In a recent episode of \u201cThe Racing Business,\u201d host Jason Dukes welcomed Paul Lee, a prominent figure in the world of drag racing, a Funny Car driver and the owner of Wharton Automotive Group. This episode offered viewers a glimpse into Lee\u2019s journey, from his early passion for racing to his current status as a successful business owner and nitro Funny Car driver.<\/p>\n
Lee\u2019s fascination with drag racing began in his childhood, thanks to his grandfather\u2019s influence. He recalls a vivid memory from his early years, saying, \u201cMy earliest memory is sitting on my grandfather\u2019s shoulders at the racetrack, watching the Top Fuel dragsters run.\u201d This memory would set the stage for his lifelong love affair with the sport.<\/p>\n
Paul Lee\u2019s story is not just about racing; it\u2019s about the synergy between racing and business. He emphasizes that drag racing serves as a powerful marketing tool for his brands, including McLeod Clutches and FTI Performance. \u201cOur customers are the ones either racing or sitting in the stands or watching on TV,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s a perfect marketing tool for our companies to use.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Lee\u2019s Nitro Funny Car team may not be in the Countdown, but their dedication to winning is unwavering. \u201cWhen we go to race, we\u2019re there to win,\u201d he said. Although they compete in fewer races per year, each one is approached with the same determination. Lee reveals that their budget is designed for racing hard, not just participating.<\/p>\n
His journey in racing took shape with the guidance of drag racing legends like \u201cJungle Jim\u201d Liberman. \u201cThat\u2019s what I want to do,\u201d he recalled thinking as a 13-year-old watching Jungle Jim\u2019s awe-inspiring quarter-mile burnout. While he didn\u2019t come from a racing dynasty, Lee\u2019s path was clear: he had to succeed in business to fuel his dream of becoming a Nitro Funny Car driver.<\/p>\n
Paul\u2019s determination to race led him to a strategic decision. Seeing that even iconic racers like Don Prudhomme and Shirley Muldowney struggled to secure sponsors, he decided to follow in the footsteps of successful businessmen-racers like Connie Kalitta and Joe Amato. \u201cI knew that I would have to be successful in business if I ever wanted to be a race car driver at the level that I wanted to do it,\u201d Lee explained.<\/p>\n
However, Lee\u2019s health journey took a dramatic turn on December 13, 2016, shortly after the PRI Show. He suffered a massive heart attack known as a \u201cwidowmaker,\u201d which resulted in complete heart failure. Fortunately, he was at home, and a quick-thinking companion called 911. The proximity of the EMT center across the street from his house proved crucial, as they arrived within four minutes and saved his life.<\/p>\n
Lee was rushed to St. Joe\u2019s Heart Institute, where he received life-saving treatment, including stent placement. The heart attack had caused severe damage to his heart. Despite his passion for racing, he had to withdraw from driving due to his weakened heart.<\/p>\n
Lee\u2019s heart condition was hereditary, with a family history of heart disease. He emphasized the importance of regular check-ups, especially for those over 50, and encouraged everyone to undergo a stress test and echocardiogram, even if they didn\u2019t have a family history of heart issues. He acknowledged that if he had taken this precaution, his heart condition might have been detected earlier.<\/p>\n
After a year and a half of rehabilitation and diligent medical care, Lee\u2019s heart showed improvement. At the time, he had a defibrillator in his heart within his chest. \u201cMy heart was so weak, I had to have that in case my heart stopped, it would keep it going,\u201d Lee explained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After his cardiologist saw the 44-amp magnetos during a scouting trip to the track, he told Paul Lee that they needed to pump the brakes and see if they would interfere with Lee\u2019s defibrillator.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Fast forward, and with Del Worsham\u2019s help, Lee\u2019s cardiologist allowed him to test his heart\u2019s ability to withstand the rigors of driving a race car. First up was starting the car to see if the magnetos affected Lee\u2019s defibrillator while his doctor monitored the heart device with a connected laptop. Lee received the thumbs up, so the next step was to test the car on the track. But the catch was that Lee had to drive with the monitoring system and laptop, hooked up to his defibrillator to keep track of his heart\u2019s reaction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In January, at the NHRA test session at Firebird Raceway, Connie Kalitta let Lee drive the DHL car. He made three passes in J.R. Todd\u2019s car and recorded one of his fastest runs ever \u2013 3.91 at 321 mph.<\/p>\n \u201c[My doctor] looked at all the heart data, and goes, \u2018well, you look good, how do you feel?\u2019 I feel great. He goes, \u2018okay, well,\u2019 then he signed off my license, so that\u2019s how that got back to driving again,\u201d Lee explained.<\/p>\n His journey from a life-threatening heart attack to returning to the racetrack is a testament to his resilience and determination. Lee\u2019s story serves as a reminder for everyone, regardless of age, to prioritize their heart health and undergo regular check-ups and stress tests.<\/p>\n Lastly, Lee\u2019s journey from a young drag racing fan to a thriving business owner and Nitro Funny car driver is a testament to his unwavering commitment to both racing and entrepreneurship. His story serves as an inspiration to anyone striving to turn their passion into a successful career.<\/p>\n The post Paul Lee Talks Drag Racing Dreams, Health Journey and Business Success on \u2018The Racing Business\u2019 Podcast<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated | Drag Racing News, Opinion, Interviews, Photos, Videos and More<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a recent episode of \u201cThe Racing Business,\u201d host Jason Dukes welcomed Paul Lee, a prominent figure in the world of drag racing, a Funny Car driver and the owner of Wharton Automotive Group. This episode offered viewers a glimpse into Lee\u2019s journey, from his early passion for racing to his current status as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,78117,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90155","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-drag-racing","category-race-pages","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90155"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90155\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91288,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90155\/revisions\/91288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}