Pulde Approaches Another Breaking Point
After traveling thousands of miles in an 18-wheel rig, chasing fast speeds and low estimated times at the country’s drag race tracks, Dale Pulde put the brakes on.
He took a vacation.
Pulde’s spent three glorious days and two nights at a fashionable resort called home.
“I just wanted to get away from the race car,” Pulde said. “We came in to see if our dog’s going to bite us, then turn around and leave.”
Thursday night, however, it was off to work again. This weekend, Pulde will compete in the International Hot Rod Assn. Summer Nationals in Cincinnati--going for what he hopes will be his fifth- straight IHRA victory. Pulde has already won the last four--a feat that has never been equaled in the IHRA’s 15-year history.
“People have won four in a season, but never four straight,” said David McGee from IHRA headquarters in Bristol, Tenn. McGee added that Pulde, of Granada Hills, is only one win from matching Raymond Beadle’s IHRA career victory mark of 18.
The streak started May 5. Pulde won the IHRA Pro-Am Nationals in Rockingham, N.C. On June 2 he beat Don Prudhomme of Granada Hills in the finals of the IHRA Spring Nationals in Bristol--clocking his fastest speed ever at 263.15 m.p.h. Then he won the IHRA Northern Nationals in Milan, Mich., on July 7. Pulde won the fourth two weeks ago at the IHRA Gateway Nationals in St. Louis, Mo.
“They were telling me Stroh’s was going to put up a $1-million bond for anyone who did it,” Pulde said, referring to the brewery. “They figured it was such a long shot. Now I guess they’re kind of glad they didn’t.”
Although the beer maker chose against the reward, Pulde still feels like a million.
“It’s a feeling that’s unmatched,” he continued. “You figure you’ll go out there and make it to the second round and go from there. It kind of caught us by surprise.”
Despite overwhelming success, Pulde is still worried about his lead in the point standings. He and his Miller High Life Warrior crew constantly work to keep the car a power on the drag racing circuit.
Said Pulde: “I think we’re due to win Brainerd (Minn.) or Indy (Ind.). We’re just trying to maintain our position. We’ve had some pretty bad luck in the past, so I don’t want to start counting checks now.”