THAT WAS COOL! 
Use the form below to share your favorite "TWC" moment from team 87N.
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What was cool for you? Let us know your favorite team 87N moment!

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TWC-10 Submitted by Anthony
My favorite thing that happen to me was when you gave me you'r first place trophy to me that was cool and i will be on the track in 2 years with my dad Tony!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TWC-9 Submitted by Carly
I would have to say one of the best ones..was in Battle Mountain when you used a lap car to pick off the leaders and win the race! I think I have that one on video. Of course..I am sure I can think of about a 100 more, but that one sticks out for me.
TWC-8 Submitted by Geoff
 http://www.racingwest.com/racescene/insidegroove/view.php3/605

I still remember the race to this day, Darrell leads most of the race and here comes you and Mike Johnson.  You snuck by Darrell coming for the white flag, and Mike was on your a**.  Mike changed motors and barely made the call for the main, and you barely nipped him for the win while Darrell who led 18 laps was a confused third lol.

Then when you stopped to get the trophy, someone ran you over LOL

One of the greatest mod races Ive ever seen
TWC-7 Submitted by John
Don't know if you thought it was cool or not, but I thought it was hilarious. Back in 2004 we raced Canyon on a Friday or Saturday, and tried to race Casa Grande the next day. It was raining, and we weren't sure if we'd race or not, and we didn't. In the mean time, Blake and I had changed the rear end gears in the car, just in case. All of a sudden, I hear Michael Jackson, singing, I think it was Beat It, coming from your trailer. I look up, and see your Dad, dancing. He was doing his best Rodney Dangerfield/Caddyshack impression to that song. The look on your face was somewhere between mortified and embarrased. Now, these days, when I think of your Dad, thats one of the first memories that comes to mind, that pudgy man dancing to Michael Jackson. Twc, or ittwf. I thought that was funny.
TWC-6 Submitted by Charlotte
Mine would have to be not so much racing but 2 great memories of us racing together.
First was in winter at Canyon Raceway, you and Steve standing talking when a flock of ducks flew overhead and you calmly say to Steve, "Do you know why the V is shorter on one side than the other?" Well, Steve said no staring very hard at the ducks and you say as you walk away, because there are more on one side than the other!
Second was when you told Steve you stole our Santa Claus Statue!
Very Funny That Was Cool Moments!
TWC-5 Submitted by Kim
This has already been mentioned a few times but it is also one of my favorite memories of racing with Team 87N. The date was July 2, 2004, at Pahrump Valley Speedway.

I live in Iowa so I don't get to see Team 87N race very often.  I have had several opportunities to visit out West beginning in 2000 and had never seen Team 87N in Victory Lane.  That all changed on July 2, 2004. 

The night didn't start out very good with the motor breaking I think either hotlaps or the beginning of the heat race.  Anyway, Dan decided since they had a spare motor in the trailer, the time and the help to go ahead and get the motor changed.  Things were going well. They then started giving kids rides so that was killing some time.   then all of a sudden 'poof' the lights went out!  I think it was God's way of helping out that night hehe.  The crew and help continued swapping motors while Dan and his mom changed the gears.  Heck they even put me to work.  I have to tell ya, I learned alot that night LOL.   

They were calling the modified feature to lineup and the new motor was in.  It fired right up too.  Dan sent his mom over to beg for just 5 more minutes.  In the meantime the car was running, coming off the jackstands and the driver strapping in.  Dan just made it and was allowed to tag the field at the end. 

Lap after lap after lap - the #87N was moving towards the front.  Two to go, white flag and holy motor change - the checkered flags were flying for Team 87N.  WOW!!!  Talk about an emotional night, one that I will never forget.   

On our way back to Vegas I mentioned that night was the first time in all the times that I've seen Dan race that I saw him WIN!!  My visit to Vegas soon came to an end and I flew back home to Iowa.   It wasn't but about 2-3 days later I had a HUGE box delivered to my house.   I didn't remember ordering anything.  Opened it up and OMG!!!!  It was the trophy that Dan won that night at Pahrump.   My first time to see him win and I have the trophy from that night and what a story behind it.   Thank you to Dan and Team 87N for letting me tag along and be apart of it all when I come out to visit.   Oh yeah - since that night, I have had the honor of watching Dan drive to Victory Lane several more times.
TWC-4 Submitted by Robert
08/01/09: I've seen you race enough times to know that you hardly ever "press the issue". You are one of the cleanest drivers I have ever seen. Watching the race at Pahrump play out, I never thought you would ever have a chance to challenge for anything but third place as you followed the top 2 at a good margin for numerous laps as the race wound down. The white comes out and there are a few lengths between the top two and you. first and second go into turn 1 fairly hard and slide up a bit, side by side and head down the back stretch. As I watch you come into turn 1 and drive it hard out of two, I'm thinking, "well, he'll get close, but no cigar!" I watch those leaders go in again into turn 3 hard to the middle line batlling for what they think is the going to be the win.
Low and behold, The Mellow Fellow sticks his nose in there pretty agressive and you touch the car on the inside. He in turn touches the outside car. You keep peddaling while the car in the middle of that sandwich falls back. The outside car lurches foward and you and he are driving hard for the flagstand. I still dont know where the grip came from but you had enough to grab the checkered flag by what I would call no more than an eyelash!!!

Blake, Kelly, Holli and I start screaming our heads off after pulling off the upset. Best damn dirt finish I think I've ever seen. So proud to be a witness of that win.
TWC-3 Submitted by 3 others
(Judy)4th of July event @ Pahrump Raceway when the engine blew up, was replaced and you came from the back of the pack to win the race

(Kelly) My favorite team moment was up at PVS when the night didnt start out to well, and we were all ready to go home.  Then you decided to race and the motor broke so after about 1 minute of thinking it over we did a drag race moment and did a motor swap everyone pulled together and we changed the motor out in about 30 minutes had the new one in.  Your mom prayed for the extra few minutes to time it and finish a few things when the lights went out and we made it.  The best part was you won!!  Bet no one has ever had such a cool moment as that in dirt racing : )

(Blake)  I like the time that you blew up in the heat race in Pahrump, we changed motor and gear before the start of the main event and you won the main event having to come from dead last.
TWC-2 Submitted by Ed Haller
March 1, 2008- Mohave Valley Raceway

   Being there in Victory Lane, when Dan Fitzgerald and crew were able to retire the number of Dan Sr. as a winner. The 36N replacing the 87N on the popular ride was a very fitting tribute, adding the checkered flag finish was the icing on the cake. I was so glad I was there to document the occasion. What an emotional Victory Lane that was.
TWC-1 (10.17.09)
The first TWC moment comes from way back in 2004.   We were able to win 4 races between the time frame of Friday night at 10:00pm and Sunday afternoon at 4:00pm.   The article below by the late Gary Jacob tells the story!   Enjoy....

Having won the IMCA Modified feature at Summit Raceway in Elko six hours earlier in the day, Dan Fitzgerald from Las Vegas NV tagged the field Saturday night at Rattlesnake Raceway's season debut event and drove to victory by passing the field. The busy Fitzgerald team wants to use 2004 as a year to do things that they missed while chasing points for so many seasons, but the lure of a four race weekend drew them to Northern Nevada. Fitzgerald maintains the Summit Raceway web site in addition to his racing and the Las Vegas school teacher won that track's 2004 season opener on Friday night. He stayed in the area to capture the Saturday daytime Founder's Cup race and then made the 250 mile dash across the state to Fallon. He arrived five minutes after the IMCA Modified heat races finished so he had to tag the ten car grid. He drove his Bellville Motorsports car to the feature win ahead of young Steve McGee and John Hill. On Sunday afternoon, Fitzgerald made it four wins in 48 hours as he ventured to Winnemucca's season opener and won again. Mike Darnall combined a heat and feature win in the street stock action with dash winner Rob Grace second ahead of Reno's Scott Deutsch. Kevin Boles from Minden took the bomber main event honors ahead of Ken Mayes and Wes Washburn. Rusty Baglin picked off heat and feature wins in the Gen X class. A special incentive I-80 Challenge Series has been established in 2004 to get drivers in Northern Nevada to visit other tracks and Jerry Roseland has shown his commitment to do that by racing to second in the Rattlesnake season opener after finishing 3rd at Reno-Fernley Raceway just minutes earlier on Saturday night.

Fitzgerald collected his trophy and money at Elko at 4:15 on Saturday afternoon and then made the high speed dash across the state, but fell five minutes of being able to tag heat 2. McGee beat Bill Smith III in heat 1 and Shawn Marlow outraced Robert Smotherman in heat 2. McGee and Smotherman were 1-2 in the dash. The opening night track was very rough in the heat action and the officials reworked the surface with the grader before the main event action. A better track resulted and the tacky quarter-mile found McGee and Marlow battling for the lead when both Bill Hiney and Smith spun off turn 4. Fitzgerald raced through the field into third. Racing between McGee and Marlow saw both briefly vacate the bottom groove and Fitzgerald ducked underneath to race into the top spot. Marlow had to pit with a flat tire and Smotherman's left front flat had slowed his pace. Fitzgerald paced the remainder of the race to win ahead of McGee, Hill and division rookie Dan Edgington. The flying Fitzgerald nearly lapped fourth place and Hiney ran fifth ahead of Smotherman and Allen Boles.