At the 2007 NHRR reunion in Columbus, Tommy had three of his old dragsters debuting at the same time. His third rear-engine car was in the lobby and his first fuel dragster had a solo cackle fest out side on Friday night. Busy, busy, busy...

Walking through the pits, there were Ivo dragsters everywhere. He even fired up a Hemi powered MURDER CYCLE. But most of the day was spent signing autographs, with a line that at times ran half way across the pits.

He fired up his (currently Bruce Larson owned) rear engine car, his Ron Johnson owned first fuel dragster and even his last front engine fuel car arrived in one of his old glass trailers. But he forgot the headset once!!!

Video and text is below this photo, scroll down to view....

A fantastic time was being had by all, till Garlits threw a wet blanket on it. His push truck didn't stay behind him in the Cackle Fest as instructed to do because one of the lanes was blocked at the starting line with cars on the track.  And Don didn't know he wasn't in his usual "staring last place" in the on track fire up. But as you can see, Ivo sat extra low in his old car and the blower obscured his vision of Don's dragster in front of him. When Don put on his brakes to then wave at the fans.  BINGO -- Ivo nailed him!!!  YES!!! It only chipped the fiberglass on Don's car, but it hit Ivo's dragster in the nose with a Sunday punch!!! Then out came the crying towels. First Don barked at Ivo, who kept his guard up so his nose wouldn't end up looking like his dragsters.  And then he tattled to Steve Gibbs (the event director) "That he had just started putting on his brakes and that IVO tried to make road kill out of him!!!" Tommy says, "This is my story and I'm sticking to it"...You can see in this video, Don's silver glove pulling on the brake handle to the right of him and his dragster slowing down considerably, when Ivo hit him!!!  I rest my case, says Ivo!!!