting a feel for how the starting line works. So the weekend he spent recently at Memphis International Raceway for the IHRA Summit World Finals was an eye-opener.
"I've met a lot of great people here, and I've seen the level of dedication these racers have for our sport," Dunn said. "The professionalism and skill is so impressive, from the junior racers to the men and women who have been at this for decades."
Dunn made it a point to shake as many hands as possible, and he was there at every Victory Lane celebration, and his enthusiasm was genuine.
"This is just a reminder of who is the heart and soul of our sport – that racing means every bit as much to these folks as it does to any of our Pro racers."