Page 11 - NM Spring 2020

Her first trip to the drags came the lights at 5.9278/245.16 in here on earth. After this the Doty
at about 3-months old. Her qualifying and then backed it up racing activities went dormant for a
grandmother Rosa recalls “In the following day! That record held brief period.
her early years Thais collected for about a year. Just as notable,
interesting rocks around the pits not only did they win the event in In 2014 Robby was working for
and cherished them as priceless dramatic fashion, they over-took Doty at his Inglewood shop. It
treasures”. As she grew older, her the points leader and won the 2005 was there that George requested
father noted that she helped him Goodguy’s VRA Championship! Rodney’s phone number to extend
in any way that she could while him an opportunity to drive his new
absorbing vast amounts of racing Eddie Flourney tuned the “Crazy Fuel Altered. Not long afterwards
knowledge and aptitude. Horse” Mustang from 2007 through Rodney started hanging the front
2009 for owner George Doty and wheels of the Doty & Flournoy
Perpetuating the family protocol, drivers Gary Read, Ryan Konno “Godzilla” 29-T Bucket AA/FA and
it was only natural for Thais to and Jerry Krumre. Throughout has been blazing the 1320 with
climb into a race car. Being the these years he increased the car’s it since! Around that same time
third family member to drive, Thais overall performance. In 2010 Thais was a frequent patron within
was strapped into a Jr. Dragster the Flournoy family’s patriarch’s the family garage and Doty’s shop.
when she was 17. She was one of life came to an abrupt conclusion Continued on page 13
the first African-American females
in the NHRA Jr. Dragster program.
Thais competed until she aged
out of the class in 2000. From the
turn of the century until 2015, she
dedicated herself to becoming a
well-respected certified mechanic
in the AT&T Fleet Service
operation. These days Thais
divides her Doty & Flournoy crew
time between being a competitive
driver, a skilled worker and a co-
crew chief with her cousin Rickey
Fegan.

Around the start of the Nostalgia
Funny Car class in May of 2005,
Eddie teamed up with George
Doty and Larry Pettit, tuning their
Doty & Pettit “Crazy Horse” 1971
Mustang Funny Car. The entire
team was extremely passionate
about preserving the history of
drag racing. One of their most
memorable moments took place on
Oct 28, 2005 during the 7th Annual
Goodguys VRA Fuel & Gas Finals.
Larry Pettit recorded the first ever
5-second pass in a Nostalgia Funny
Car! 66-year old Eddie Flournoy’s Nitro professor Eddie Flournoy once shared with me…“life deals you a hand that you
have to play” and “going fuel drag racing will challenge you every way possible in
tune-up put that nitro pony through dealing with hardship, perseverance and reward.” He lived life to the fullest.
SPRING 2020 Nitro Madness Magazine 11