European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 18, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday August 18, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 21 Petty s still having fun going info 500th Start commentary consider the implications of starting 500 consecutive Auto races. Think about being there week after week hand squeezing the steering wheel eyes darting to the left and right looking for danger and deciding How to avoid it. You barrel around the Corners into the Straightaway for a couple of hours then do it again at the next Stop sometimes finishing sometimes crash ing sometimes winning sometimes losing always there. Richard Petty the Man they Call King on then Ascar circuit weighed the number for a moment and then grinned broadly. Five Hundred he said slowly drawing the number out. Most Don t run that Many in a  Petty not Only has run that Many but he s done i consecutively. When he lines up for sunday s Winston cup race at Brooklyn mich., it will be his 500th straight Start. The last time he missed a race was 18years ago. Dislocated left shoulder Petty recalled. Broke my right shoulder at Daytona in 1986, but i ran the next week. We taped it up and away we  that is Petty s philosophy. Bandage up the bump Sand bruises and get Back in the car. It s nothing Macho or anything like that he said. It s just  it is a rough and Tumble Job perhaps Best evidenced by the crash Petty came through in february at Daytona. It was the most spectacular wreck i be Ever been  got tapped in the rear of a Corner and the car got sideways. . Foyt hit the left front and it  and Over and Over again. Then Brett Bodine blew a tire and careened int Petty s car sending it up in the air. It hit on its nose and did some Baryshnikov pirouettes from that precarious position spilling pieces of twisted Metal All Over the track. Inside the machine Petty s mind raced. I did t know i had turned Over until later he said. I remember getting sideways and thinking Richard hold on to the wheel you re going 180mph. It did t take As Long to happen As it takes for me to Tell you about it. I remember it hitting three  when the car finally stopped Petty climbed out. Put my hand up to the Windshield. But the Windshield was t  miraculously he came out of that adventure with nothing More than a bruised ankle. That was no threat to the Streak. The broken neck at Pocono in1980 was another matter though. It was t the first time i broke it Petty said jus the first time i knew i broke it. The doctor looked at the a rays and asked me when i broke it before. I just looked at him and said huh that scared me the most. Broken ribs shoulders Ankles that stuff you might just mangle pm up some More but a broken neck.  Petty is matter of fact about crashes accepting the premise that if you Are going to race sooner or later you Are going to wreck. He Learned that lesson the firs time he started a Winston cup race 30 years ago. His father Lee Petty and Cotton Owens were Duel ing for the Lead. As they were about to Lap Richard the new kid on the Block found himself massaging the Wall. Daddy put me there he said his eyes dancing at the memory. He told me later i had to learn to get out of the Way  Petty did of course Well enough to win a record 200 races. Now 51 and wingless for four years he seems to be a Little old for this sort of stuff. There is however no thought of retirement. I m looking for no. 501,"he said and no. 201." i Don t think of myself As a daredevil. I calculate Richard Petty has done this 499 straight times. Everything. I try to weigh the Odds. It s not a death wish situation. You tempt Fate when you walk out the door. You tempt it All the time. You Don t Challenge it,though." the agreement Petty has with his wife Lynda i that he will quit racing when he no longer enjoys it and does t find any fun at the track. At Daytona she looked at me on the examining table and said Tell me you re having fun i said not right now but i was until i wrecked " the associated press Bockenheim meet attracts Over 300 dragsters by Randy Barnett Auto motor sports editor funny cars with 2,500 horsepower and motorcycles with 600 he on tap will be featured in the third annual International drag racing festival this weekend at Bockenheim West Germany. The cars and cycles a total of More than 300 Are entered will race sat urday and sunday on the Bockenheim circuit s one eighth mile Start finish Lin drag strip. The program is sponsored by the Ger Man american Hanau Auto racing association Hara and the Deutscher vermin fur drag racing. Jerry Lackey the president of Hara and one of the officials for the Ameri can style event says a turnout of More than 30,000 spectators is expected for the two Days of drag racing. The inaugural event in 1986 Drew 30,000 fans As did last year s two Day program. Among top entrants for this week end s show Are the american drag race aces Sammy Miller in his vanishing Point rocket car he does the one eighth mile in 2.3 seconds and Harlan Thompson in his Budweiser top fuel funny car his one eighth mile time is4.1 seconds. Another top funny car entry is the Mercedes 500 Sec owned and driven by Rico Anthes of Frank Furt West Germany. Miller of Wayne n.j., holds 20 american track records and four inter National records and he will give demonstrations runs in his Hydrogen peroxide fuelled rocket car one that hits about 230 Mph at the end of its one. Is Randy Barnet competitors Lay some rubber at Bockenheim s International drag race festival last year. This year s action starts saturday. Eighth mile run. Another crowd please the 5,000 horsepower flame throwing Jet car from England will also give demonstration runs. In regular Competition events euro Pean dragster Champion Russ Carpen Ter of England is entered in his Nitro fuelled Daimler while Hara s Lackey who is second to Carpenter in this year s eur series championship will race his Nitro oxide injected Chevrolet heavy  Carpenter s Best time for the one eighth mile this season is 5.3 seconds while Lackey s Best is 5.7. The european . Bracket Points Leader Heidi Lackey of Hanau West Germany is entered in her 300 he modified vow Beetle pure  in the dragster Bike Competition to entrants Are Bob feeler of France and Jack Valentine and Rob pallant both of England. Feeler is the defending euro Pean Champion in the drag Bike class and Valentine the defending Champion in the pro Stock Bike class. Races for cars Are scheduled in the following classes Public race cup . Bracket modified eur series Competition Competition altered and pro comp cars. Motorcycle racing classes include Street bikes pro Stock bikes and drag bikes. Practice and qualification runs willbe held from 8 30 . To 4 45 . On saturday with three first round elimination races to follow in the . Bracket Street bikes and Public race cup classes. These races Are scheduled from 5 15 to 6 30 . The program on sunday begins at 10a.m. With elimination races and show runs continuing through 3 . Final eliminations in All Bike and car classes Are scheduled from 3 30 to 5 30 . Admission on saturday is 20 Marks about $11 while admission on sunday ranges from 25 to 35 Marks about$15.50 to $ $19. Children under 12 will be admitted free. A custom car an hot Rod show will be held both Days in the paddocks and admission is 15marks about $8. The circuit is located just outside the City of Bockenheim which is a few Miles Southwest of Heidelberg