A Bad Case of Car Scratch Fever : Nugent Second in Celebrity Race, Lives to Tell About It

The Dodge International Star Challenge had been finished nearly an hour Saturday at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and Ted Nugent--known as the “Motor City Madman” for reasons other than his heavy metal style of playing the guitar--stood in his trailer receiving a consolation kiss from a female fan.

Upon her departure, Nugent turned to two visitors, held his hands apart and sang ever so softly: “I’m not in it for the money.”

No deterioration in spirit here. Though briefly disappointed, Nugent was quick to move on to other subjects after finishing second in a DISC race that was as drab as the overcast skies. The race ended under a yellow flag, Bobby Blotzer of the band Ratt taking the checkered flag and the championship trophy with a time of 20 minutes 2.6 seconds, an average speed of 47.897 m.p.h. Nugent, who had won all 4 of his previous races, finished a guitar’s length behind, and Tommy Lee of Motley Crue was third.

But Nugent didn’t fret. He was already looking forward to his next race, his drive home to central Michigan. Anyway, the purpose of the race was to support the “TH!NK . . . Don’t Drive and Drink” campaign, and Nugent has always been quick to make fun of drug and alcohol abusers. Fittingly, Nugent’s post-race drink request was for ginger ale.

“Hey,” he says with mockery in his tone, “I’ve got a good idea . . . let’s dull our senses.”

Nugent prefers to be sharp and energetic, whether on the race track, playing in front of thousands of people or bow hunting for bears in Africa. No time to waste.

“I’m alive,” he says. “I can sleep when I’m dead.”

Indeed, this isn’t the type of guy who spends much time thinking of ways to mellow out. His driving tells all. Most of his experience in auto racing comes from the unorganized variety, the daily grand prix on the highways and streets of Detroit.

Jan Bolab, who is working on Nugent’s biography, says he has documented more than a dozen street vehicles that Nugent has wrecked. Among Nugent’s hobbies is smashing shopping carts in parking lots with rental cars, he said.

“His Michigan state driving record reads like ‘Gone With the Wind,’ ” Bolab said.

Nugent’s driving style on the race track isn’t much different. In a recent race in Ohio, Nugent crossed the finish-line ahead of the pack and then rolled his car on the victory lap and cracked 2 ribs. He couldn’t resist aggressively passing the stragglers from the end of the pack.

But the DISC race offered little of the usual Nugent-style excitement. Crashes by Lee Curreri of “Fame” fame and singer Juice Newton, who hit the wall while trying to advance her position under the yellow flag, caused more than half of the race to be run under caution. The cars followed each other around like ants on a chow hunt. And when it was over, even the winner wasn’t satisfied.

“I just don’t like to accept the trophy for a race that ended like that,” Blotzer said. “But I will.”

Rock-and-rollers and auto racers have a lot in common, Nugent said. They like the thrills of doing things fast for fun and excitement. It’s patriotic.

“Anybody who doesn’t like horsepower is not a real American,” he said. “The left lane is my lane.”

Both Blotzer and Lee are drummers, which prompted someone in the post-race press conference to ask if drumming can be linked to good driving.

“It has something to do with beating on things for a living,” Lee said.

Drums or cars. It’s all the same. And to Nugent, it’s not just for fun.

“There is no recreational aspect whatsoever,” he said. “It is all serious, aggressive, diehard racing. Rock-and-rollers are the ultimate.”