NHRA: Special Report: Amato Retires Snoopy, Too
29 January 2001
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Joe Amato began two long-term relationships en route to his first NHRA
Top Fuel championship in 1984. One was with Valvoline, which continues into
the 2001 season, with Amato's new driver Darrell Russell. The other was
with Snoopy, the popular "Peanuts" cartoon character, whose image graced
Amato's dragster for 17 consecutive years. But when the NHRA Winston Drag
Racing season begins this weekend in Pomona, Snoopy will join Amato in drag
racing retirement."A lot has changed for Joe Amato, and after 17 years, we've 'retired' Snoopy," Amato explained. "After all, Charles Schulz left us last year, and with me getting out of the car, the time had come. Snoopy gave all of us a lot of smiles and brought me a lot of luck. It was a difficult decision, but like my retirement from driving, it was the right thing to do."
Text Provided By Michael Knight
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