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After the 88 season and winning the IHRA Inaugural Heads up Quick 8 at Darlington, and UDRA season Championship, I decided to update Zeke for 89. Rick Jones who had opened a new Chassis Shop in Galesburg IL., Offered to do my changes as a sponsorship. First came removing needless wt. and cosmetic devices. Head lights removed and replaced with course screens. Dash and extra seat removed. And so forth. All the changes were legal for IHRA Top Sportsman, UDRA Outlaw Pro Stock, and match race bookings. Added was an escape hatch, mainly to relieve burn out smoke. But also became great fan and media attraction. I would sit in it and pose for pictures and on return roads that went by the stands. Rick also built a huge adjustable rear spoiler that worked wonders. Rick also added a few bars around my head to appease NHRA track rules to get a current NHRA certification chassis sticker. Rick also made a cute small hatch in trunk lid to access the nitrous bottle valve. A secret weapon I acquired by chance was a new light weight McCloud duel disc clutch my good friend (retired with crash injuries) Chuck Aronson sent me to try. Red at McCloud even knowing Ram Clutches was my clutch sponsor, was good enough to give a basic setup. The result was amazing. We had clutch management so defined with that RJ huge spoiler; when spoiler was moved up a click; the clutch would slip a bit from more rear down force as if some counter weight was removed. I won many races using that tactic. Many could not believe how I got down those nighttime dewed slippery drag strips. When the clutch needed service, I sent it to Pat Norcia at Ram and they did a great job. I managed to go on and make my mark as a professional Outlaw circuit and match racer. There are so many events and incidents devoted to my Zephyr we called Zeke. To tell it all about 1987, 1988 and 1989 alone, it would take 50,000 words to chip the tip of the per-verbial storied iceberg. Zeke served so well I shall still try to build it a monument of words. Here I will start by telling a few highlights. I had told in previous article about the history making final at the UDRA annual Spring National at Byron Dragway in 87. We won several races that year and we were second in UDRA season points. Bill Kuhlman was number one. 1988 I won the first ever IHRA heads up Quick 8. Won several UDRA events including the Word Series and a dramatic final against Gary Duckworth capping the 88 UDRA Season Championship. Plus Fun Ford events were frequently booking me along with other match races. At the 88 UDRA annual awards banquet at Pheasant Run in St. Charles, IL. Bill Kuhlmann and his wife Beth and I and my wife Linda were sitting at the big round VIP table. We filled it with Trophies and awards. At the afterglow promoter Duane Nickels was talked into providing a Super Circuit of nitrous door cars. With Ron Colson and Bill Kuhlmann and myself proposing it. After much conversation and whiskey the USSC was born that night. Duane hesitated his decision wondering who would star. Ron Colson pushed Bill and I forward toward Duane saying to him, “Right here in front of you are two of the biggest Stars. I am sure they can get Robbie Vandergriff and they can help find more peers.” DRAG RACE HISTORY WAS BEING MADE. The 89 season was a mixed bag of adventure, successes and failures and tragedies. The successes we relished. The failures we all learned from. The tragic death of Walter Henry at Atco that October we all mourned. 89 at Darlington was for me was my first failure that season. Being the winner of the Quick last year and being a first round loser in 89 was hard to take. At Darlington in 89 My crew and I had to struggle with defective pistons and excessive wind blowing course sand on the track jamming my throttle plates. We finally loaded up and headed home to get ready for the trip to Puerto Rico. Wild Bill Kuhlmann had tagged me as his match race partner at San Juan Dragway on Easter Sunday. Puerto Rico was a fun deal. It would take a chapter to tell about it. I just wish my Linda Lou could have been with me. She would not miss those days teaching at Mid County High School. About that same time Linda convinced me to close my customer business, use my shop for a headquarters, and drag race full time. She told me I better read what the media is saying about me. Linda told me I need to decide to pursue building engines, or drag race. And under her breath she said “It better be drag racing!” “OK then!” My future son in law Doug Fennell saved the day that spring. We were heading to the East Coast for the first ever USSC race and my truck started missing. We were only about to Champagne, IL. on I 74. Doug Fennell was on his way to see my daughter Jackie at Butler University in Indianapolis. Doug saw us pulled over and stopped. I told him to get to a pay phone and call my shop. It was only 4 PM. I told him to tell my employee Roger Holsclaw to clear the center stall. We turned around and made it back. Got the truck fixed and were back on the road in an hour. We made it to Buds’ Creek in time. The USSC (UNITED STATE SUPER CIRCUIT) was huge success! The first one in spring of 89 at Buds Creek Maryland was packed with fans. The pits and stands were so full of fans and media, we could Harley get ready. Car loads were still coming in during the finals. I was still driving my trusty 79 Mercury Zephyr we called Zeke. The engine was my original Boss 675 inch Ford Hemi we called the Monolith. I still had the original NOS single stage fogger, but I was still stuck with a fresh set of the bogus pistons I ran at Puerto Rico and the best couple from Darlington for spares. The piston problem was the skirts were too narrow and thin. I had sent samples and blueprints and explained on the phone how to make them. The new owners of BRC did not adhere to my directions to ditch cut the inside of the skirts and make them wide. I had to tune down the nitrous so the piston skirts would not collapse as they did at Darlington. The only good was, the damage showed which cylinders were strongest and helped later to tune the nitrous oxide deployment. At the 1989 inaugural USSC At Bud’s Creek Md. I ended up in the final with Robbie Vandergriff again. Just like the Quick 8 at Darlington I won in 88. I knew Robbie would be tough wanting revenge. This time we had better track conditions. I threw caution to the wind and tuned the NOS foggers for kill! Robbie and I did side by side huge burnouts. During our final run we did not play any staging games. Rob had lane choice by 1 hundredth of a second. Rob and I after wild side by side burnouts slowly backed up to stage. We both lit the first bulb almost simultaneously. Robbie being the gentle man he is, lit the second bulb first. I rechecked my line lock and skidded forward. My starting line chip we had bumped from 6,000 rpm to 6500. With the raratatat from our MSD rev limiters we were both staged. The three yellow lights flashed on. Robbie and had almost the same reaction times. His was better by .0015. I learned later. We were side by side the full quarter mile. According to announcer Bret Kepner, Robbie and I change the lead three times. Robbie’s retribution was served. He had won. The margin was only .001. My fault for no cutting a better light. But oh man, what a race. I was runner up and won the wheel stand and burnout contests. The next day, Sunday, the USSC made their way to English Town, New Jersey. This was to be a day time race. Sadly, the BRC weak skirted pistons collapsed badly, casing a rod to kick out. Sliding in my own oil, I damn near ran into Wally Bell at the finish line. I was not the only wounded racer. To provide 8 cars for round 1, a dark horse, Mike Ashley was employed. Amazingly Mike won the event out doing us all. Mike became a regular valuable asset to the USSC. I did again win the wheel Stand and Burnout contest. We all stayed Monday for the magazine pictures and interviews. All present but Norm Wizner and his 57 Mega Ford. He had a match race booking. “So it goes.” I went on to win my share of finals in UDRA and USSC. The most notable were the wins at Great Lakes WI. Capping the UDRA Championship again, and wining enough points in USSC to be Season RU in that circuit. I also won two UDRA “three peats” at Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, and the Cordova World Series plus setting several records. Here I must tell about the bizarre tragedy of my friend Walter Henry. October of 89 Atco, NJ. Hosted the season end IHRA division event. Along with it, since our outlaw cars were getting so popular and IHRA being bugged about providing a professional class for us in 1990 ,they advertised a 16 car invitational. And with a decent payout. We still did not settle on a class name yet. More than 16 cars showed up. Sadly the event cost my friend Walter Henry’s life. It is ironic. Walter had flown 51 chopper missions in Viet Naum. And got killed by a score board barrier while drag racing. My good friend Wild Bill Kuhlman won the event. Me? My engine was hurt. My monolith engine swallowed an exhaust valve during the last qualifier. Prompted by Atco Dragway track owner Joe Sway I ran first round for history. With only 7 cylinders. The next weekend was Walter’s funeral. Unfortunately Carolyn Melendy, Norm Wizner, Charles Carpenter, and I were booked into Suffolk, Va. We reasoned Walter would be ok with us. We did honor him at that foursome match race. We also all honored our match race contract, and got full pay. I had one more match race obligation and the 89 season was done for me. I had couple more bookings I could have done. But I and my equipment were used up. Rick Jones offered to build me a 1990 Probe. NEXT WE WILL “ PROBE” INTO THE FUTURE! Watch for part 3 on www.nostalgiadragworld.com and www.animaljimracing.com for more of my Pro Mod adventures. May God be with ya all? As the late announcer and Dragway manager would Bob Fink would say, “I luv yuz all!” Animal Jim. a.k.a. Sam Foyer. Contact me on FB messenger or call 309.238.8556 .

Lafayette, IN. 25 March 2025 – Throughout the course of a racing season, Funny Car Chaos, Nitro Chaos, and Fuel Altered Chaos see various types of racing vehicles from the old to new with a myriad of combinations. For all those teams racing in Chaos, having an official fabrication source to go to for all their needs to make race day is a great asset. For the third year in a row, McKinney Corp will continue its partnership as the official fabrication source of the Chaos brand and its three series, while also retaining the title sponsorship of the Nitro Chaos “A” Field competition. Murf McKinney, a former Funny Car racer himself, who established McKinney Corp in 1981 building Funny Cars believes for the Chaos racer, McKinney Corp is a “one stop shop.” At McKinney Corp a customer can order a custom item as small as a tab for their own chassis build or an entire new chassis with all the modern amenities ready to race. There are several examples of Chaos racers using McKinney Corp products in planned competition in 2025. “We’re looking for the do-it-yourselfer, the guy who does modifications himself, ”Mr. McKinney said. “We’ve got all the hardware to do the job.” An example of a do-it-yourselfer is Ken Singleton. Singleton captured three Funny Car Chaos Championships in a row as a driver, while also earning his first FCC championship as a tuner in 2024 with Shayne Lawson driving the Man ’O War II Funny Car which is a McKinney chassis. Ken is currently building a new car for a first time FCC competitor which will be decked out with components from McKinney Corp such as fuel tanks, oil tanks, seat pan, and more upon completion. Another new ride that is ready for all the Chaos racing available in 2025 is with Chuck Loftin Performance. Chuck Loftin had many issues in 2023 with his Nitro Psycho Funny Car. Often consulting with Murf McKinney on adjustments, the car that he was competing with was unresponsive to changes or would respond in a way that wasn’t normal to a well-built chassis. Chuck decided, “Well, let’s just build a new car!” The Texas diesel mechanic will be rolling into 2025 with a new chassis tailored to him along with a renovated Trans Am flopper body. Chuck is the best prepared he has ever been to compete at a high level in Chaos this season as he is equipped for both Funny Car and Fuel Altered trims. The McKinney Corp brand is one that through Chaos has been showcased well beyond just marketing. Within Chaos competition there are many McKinney Corp cars that showcase the dependability and excellence of a Murf built car. Colin Thomas, with his “Twisted Sister” Mustang Funny Car campaigns a chassis that was originally built in 1989 for the late great Roland Leong. You also have the “Made in America” team of Tom Furches, the 2023 Funny Car Chaos Champion, with a chassis dating back to the early 1990s. Even the most recent champion in FCC, Shayne Lawson, pilots a McKinney chassis that was originally built for Jay Payne around 2016. If it’s old, or if it’s new, a McKinney component or chassis will stand the test of time even in the highly competitive ranks of Chaos. Murf McKinney and his McKinney Corp have been at the forefront of the industry for what will be 45 years in 2026. During that time many brands in drag racing have come and gone all the while seeking marketing partners for their endeavors. When asked if the Chaos brand has delivered on its return on investment, McKinney Corp founder, Murf Mckinney responded with an emphatic “yes!” The partnership with Chaos is deeper for Murf than just a matter of business. “The thing that stands out is that people came with their families to go racing, it wasn’t a lot of fly-in people,” McKinney reminisced of his visit to Chaos In The Cornfield at Eddyville Raceway Park which was a combined Funny Car Chaos and Nitro Chaos event. “It just appeared to me that Chris [Graves – series owner and promoter] really was trying to interact with the spectator, like when they warmed up the cars down-the-line instead of just one car randomly warming up here or there.” For the racers and teams in Chaos, with McKinney Corp as the Official Fabrication Source, they have the go to place for all their component and chassis needs. As Chaos continues to grow, McKinney Corp is pleased to be associated with a grass-roots effort that is passionate concerning the sport of drag racing in every facet from the stands to the action on the strip. The motorsports division is ready to assist with your needs from front to back including body and tin mounting, roll cage adjustments, steering and rear end alignment and all the things you will need to get on the track and safely compete at your peak performance. ABOUT MCKINNEY CORP McKinney Corp. was founded by Murf McKinney and two brothers in 1981 to build Funny Cars for the sport of Drag Racing. Over the years, after solidifying a name synonymous with excellence and winning, the company has grown to become a self-sufficient manufacturing and research and development center. What started as a motorsports company has diversified into commercial machining and fabricating as well, staffed by a growing number of employees and equipped with state-of-the-art CNC machinery. In addition to Motorsports, we are also currently serving the following industries: Recreation - Medical - Marine - Aviation - Agriculture - Transportation - Academic, and more.  Contact McKinney Corp by visiting www.mckinneycorp.com or call directly at 1.800.542.3088

Dragsters in the 1950’s and in the 1960’s were truly unique, as in, each one was somewhat different from all the others. We use to have front engine dragsters, rear engine dragsters, dual engine dragsters, three engine dragsters and even four engine dragsters. Some of the dragsters had four-wheel drive. Some of the multi-engine dragsters had engines mounted side-by-side, some mounted in-line. There were even some that were mounted sideways. Some had full bodies, some had partial bodies and some no bodies at all. As far as engines, we had dragsters with Ford engines, Chevy engines, Pontiac engines, Chrysler engines, Buick, DeSoto, Cadillac, Packard, Lincoln, GMC, Oldsmobile, you name it. I don’t think you could name an automotive engine that wasn’t mounted in a dragster at one time or the other. We even had dragsters with aircraft engines. In the early 1950’s when drag racing was still something new, the media called the dragsters “rail jobs”. This was because the early dragsters were not much more than a car with an engine mounted in frame rails. Get a car, remove the body, fenders pretty much everything else, and you had a “rail job”. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that before we had 18-wheeler “transporters” with tool cabinets that cost more than a house, we had single axle open trailers and a tool box we could carry with one hand. Our “transporter” was usually a trailer hitch on the of the family station wagon or pick-up truck. It was a different time, but it was our roots and it is our heritage.

Success claims many fathers. I want to say here and now. My stories are true as best as my 84 year old brain can muster. My still acute memory and the ability to prove what I tell may be the reason God delegated me to live this long. To tell true stories and try to set my drag racing history correct. THANK YOU GOD!  Let’s go back to 1986. My mountain motor days. My best friend and arch rival, Wild Bill Kuhlmann and I were jaded with our careers. We needed something new and with better pay. Bill and I set up a private meeting Dec of 86, at the Holiday Inn in Springfield, IL. That was midpoint distance for Bill and me. Bill was from Wentzville, Mo. Me Jim Feurer (Known better in drag racing as ANIMAL JIM.) from Lacon, Illinois.. Bill and I brought all our press clippings, resume etc. We decided we could not afford to run NHRA or IHRA Pro Stock. AHRA was long gone. So it was circuit race or match race for low budget professional drag racers. Bill and I even considered UDRA Funny Cars, and went to their annual UDRA Funny Car meeting. No way. Too much equipment changes. We needed more bookings and for more money. To achieve that we needed to orchestrate something new. We both decided it had to be with door cars. One big thing Bill and I had was an overload of PANACHE. (RECKLESS COURAGE) This was very infectious to fans, media and promotors and even sponsors. I have always believed, that overload of panache Bill and I shared was a natural born attribute. “How about 200 mph match race touring team of Pro Stock bookings?” Bill and I hit on that idea simultaneously. We then called around to various heavy duty promoters, race car journalist, and finally our own agent Duane Nickels’ of the famed Nickels and Associates. Duane thought our idea was great. But he said, “Before we advertise 200 mph Pro Stocks, someone has to do it first.” Then we realized no door car anywhere had ever hit 200 drag racing door slammers yet! OOPS! Some IHRA Mountain Motor guys had broken into the 190. mph mark. What an opportunity. To be the first to run 200 mph in a door car. After our meeting, I lost focus due to family matters, caring for my invalid old parents. I am not blaming them. It is what should be done. Linda’s mother was also failing. We lived 45 miles from each. My parents had no insurance. We finally tapped out. Their church even helped. I had forgotten all about a 200 mph touring team. Bill knew of my problems. So he did not bug me. My friend and former sponsor and owner of NOS (Nitrous Oxide Systems) Mike thermos did call me a couple times that winter offering to sponsor me again and was confident with my 675” Engine and the new NOS fogger nitrous system I could go 200 .Linda and I had so much family problems Mike’s offer fell on deaf ears. But Wild Bill Kuhlmann did not lose focus of our dream. Unknown to me Bill Kuhlmann was methodically transforming his current pro stock Camaro into a one purpose machine. It was to be the first door car to break 200 mph in a quarter mile. By the time February came, IHRA plus some fans and colleges asked if I was going to race Pro Stock at the IHRA Darlington Winter Nationals in March as usual. I told my wife Linda Lou. She said, “Send in your entry. This is business. That first race brings lot of promoters looking for match race talent. It always produces some bookings for us.” So I entered Pro Stock as usual. When my crew Al and Douglas Schmitt, and Ed Fogelsonger were sitting in line at Darlington with our rig waiting for the gate for professional entries to open, I looked over at the Top Sportsman pits. Low and behold. There in the grassy area sat the Wild Bill Kuhlmann 87 Camaro, sporting a huge rear spoiler, new huge hood scoop with Sonny Leonard decals. Plus huge NOS decals all over the body. Top Sportsman was only a high level bracket class. But Nitrous and other modifications were legal. It instantly it hit me. Bill was going to go 200 in Top Sportsmen. A lesser class. But with softer rules. Not Pro Stock rules. TS still is a door car class. Silly me. I never thought of that. Bill did not disappoint. He went 202+ March 14, 1987. And smoking the ties from mid track to finish. Talk about panache! WOW! As much as I admired Bill’s success, I got a sick feeling in my gut. Nitrous was legal in UDRA Pro Stock. I will have to run Bill in that venue and match races. I had no choice. I needed to conform. Hello NOS again! My next race was a month later. The annual UDRA Spring Nationals at Byron IL. Dragway. To some that event, the Outlaw Pro Stock final became legendary. Byron then was NHRA sanctioned and also hosting an NHRA Div. 3 Event. Which meant all racers and cars had to be inspected by NHRA tech. My car along with most Pro Stock cars needed a new even larger bar once again under the driver side rocker panel mandated by NHRA for 1987. I pointed out that last year we added a new size bigger bar alongside the excising one, so both bars creating a duplex would be stronger than that the new rule. The NHRA tech official did not buy that. I responded with “You best brush up with your physics and common sense!” I was so upset, I threatened to load up and leave. My friends UDRA Event director Ron Colson and Super Stock Magazine Editor Jeff Burk talked me into staying. The NHRA waved the new rule till next event. Those two friends went to bat for me. So I stayed. This would be my first time with nitrous on my Kaase 675” Monolith Engine. Bill and I made history qualifying. Both of us ran couple tenths quicker than rest of the field. Wild Bill and I qualified one and two swapping record setting numbers and went through that field of entries like poop through a goose. Bill ended number one qualifier and me a close number two. And we ended up facing each other in the finals. By this time I decided to use the nitrous sooner than hitting it in third gear. I planned to use it when shifting to second. I did feel I could win and perhaps go 200. We both did humongous long burnouts. While backing up I had a miss. I think I broke an exhaust rocker arm stand. (So much for trying to win.) Al backed me up and I stage anyway hoping Bll would red light , get loose, shake the tires, or break. Bill and I played no staging games. Bill made a perfect run. I followed trying the nitrous to no avail. Never the less. History was made that day. That final has become a legend. Pictures are all over face book. Bill and I went on be in 9 UDRA finals that season. We were always one and two swapping records and wins. This event was the start of something big. I don’t think anyone knew how big. Bill had kicked the door open breaking 200 at Darlington that March. The Pro Modified seed was planted. Part two I will tell about four of my Pro Mod rides. 1989 to 2001 and about the modifications and updates of Zeke, plus my three purpose built Pro Modified cars’. The modifications and updates of my 79 Pro Stock Zephyr we call Zeke were done by me and Rick Jones 1989/90. 2. The Rick Jones Amazing Psychotic Probe 90 and 91. 3. The fabulous Jerry Haas WunderBird Thunderbird Super Coupe 1992 to 1996. 4. The sleek chopped top Tim McCamis Ballistic Thunderbird Super Coupe. 1999 to 2002.

PHOTOS by RICHARD JAESCHKE WWW.HOTRODONLINE.COM

For 1984 , I switched from SB Nitrous Cleveland to a humongous 675 CI Mountain Motor we dubbed the “Monolith”. ( I have to explain hear and now, “Motor” is not the proper name. “Engine” is. But “Mountain Motor” has a better limerick cadence to it than “Mountain Engine”. Look up definition of “Motor” and “Engine”. Or how about “Elephant Engine”? Too clumsy! My engineer mentor Bob Olmsted would flip in his grave, if he read this. Never called an engine a motor around (Bob! ) RIP BOB! This 675 Jon Kaase Engine sported Allen Root special Aluminum Block 11.2 Deck Ht. Steel Chrome Mollie Sleeves with O rings. Bore was 4.635 , steel BRC crank ,Arias pistons and Venolia aluminum rods, with 5” stroke X 0.7854 x 8 =675. Had AR Aluminum Hemi Heads. Worked over by Jon. AR Tunnel Ram worked over with two Holley 1100 dominators and MSD Crank Trigger Ign. Dynoed 1150 HP @ 7,000 RPM. Jon called me all excited about the results. Winter of 83/84. Cost was $25,000! Remember-This was 40 years ago! That engine also included a special .800+lift cam and 2.500” diam. Intake and 2.00” exhaust valves. All 16 were Manley Titanium valves of course. Funny story: Shortly after Jon called, some dude called from Chicago area telling me he developed a Ford Cammer using Gilmer belts instead of timing chains. He wanted to team up with me putting his Cammer in Zeke. Then, before I could respond he insulted my persona telling me I would have to cleanup, starting with cutting my hair. Then!!! I responded. I told him about my Kaase 675 Boss Hemi, and Jon calling with results. I added, “As for my grooming .I would not cut my hair for my mother, let alone for you! You insulting joker!” And I hung up. I do not recall a name. Once I did trim my hair a bit. Promoters, media and fans did not like that. Especially the late great Bill Bader. And my little girl cried when she saw my hair trimmed. 2. First time out with the “Monolith” 675 was not successful. One problem was the new fiberglass doors. That big engine had so much torque it would twist Zeke out of shape launching the driver door. It would fly off. It happened twice in a row. I had orange duct tape, and had my crew chief Cliff Sturm tape me in next run. Door stayed put. But had to wait for Cliff to come untape me at top end. Tech would have had a cow if they knew. (At US 30, perhaps not) Another problem was starter was not strong enough for that engine. I could see some other matters would need looking after with that much power. So we loaded up and went home. I never experienced so much brute power. At my shop at home we cured the starter problem by connecting another battery and solenoid to create 24 volts just when cranking, and included a MSD retard with momentary toggle switch. And just a cheap rebuilt starter worked great. Until two years later and went to a dry sump system, and had to use a mini starter do to different pan. Amazingly that Hamburger mini starter and MSD retard and 12 volts worked fine. For the next three years, 1984,85,86 and first race in 87 we ran pure Mountain Motor Pro Stock , mostly in UDRA and Match Races . We did ok, winning several UDRA events, and went rounds at a couple IHRA Nationals. One of my most memorable IHRA Mountain Motor runs was Aug. of 85 at Norwalk, Oh. I had Bob Glidden first round. I took a shot at the tree and cut a spectacular .002 light. I was way ahead of Bob. Then by fourth gear I saw that Thunder Bird nose appear. We went through the traps side by side. Bob got the win light by .001. While waiting for our tow vehicles, Bob came over and asked if I had a pretty good run. I said it was good. When I got my time ticket I realized I had run a career best et. But, so did Bob. He had won by .001. However, during my 3 year pure Mountain Motor Pro Stock effort, as I told earlier, I won several UDRA , match, and special events. 3. One of my favorite wins was August 10th. 1986. I had the unbeatable Bob Olsen in the final. I was still driving my trusty Mercury Zephyr with the Monolith 675 engine. This event was The Annual Pro Stock/Funny Car Open at Byron, Il. Rules? Ha! It was “Run what you Brung! And you better Bring Enough!” I went to finals, caught a great light and beat that Steward and Olsen Pontiac by a fender. Then another big change happened. My friend, Wild Bill Kuhlmann, In March of 77 put A NOS Fogger System on his new Sonny 632 bb Chevy. Bill entered Top Sportsman. Nitrous was legal there. Bill’s motive was to be the first ever door car to go 200 ! Which I witnessed him doing so at IHRA Nationals at Darlington SC. OH! OH! Nitrous was also legal in UDRA, No one had ever taken advantage of it with a killer mountain motor till Bill. Bill Kuhlmann had gone ahead with his dream we both shared and discussed back in December. While I was side tracked with other matters. I had no choice. I had to go same direction to compete from then on. UDRA was my main arena. So hello NOS. My old friend. My Kaase/Allen Root, 675 Ford Boss Hemi loved it! It sure did! We estimated we went from 1200 hp to1700hp with just a basic single NOS Fogger system. And basic tune up. Just hitting the Nos during second gear on, would net 5 tenths quicker and 10 mph. It felt like a powerful passing gear. We won many races and the U DRA Outlaw Pro Stock Championships 88 and 89. I consider 87,88, and 89 , The formative days o Pro Modified. Wild Bill had kicked that door wade open! I ran our next car the same way. By then, we were running Pro Modified. The 90 Probe was one of the first cars purpose built for Pro Modified. Built and sponsored by Rick Jones. Officially it was the first Ford door car to go 200 mph. 4. I was still using old engines, the Kaase Monolith 675 Ford Boss hemi and the Jim Ehlen 666 we called Damian! And it ran high 6 second runs, still on a basic same Fogger system. But I was now hitting nitrous right after the launch. Better late than never, August of 91 we put a new Kaase 698” beast in the Probe. We won a third championship with Probe with the USSC. That made 5 championships for me altogether. In 92, came the fabulous Haas Thunderbird Super Coupe we named Wunder Bird! We set many records and won many races. With son in law Doug Fennell’s awesome design and paint job, it won IHRA Best Appearing/Engineering two years in a row. Which was unheard of. With this car we used nitrous on the launch, and a second system @ .5 second timer , producing 1800/2000 hp. Running 6 sec/200 +mph runs at will. Ronnie Sox, Wane Torkelson and I, swapped records of quickest Ford door slammers on the earth for several years. Well, it seems I am getting ahead of myself. My next chapter about my Pro Modified years will be my next article.  Written by ANIMAL JIM FEURER. MAY GOD KEEP YA ALL.

The year was 1961, and Don Hill bought the 1953 Studebaker as a parts car to his street 53 Studebaker. After pilfering all the parts Don needed off the Studebaker, one sunny summer day in 1963 Don and the family were having a picnic at their house in Ballwin Missouri. Don’s brother Jack Hill was there and the two of them were playing horseshoes and Jack made a bet with Don that if he threw the next horseshoe as a ringer Don would have to sell the Studebaker parts car for $25.00. Well Jack did just that and handed over the $25.00 to his older brother Don. You see Don and Jack Hill were not just brothers, they were also a team together as the Hill-Boys racing team out of the Midwest. After the second world war, the two of them started racing an open wheel stock car. The Hill-Boys were known coast to coast on dirt tracks and later, asphalt tracks as fierce competitors. It was their way of life. In 1963 by now they both were not racing open wheel cars anymore and Jack had the need to play around with the 1953 Studebaker that he had just bought from Don. Jack decided to put a 392 Chrysler Hemi with two four barrels, 727 torque flight transmission that all was put into the stock Studebaker chassis. Custom headers, Olds rear-end, ladder bars and a 4-point roll cage were added. The car was now ready to race, and the year was 1964. After a few runs the Studebaker took a back seat to work. Just a few years earlier Jack started a company called Precision Rebuilders which is still in operation today. In 1972 Jack gave the car to his son Mike Hill on his 16th birthday. The car sat around for a few years and in 1979 Don’s son Butch Hill and Mike became partners/owners in the Studebaker. In 1990 Butch decided to sell out to Mike to build a 1939 Ford Coupe so they could go racing together. In the late 80s during a race in Wentzville, Mo at MAR raceway, the Studebaker was having trouble creating real horsepower. Don Garlits was at this race and took a liking to the car and within one hour after sitting down with Big Daddy he spelled out all the tricks to make the Hemi perform like it should. In 1992 the car was chopped. Later in 92 Jack Hill lost his battle with cancer. In 1994 both Mike and Butch willed their cars to one another to make sure they stay in the Hill family. In 1995 Golden Hawk fins were added to the car. 1997 came along a new paint scheme from red to the Blue/Purple with flames. In 2006 the car was awarded Dupont’s paint of the year. In 2007 Don Hill lost his life to a stroke and in 2009 Mike Hill lost his 4-year battle with cancer. In 2012 Butch Hill willed the Studebaker to his children Cameron and Caitlin Hill to once again keep it in the family. Today Butch Hill is still racing the car in the Nostalgia Drag Racing League (NDRL). And the car is considered the World’s quickest all steel 1953 Studebaker. The car weighs 3,200 pounds and is still running a 392 Hemi. Although it does not run a steel block anymore, the aluminum Donovan motor from the 60s puts out 1,100 hp and 1,092-foot pounds of torque. Sitting on top of that Donovan is a 671 blower with a 4 port Hilborn injection running on alcohol. The car is still running a 727-torque flight, Ford 9” rear end with 4.10 gears and believe it or not, it is still running the same latter bars that were built in 1963.  No electronics other than a trans button. Even though this car looks like it is a fiberglass car going 250 mph setting still. This car is truly old school in its body and power plant. The body is original Studebaker steel even down to the door hinges and steel chrome bumpers. .

By this point of the 2024 season, you can rest assured a heated points battle will be underway and it will all conclude with a return for the CHAOS brand to Midstate Dragway, formally Central Illinois Dragway, in Havana, Illinois for the Nitro Chaos Championship Finals, September 20-21st. CID was one of the original host tracks for Funny Car Chaos dating back to 2018 and after recent ownership and management changes, is very excited to welcome the CHAOS back to Havana to crown the 2024 Nitro Chaos Champion! This will be the largest gathering of nitro burning drag racing machines in track history, we assure you that.

By Dan Ricks

Text and photos by Dan Ricks

Text and Photos by Dan Ricks

Photos by Dan Ricks

Photos and Text by Ted Pappacena

By Eddie Buck

Jenkins grew up in Malvern Pa. He began racing in the late 1950s, driving his famed “Grumpy’s Toy” Chevrolet to Pro Stock success in the mid-to late 60s. Jenkins earned fame by helping revolutionize the Pro Stock class through innovations in engines, suspensions and other parts. He also was a successful driver, winning 13 NHRA national event victories and numerous other races under various sanctions. Jenkins earned a mechanical engineering degree from Cornell, using that knowledge and his personal skills to transform the Pro Stock class. Known as the “FATHER OF PRO STOCK” Jenkins’s engines won five NHRA championships in a row. Jenkins’s mechanical innovations included drag racing’s first Kickout oil pans, the Pro Stock strut-style front suspension, the dry-sump oiling system, the electric water-pump fan, gas-port pistons and slick-shift manual transmission. In 2011, Jenkins was voted number 8 among NHRA’S greatest racers by a poll of drag racing experts and is a member of the Don Garlits International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, the Motorsports Hall of Fame and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Jenkins garnered the nickname “Grumpy” for his no-nonsense attitude. Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins passed away March 29, 2012, at the age of 81 .

Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio staged its Inaugural Ken Ganley Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram World of Mopar presented by Arrington Performance, Sept. 22-24, 2023. Produced and presented by Summit Motorsports Park. “We couldn’t be happier with our Inaugural Ken Ganley Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram World of Mopar presented by Arrington Performance,” said Bill Bader Jr., president of Summit Motorsports Park. We had a tremendous turnout, and we look forward to an even bigger event next year. The planning starts now.” .

Remember going back to school after your summer vacation and the teacher asks you to write an essay about what you did over the summer? Well, this is that essay although I’m retired and every summer is a vacation for me. It actually started in February when I got a notification from my friend Hayne Dominic. He and Gary Gore hold a yearly event at Mason-Dixon Dragway called the “Rocking Chair Nationals”. It’s a nostalgia drag racing event featuring the cars and stars of years gone by. Each year they recognize different categories in drag racing and this year’s honorees were to be photographers, journalists, and announcers. I would be one of the honored and would I be able to attend? Would I? You don’t have to ask me twice! June 24 is the date of the event.

Many race drivers retire too soon. Some not soon enough. A lot depends on level of racing, expense and sponsors. And of course desire. No matter. Stay behind the wheel long as possible. This advice can also be used as a metaphor. My shrink friend Chris Holley back a few years told me, “Jim, whether it is a seven mile an hour garden tractor or a 200 mph race car, you are happiest behind the wheel.” It dawned on me later as I recalled his words. The man was correct. How do you know when to give up your seat? That question could be different for all. A football player example would be comparing Broadway Joe Namath with Tom Brady. The smart way to hang up the driver fire suit or football equipment etc. is when you are on top of the game. And importantly, affordability comes into play both ways. Can you afford to still drive or play ball or cannot afford not to? Which brings my ramblings to my own situation. I never had major dollars behind me. But even after I retired from Pro mod competition and sold my contemporary ride, From 2000 to 2012 ,I still could book my old Pro Stock from the 80s for vintage match races , that ironically paid pretty well. So I booked a couple to 4 a year to supplement our income. So it goes. I hung it up for good in 2012. There were too many problems. Like forgetting to plug in the cooling fan for two outings. Not realizing new batteries were needed. My foot slipping off throttle pedal Etc. My car Zeke and I were tired. WE both needed to be refreshed. Or retire. I always say, “Everything ends”. It may not end the way you wanted. But it ends. My ending sucked. I went one booking too long. It still haunts me. Some racers I admire for quitting fairly young and on top are Jackie Stewart, Ron Colson, Bob Olson. Those that stayed with it are Arnie Beswick, John Force, Wayne Torkelson, Bill Neri, Animal Jim. Etc. When Folks call my time drag racing as a professional a “HOBBY” that riles me up. It may have been a hobby for some. For me and Linda it was far from a hobby. Linda was my team manager and she kept tract of the money and we made a living drag racing. The Animal Jim Racing program was a serious business. We made some money with Animal Jim memorabilia. Selling Animal Jim T shirts, hats ,hat pins, sweat shirts etc. Linda even hand made wild graphic sweat shirts with her own label. “ANIMAL WEAR”. We also had the Lacon ( little home town) hands on First National Bank boasting live tellers and staff in our corner. That started about 1989. We needed to update. But we needed cash. Linda went to the Lacon bank with a stack of future match race contracts and several magazines featuring Animal Jim. The bank stepped right up and loaned us whatever we needed from then on. As long as we paid interest the bank would renew our loans annually. And we always paid back the loans. After every successful outing, Linda would keep the cash we needed and take the rest to pay on the bank loans . Linda and I were a team. Several times we jumped off the cliff of opportunity hoping to grow financial wings on the way down. Somehow we always did. I often wonder what it would have been like to have a major full ride. Our race crew was mostly volunteers, which we much appreciated. But there were a few times it was just Linda and I, and sometimes only me. I recall an Oct. race in Canada in 1981. Linda was teaching school of course I went alone. I recruited a couple fans to help. Now at 82 I make a few close to home cruises with my 64 R code Galaxie ;with my son in law Doug Fennell’s help. For farther ones I use my 2005 GTO. It has now become a classic due partly to it’s rarity. My Linda Lou loved all racing . But not car shows and cruises. A current post on Face Book shows my now late Linda Lou in the passenger seat of our 64 Galaxie as we are leaving the cruise at the Oglesby ,Il root beer stand. A rare picture indeed. That picture was 5 years ago. Any way getting back to the topic of my rambling, heed Dr. Holley’s observation. Stay behind the wheel long as possible. Even if it is a 7 mph mower. Oct 2023 Animal Stories. By Animal Jim Feure Epilog: For those not informed, my precious Linda Lou went to school teacher heaven Aug. 24, 2023. Linda was 81 and taught school right to the end. In fact right after she died the funeral director was our home. The phone rang. It was a local school wanting to hire Linda as a sub. She commanded a Job even after she died! In the haunting lyrics of Frank Sinatra, My angel eyes are gone. .

I am sure many of you know Earnest Hemingway's novel, TO HAVE and HAVE NOT. It was made into a B &W movie in 1944. Staring Humphrey Bogart and introducing and staring the sexy Lauren Bacall. (The word sexy in dictionary should have Bacall’s picture as example of sexy.) This story is about races I should have won and did not. What I am about to tell happened long ago so some of the half dozen situations may not have occurred today. I had two rooked situations which definitely reduced me to runner up in finals. The worst was a race at an AHRA national event Winter Nationals in Tucson, Az. I was racing the early 80s Nitrous Small Block Zephyr Pro Stock Zephyr nicknamed ZEKE! Nitrous for small block only had been put in rules as an option two years ago to try and even the sudden unlimited cubic inch rules .There was a lesser weight rule for unlimited cubic inch small blocks. Problem was the small block cars could not get light enough to use that weight break advantage. 600 plus CI plus Big Block cars could get to their min 2350# weight. Enter The Nitrous Oxide Option. No SB CI Limit. But had to ad 250 LBS. to the Unlimited SB base weight. If canted valves,(like my Cleveland Ford-ad another 50# Types of trans also had wt. factors. My Merc Zephyr with Cleveland, NOS Nitrous and Lenco 4 speed weighed in at almost 2600 pounds. Zeke was AHRA legal. I was sponsored by NOS . In 1982 I had won a few races including an AHRA National Event and several runner ups. Also set several records. I might have won the AHRA pro stock season Championship if parts would have arrived on time. We were using los of parts, learning about nitrous. I missed AHRA Salt Lake and Spokane, the AHRA World finals. By missing those last two events, I was reduced to 3rd. in the 1982 AHRA pro stock season championship. Back to the before mentioned 83 Winter Nationals. It was the start of a new season. I was trying to win the AHRA pro stock championship this year. After months of preparation, and traveling 2000 miles through snow, ice, sleet, rain and high winds we finally made it to Tucson after 56 white knuckle trailer towing hours. Changing off driving with the late crew chief Cliff Sturm, and crew Terry Shirley and Dennis Paccetti. I had run this race several times. The last season I was number 2 qualifier and I got runner up. This year I came loaded for bear. Good crew, Spare engine, spare Lenco and spare third member rear ends. I also had a spare set of new slicks. These were actually listed for a rail dragster. Slightly smaller than the popular Pro Stock Goodyears. These were much lighter with a Super soft compound. They would be needed before this week end was over. When we arrived at Tucson mid morning Friday an overnight snow was melting. By 1.00 pm I was ready to make a qualifying run. The first run was only average. Starting line was junk. It had been repaved and was pealing up. By Saturday the track personal had moved the starting line ahead. I assumed the top end clocks were repositioned accordingly. Next run was better but we nipped a piston. We had to put my fresh 409 ci Cleveland in. Made another qualifying attempt. It was pretty good. We were number two after that. I wanted the number one spot. It meant another $500 bonus from my sponsor NOS. It was late SAT. Night I made my last qualifier. About midnight, air temp 30 deg. F. I had put those new soft dragster tires on Zeke. I left starting line at 6500 RPM. Wow what a run. Those tires did the trick. I could feel them grab at all 3 shifts. We were number 1 qualifier by a bunch. Later that night while celebrating being number one , one of my crew dove in the motel pool. Wow. Dennis dove in clothes and all. I was 12.30 am and only 30 degrees. The desert gets cold at night. At the track next day first round was at 1PM. Conditions ideal. Sunshine and 65 degrees. In 1983 Pro Sock in AHRA was a 8 car field. Ladder was old school. 1 ran 5 -2 ran 6 and so forth. So I had non other than Roy Hill for first round. Roy had a Mountain Motor Mercury Capri. Roy struggled to get to number 5. That big engine was too much for the Tucson track. We had swapped my engines Friday night from my killer 427 Cleveland to my 409” Cleveland and milder nitrous to get down that slick track. My first round of eliminations turned out to be the most bizarre and longest stating line burn down in history. Roy and I did our burnouts. We moved up to stage. Mike Thermos ,owner of NOS was my stage guide. As I start to light my first bulb ,Mike stops me. Roy Hill has backed up. I backed up to see his crew has rear deck lid off and adjusting his rear shocks. Starter motions for me to stage. All I had to do I light one bulb and Roy would be disqualified. But I wait. His crew finished and we start to stage again. Before I can light my first bulb, Mike stops me again. Roy has backed up again. So I back up again to see. Roy’s crew is now adjusting his wheelie bars. When done Roy backs back into the water! Well, hell. So do I. Roy and I start all over again. Both doing fresh burn outs. The starter is going ape! This time we both pull up and in as we should. I beat Roy Hill and his mountain motor Capri. In the semis I beat Jim Basko in a routine elimination. Seemed no one could get down that track but me. For the finals I had a local entry, Bennie Flowers. He did not seem a threat. But I must have been over confident, plus being distracted with all the hub bub by announcing I was to receive the first ever AHRA ALLSTAR award. I was confident I could out run anyone that day. OOOPS! I forgot one of my cardinal rules. Never to under estimate your opponent. Benny and I left the line fairy close. But Benny was staying with me. It was so close at end; I could not tell who won. Amazingly Bennies win light came on. The announcers and fans went nuts. I must have been lazy at the tree. To add insult to injury, I had just ran the record Pro Stock et. For the event. Some of my fans that were at the finish line bemoaned I had actually won by half a fender? Mid week I even got a call from a sponsor congratulating me for winning. When I told him I lost, He said, “Bull shit! I was standing right there but left as you crossed the finish line to catch my plane to LA.” After the finish , I almost had enough fans etc. convince me to contest. But while returning to tower for my All Star award pictures I noticed Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowny mid track arguing with staff as to who, if either had centerlined. Also it would be poor sportsman ship on my part to contest my finish. Plus when I got to tower, Benny Flowers was in tears over winning. Repeating, “I NEVER WON ANY THING BEFORE” I was not about to rain on his parade.  So I was runner up at Tucson once again. Win Not! ANIMAL JIM SEPT 2023. .

The Chicago World of Wheels is one of the largest indoor cars show in the country. race, custom, hot rod, lowrider, tv, and movie vehicles of all types as well as custom motorcycles and tuner cars all migrate to the Windy City to play a part of this historic event. In recent years collectable bicycles have also joined in on the fun. Nostalgia Drag World has been covering this show for many years and must say this year’s crowd was one of largest in recent memory. Besides getting to see and talk to Henry Winkler aka “the Fonz” our favorite part of this year’s event was the tribute to US 30 dragstrip. Over 30 cars that at one time or another raced down this famed racetrack were put together in a cool setting with lots of memorabilia and a lot of the original drivers and crew members. At the front of the US 30 display was the Shake Rattle and Run 57 Chevy. This iconic car has been owned and raced by the Messino family since it was new. This car is still racing today and is currently being driven by Pro Stock pilot Kevin Lawrence. We invite you to sit back and enjoy the pictures. Nostalgia Drag World

I am frequently asked where I raced. That is probably the number one question from the casual Animal Jim fan and layman. I usually answer, “Do you know the country western song, (I’ve been everywhere man?)” Most claim they do. Then I respond with, “That is where I raced”. “Everywhere; Including Puerto Rico and Canada. I also had offers to match race in Australia and Aruba. But had conflicting contracted race dates in USA.” The number two question asked of me is what organization I ran and liked the most.” There were many” I answer. That answer is very complex. I will try to break it down to types. National Assoc. of Motor Sports, NHRA, AHRA, IHRA, PRO, ADRA. Then we had racing circuits. Mid America Pro Stock, UDRA, USSC. Then there were Fun Ford and Ford Extravaganza bookings, Pop Rod, Don Garlits PRO EVENTS, and many other feature events and many match race bookings. Plus all booked dates I mentioned included static displays at various times. Especially for match and drag racing exhibition events. Then I am asked my favorite track of all. I answer, “As a Sportsman in my early years Oswego, IL., and Later as a touring professional Englishtown NJ. Sadly both tracks are gone. Oswego just kind of dissolved. Englishtown fell victim to Industrial Sprawl. Plus Englishtown track owners tired of all the hassles with neighbors and got an offer they could not refuse. Last I knew it is a giant used car lot now. Industrial and Urban sprawl have closed many race tracks. Especially in the last decade. The giant ware houses see all that space and the invasion begins. I do not want to get started on that. See the book called Lost Drag Strips and Ghosts of the Quarter mile by Tommy Byrd. Also available is an updated version Lost Drag Strips 2 by Scotty Gosson. The forward in Volume 1 is by Don Garlits. Volume 2 forward is by Tommy Ivo. Yours truly is pictured in the Tommy Byrd version with Frank Marshall. Both of us with wheels up leaving the line. It is 1975 at Oswego, Il Dragway. October of 79 Oswego closed up forever. I was racing national touring Pro Stock by then with my Pinto. The track manager Bub Thurlby called me and asked if I could come to Oswego the last day with my Big Animal 57 Merc I raced there in my earlier days to make a tribute good bye run. I did so pro bono. With tears in my eyes. My Big Animal 57 Merc I were the last down that track during a scheduled event. It is sad all the tracks that fall to urban and industrial sprawl. Some close do to constant problems with neighbors. Kansas City and Oswego are prime examples of neighbor problems and even the sale of English Town was enhanced by neighbor problems. The most recent buy out is Houston. It is already tore up. Another great track gone. Many good memories there. Close to home in recent years Rt. 66 Raceway in Joliet folded due to Pandemic at end of 2019 season. I had worked at 66 as tech official for 15 years and occasionally match raced there. In fact my last good match race was at RT. 66. That is when I was featured as a Legend at RT. 66 annual Raceway Classic event. RT. 66 operated as normal through the normal season in 2019. Then the BS pandemic panic hit and 66 along with a few other tracks and many events that created any type of close encounters with our fellow humans on this earth took hold. Even churches and schools shutdown and went virtual. The NFL had games without fans present. Many businesses went bust over the panic of 2019 to 2022. Face masks and 6 feet away from other humans were mandatory. We even got lessons how to wash our hands. LOL! I for one do not believe staying normal would have made much difference in results .The outcome would have been about the same. I am sure there was a nasty flu, but those nut cases in charge of things were way off the real threat. Those in charge! Many did and still are benefiting from the scare. Look at all the new products and services. But that is just this old drag racers opinion. LOL! Not to mention lessons how to keep hands washed. Enough said. Rt. 66 Raceway did host a NHRA division event in 2022. And the weekend of May 18-20, 2023 a NHRA national event will take place at Rt. 66 Raceway. If those in charge of that splendid faculty will open that fabulous drag strip for any other dates, I do not know at this time. Info seems to be mysterious. Another amazing NASCAR decision and idea. NASCAR has scheduled a Stock Car road race in downtown Chicago. While a great 1.5 facility Rt. oval sits in Joliet across from the drag strip. Imagine NASCAR Cup cars on Michigan Ave and Lake Shore drive! That event should be very interesting. I have been everywhere. Animal Jim Feurer.

I have photographed a lot of nostalgia races at Central Illinois Dragway over the years and every one of them was unique in their own way but the 2017 fall nostalgia race for me had just a little more of a nostalgic flair to it. Sure, they had the usual gassers, nostalgia outlaw quick series, Ozark Mountain Super Shifters, nostalgia super stockers, a couple Promods and several blown alcohol vehicles but what really gave it that nostalgic feel were the 3 young ladies with the nostalgia super stock group dressed in their nostalgic looking outfits assisting with the backing and staging of the cars. Then there was a local racer posing as the staging lane security (see photo) but what really added a nostalgic twist to the event was local photographer, Dennis Cumby's flag drop starts for the super stock cars and gassers dressed in all white with the red and green flags in hand. It sure brought back memories of days gone by.

Little did I know when I booked the match race for the annual Classic Nostalgia Legend event at Rt. 66 Speedway on August 16th, 2012; it would be the last good run for me and Zeke. Zeke is my legendary 3 time championship Pro Stock Zephyr from the 80s.

Back in February my good friend John Cerchio (War Path N/FC) called to tell me he made reservations at the host hotel for NR 5 and there was room for me if I’d like to go. After checking with my wife (“Go, you only live once!”) I called back to say “I’m in!”  Once I committed, I called Rob Huckstadt of Nostalgia Drag World and told him I was going, could he secure media credentials, and of course he did. So, right away I started to compose the story in my head. I figured it would be easy; some superlatives, cars that were there, notable people, and done. So again, I started with different openings but never wrote anything down. I just kept visioning how it would be. I’m not going to go into why Nitro Revival was started in the first place. Anyone who follows the nostalgia scene knows why. Needless to say Steve Gibbs knew what to do to make a better experience and overall a better event. Yes, it started out slowly; first at Barona, then to Laguna Seca, and finally a home at Irwindale Raceway. By all accounts NR 4 was an overwhelming success. I saw Steve at Bruce Larson’s Drag Fest the week after the event and then again in January of this year at an indoor car show in Pa. Both times I briefly talked to him and complimented him on a job well done. Little did I know then that I would be going to the event. So now, looking back on Nitro Revival 5, I’m trying to figure out how to convey my experience to you dear readers. After all of the thinking about it, I’ve decided to turn it into a daily diary. Thursday, November 3 We (my wife and I) left our home in Breezy Point New York and headed to Newark airport where I would meet up with the rest of the group who would be going. They included John, Paul Ciribassi, and Warren Bader. We all met promptly at 7 A M for the 8:10 A M flight via Jet Blue airlines. The nonstop flight was uneventful, thank the good Lord. Since we landed and got our rental car relatively early we decided to do something before checking in. We decided to check out the Lions Museum since it was fairly close to the hotel (26 mi). While on the way we called to find out what the hours were only to find out it was closed. Okay, turn around and head back towards the hotel in what was rather horrible L A traffic. And I thought I had it bad in New York! Upon arriving at the hotel we circled the parking lot to see what cars might already be there. There was a very long trailer with a red cab and I knew right away that my friends Rick and Terri Osburn were there with their 38 Special 38 Chevy pickup gasser/wheelstander. So I jumped out of the car to greet them and do some bench racing. I met gasser great Gene Schwartz who would be match racing Rick at the event with his 50 Chevy gasser. Once we checked in, we went to the front desk and asked where we could get a good dinner. We were directed to a local barbeque joint in Monrovia and we chowed down. Upon our return to the hotel, I spotted Larry Reyes in the bar area and we had a great conversation about the Hawaiian and Super Cuda funny cars and the glory days in general. Then it was off to bed as it had been a long and tiring day. Friday, November 4 We all met for breakfast early and made our way to a nearby Ihop thanks to Siri. After a good breakfast we headed out to Irwindale Raceway. Friday, the admission is free because it’s setup day for all of the participants. The weather was perfect; sunny and warm as it would be for the rest of the weekend. The first car we saw upon entering was the fully restored Gas Ronda 70 Mach 1 Mustang funny car. What a beauty! After shooting it, we parted ways as I had to find Don Ewald to secure my media pass. After introducing myself he gave the media pass to me and I was on my way. I guess I was overwhelmed by what I was seeing. Dragsters, fuel altereds, and funny cars that I’d only read about in Drag Racing Magazine, Super Stock & Drag Illustrated, and Drag News (to name a few) were right before my eyes. The cars weren’t allowed to fire up because Friday is not a noise day. As the cars emerged from their trailers, they were cleaned and positioned in their appropriate spaces. It became one giant car show dedicated to the glory days of drag racing. Everywhere I looked was history; the late Tom Hoover’s Tom Hanna built dragster( stunning doesn’t come close to describing it), the Billy Lynch dragster, John Weibe, the Surfers, Doug Thorley’s Corvair, Don Garlits’ Swamp Rat III, Creitz & Donovan, Mike Kuhl, Flaming Frank Pedregon’s fuel coupe, Hustler VI, Tommy Ivo’s injected Buick, Holy Toledo Jeep, Newhouse Special, Magicar, the Spaghetti Benders, Bivens & Fisher Checkmate, Custom Body Challenger, and at least 8 fuel altereds. Being from the east coast I could count the number of fuel altereds I’ve seen on my left hand. In one row were the Stone T, Burkholder Brothers Fiat, Groundshakers Jr, Magnificent 7, Beaver Hunter II, and the Rat Trap to name a few. My head was spinning! There are over 30 gassers on the grounds including Rick Osburn’s 38 Special and Gene Schwartz’s Chevy as well as the gassers that were on display only. Gassers on display only included Rocky Pirrone’s knock out Big John Mazmanian Willys, The SWC Swindler A Willys, Bob Panella’s Panella Trucking Anglia and Willys pickup and the Kroona Anglia. Quite honestly there were too many cars to list without leaving one out. Actually there were 4 cars on the grounds that I ever saw in person; the Custom Body Challenger at Indy in 1973, Billy Lynch’s AA/FD (upon completion and shipped to Billy’s shop in 2007), Bradford’s Fiat AA/FA and the Rat Trap AA/FA at the 2013 New England Hot Rod Reunion. The rest that I saw was just history unravelling right before my eyes. Thanks to my good friend Ross Howard (Custom Body Challenger) who became a famous driver spotter, pointed out Herm Peterson, Vance Hunt, Frank Bradley, and Tommy Ivo to name a few who I met and got to talk to. By my estimate, I shot about 1000 photos from the time I got there to the time I left after sunset. The day was capped off with a dinner by event sponsor In-N-Out Burger. A voucher purchased for $10 (donated to charity) got you the famous Double-Double Burger, fries, and beverage of your choice. Considering prices in California, it was a pretty good deal. After dinner, there was a bench racing session around a pickup in the parking lot capped off with more bench racing at the hotel, and then off to bed. Saturday, November 5 At this point we added ace photographer Keith Hudak to our group. Being that Saturday is the main day of the event, we got there as early as we could. Honestly, it was impossible to adequately see all that was going on. This day was a “noise” day and was it ever! There were fire ups all day long and I found myself zig-zagging up and down the rows shooting it all. Meanwhile there’s a full field of gassers, A/FX, and exhibition cars making passes. As you enter the place, you are greeted with a massive car show. Also inside is a rather large Hot Wheels track where kids could bring their best cars to race for a $100 prize. And then there’s the Autograph Tent. There had to be at least 40 of drag racing’s best assembled there to dole out their signatures. Just some in attendance were Herm Peterson, Rob Bruins, Don Prudhomme, Roland Leong, a spry 101 years young Ed Iskenderian, Richard Tharp, Dan Richins, Bruce Wheeler, Charlie Allen, John Force, Wild Bill Shrewsberry, and Kenny Youngblood. That area was packed! In fact the whole place was mobbed! A bit later on, the Greater San Gabriel Racers Recognition Awards were given out at the track. Racers who received awards were; Gas Ronda, Bill Schultz, Doc Conroy, Jim London, Stan Adams, Charlie Allen, Don Ratican, Don Gaide, and the late Kenny Safford. The last three were collectively known as the “Sour Sisters” a name bestowed upon them by Tommy Ivo. Special “Spirit of Nitro recognition awards were also given to Nitro Revival volunteers Toby Denham and Tommy Naccarato. Congratulations to all! All this leads up to the evening’s featured event; the “Line of Fire” cacklefest. It was simply sensory overload. Flames, noise, and nitro! What’s not to like? I got some great advice from new pal photographer Dan Kaplan about positioning myself so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed with nitro fumes. Sage advice but I still got a very healthy (or unhealthy depending how you look at it) dose. The cars were started two at a time beginning at the Christmas Tree and ending at the 1/8 mile mark at the end of the track. Once all the cars were lit and running it was hard to keep track what car was producing the most flames. So much cackling but I did witness Cindy Gibbs literally dancing from one end of the track to the other while all this was going on. She was clearly in the nitro zone! Just as it was ending, a display of fireworks closed out the event for the day. Off we went with event sponsor Good Vibrations representative Pete Mauriello to a dining establishment called the “Chicken Coop” in Whittier for a good dinner. Then home to the hotel with more bench racing and on to bed. But wait, there’s more! Sunday November 6 Things wouldn’t be starting for us till around 1 P M at the track when all of the cars on the premises would fire up at once. So after a rousing breakfast at McDonalds, we agreed to go to the NHRA Museum in Pomona, a great place with lots of drag racing history that just added to all the rest of the history we were already witnessing. In one room of the museum, there was a lot of commotion so I decided to see what was going on. It was a model car contest! Two really good builds that caught my eye were large scale models of Garlits’ Jocko streamliner and Mickey Thompson’s Monocoque Mustang. So now comes the crazy part of the trip. Since we were so close to the Fairplex, we decided to go see the track. A track we’d only seen in magazines or on television when either the Winternationals or Finals are held. We really wanted to get some photos with the mountains in the background. We pulled up to the entrance and told the attendant our intention was only to get a few photos and leave. But you know what they say about plans. As we travelled on the road to the track, we found ourselves adjacent to the suites and starting area. There was an opening so we went through it and promptly found ourselves on the track. So naturally we all got out and started taking pictures. At this time it’s good to note that we are now 1 week away from the NHRA Finals where champions will be crowned. I did mention to the group that to get the iconic photos of the track with the mountains in the background, we needed to go to the 1000’ mark and shoot facing up the track. We all go back to the car and since we were there, might as well make a pass and we did just that. This would make the second pass I’ve ever made on a dragstrip this year (or ever in my 56 years attending the drags); the first being at South Mountain Dragway in owner Mike Natoli’s pickup at the end of a Vintage Drags event held there in April of this year. Two passes in 1 year almost 3000 miles apart. At the 1000’ mark we got out yet again and took more photos. That’s just about when I noticed a white pickup heading our way coming up the track behind us. The driver then stops where we are shooting and says something pretty much like “What the f&#k is going on here?” We tell him but he’s having none of it. Well it turns out he’s a head honcho with NHRA and he’s tasked with getting the track ready for the finals. He also added that the track surface was recently painted in all the appropriate areas with red, blue, and yellow lines and just how did we get over here without running over them? Clearly the areas were dry but he was still not having any of it. It was then that I sensed we were in escalating trouble so I went up to him and explained that were in town for NR 5 and just wanted to see the place, get a few pictures and leave. He calmed down somewhat and saw that we meant no harm and said “YES-JUST-GO!” Whew, dodged a bullet right there. But ya know there was an opening after all, and why wouldn’t, oh never mind. We proceeded back to Irwindale to continue our great time at NR 5. I got to see more cackling, racing, and meet more people. By the time we got back, we missed the big fire up because we had to find an In-N-Out to get lunch and a few t-shirts (thanks again Siri). When we got back everyone was loading up the cars for the various trips home. My base of operations was Ross Howard’s trailer where I was able to put all my camera gear and swag. Ross, as I mentioned before owns the Custom Body Challenger. He was getting ready to load the car back in the trailer so I went to gather my stuff. Ross then asked me if I had a good day. My response was “You asked me that 3 years ago at the Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance (very long story) and do you remember what I said?” He did. He asked his helper for the event Larry “The Okie Smoker” Brown to raise the body because a “little kid wanted to sit in it”. The body was lifted and Larry showed me how to contort my body so I could just drop into the seat. Something I was unable to comprehend just 3 years earlier at Amelia Island. The butterfly steering wheel was replaced and the body was lowered and I was one with the car. It was all documented for me by Don Ewald and Dave Kommel. A perfect end to a perfect event. Monday November 7 Up very early for the drive to LAX to drop off the rental and get to the airport and wait for the flight home. Thanks go to in no special order; Steve and Cindy Gibbs and all of their volunteers who put on a spectacular event. Clearly the bar has been raised to new heights as this is THE event to attend. Don Ewald Rob Huckstadt Tommy Naccarato Ross Howard and Larry Brown Any and all that I encountered throughout the event who took the time to talk to me and answer all of my many questions. Is Nitro Revival 6 on the horizon? Stay tuned.

The '70s and '80s were a great time to be a funny car fan in the Midwest especially when Byron Dragway held their annual funny car shows. I always loved getting there early in the morning just to watch all the floppers come in. Some came in on open trailers and some had big rigs. You had your local favorites along with some of the countries biggest stars showing up to make the events the best and memorable funny car events around.  Luckily in todays era and thanks to Chris and Tera Graves we're able to revisit a lot of the '70s and '80s memories through Funny Car Chaos and Nitro Chaos. Get out and support the CHAOS and relive a lot of those old funny car memories!

It’s been a while, so what’s Stormy up to? After 45 years of racing, I’m cutting back on the competition part of racing 30+ other NE1 cars in our class and going back to my first love, Match Racing This past October I had the privilege of match racing Jeff Atamain and his jet dragster the “Beast” at Eagle Field twice. Who won? That’s a no brainer as Jeff & I agreed it was about “The show”. My 1st pass I had a tire turn on the rim wadding up the tube inside while smoking them. The car shook so hard I couldn’t see 100′ out, so I clicked it off. Our 2nd match up was great, I changed tires and we went back up. At the drop of the flag I nailed the throttle and annihilated down the track. Jeff hit the pedal on the big “Zippo Lighter” (as Jet Car Bob use to call them) and pulled out in front. Racing a jet dragster is quite the experience with the noise, vibration and feeling the heat off the engine as is gets in front of you, but this is what I live for “The show” Also in October my crime partner Randy Winkle, proprietor of the “Famoso Speed Shop” scored a save for drag racing’s history books, He bought the Warren Gunter “Durachrome Bug” funny car that was run from the mid late 60’s to about 71! Dru Jaxon of Bend Oregon had the car for the last decade. Randy knew this and has been working on him the past 8-9 years . Dru came to the conclusion that he would not be able to restore the car to its former glory so he had to decide if it was going to the Lions Museum or Randy. In the end Dru knew Randy would bring it back to what it needed to be. The fact is we will not only bring it back but will race it again!

Well, the 14th edition of the Dover Drags at Lebanon Valley Dragway is in the books. Looking back, three words (actually one name and one word) come to mind; Dino Lawrence and weather. As you should know by now from previous reports I’ve done on this event, Dino Lawrence is the driving force behind it. He spent a lot of time at Dover Dragway in Wingdale New York as the announcer as well as managing duties. His experiences left quite an impression on him enough to start and continue this amazing event. The man practically leaves no stone unturned in promoting it. Endless hours are put into the show and he’s already working on 2023’s edition. He constantly updates additions to the event throughout the year leading up to it via social media. This year, besides all of the Dover eliminators, there were healthy doses of exhibition cars featured. We’ll start with 4 alcohol funny cars; Rocky Pirrone’s Super Camaro, the Sweetman Brother’s Frantic Ford Mustang II, Steve Musser’s Time Bomb Vega, and George Reidnauer’s new China Syndrome Vega (tribute to the late Al Hofmann). There were 2 nitro cars as well; Keith Davidson’s Bits & Pieces T/A and Chuck Exton’s “Devil’s Fuel” Mustang. Up next would be the East Coast Fuelers including Jim Cummings’ Seconds of Pleasure, the Outer Limits, Blake Belbot, SBS Racing, and Bill Masiello. All are blown front engine dragsters guzzling healthy doses of alcohol. Want more? How about 4 fuel altereds? Troy Liebi’s Aftermath, the Pale Rider coupe, the Fuelish Behavior T-roadster, and Jon Wall’s Night Moves roadster. Interestingly Troy was to do double duty driving not only his roadster but Richard Walkoviak’s Fuelish Pleasure as well! It would be the first time out for the car and Rick wanted Troy to pilot it. Not enough? How about 4 supercharged gassers including the Caged Heat 33 Willys, Junkyard Dog 33 Willys sedan, Headknocker 39 Willys and the Mopar Missall Dodge Business coupe? Curiously, they only ran the 1/8th mile. I wondered why and found out that they only wanted to run the 1/8th mile because if they went the full quarter it would put more stress on the cars and risk parts breakage. HUH! I never thought about that Wink! Wink! Seriously? So that means that it’s okay for all the other cars to be stressed? Weird, right? Too bad because 1/8th mile times are hard to translate when everyone else is going the full quarter. It would be nice to know what these cars are fully capable of plus they would generate some great parachute shots. But wait, there’s more! Wayne Hofmann and Jim Gifford asked Dino if it would be okay if they brought their cars to make some test passes. How cool is that? Jim’s Svengali ex- Del Worsham CSK T/A would be the third nitro car on the grounds and Wayne’s China Syndrome Omni would be the second well, China Syndrome car on the grounds as well. They were even pitted next to each other. So Dino, no jets and no wheelstanders? Maybe next year? How about a Back up Girl Contest? Check! And a $500 to win Burnout Contest open to any supercharged vehicle on the premises. All this plus a Saturday evening dance party featuring a live rock n roll band, a Sunday Car Show featuring Drag Alley and all of the other Dover Eliminators. This event started out as a 1 day event and over the years morphed into a 3 day affair. Friday is tech & test day, Saturday is for test & tune plus exhibition car test passes and Dover eliminators. Sunday is for final eliminations as well as all of the feature cars. By the way, the pit area was packed all the way past the end of the track. I know this because I walked it! My experience with this event is to go both Saturday and Sunday. That way I can do and see twice as much as I would if I only went on Sunday. The Saturday portion featured spectacular weather. A typical early fall day with bright sunshine, blue skies, and a nice breeze. The day was chock full of eliminations and test passes. Most of the feature cars made 2 passes each except for the alky funnies (they didn’t arrive till the late afternoon). The two non- featured funnies did make test passes though. The best reason to have attended on Saturday this year was because it rained on Sunday! The Weather Channel said it would rain at 1 PM and it did. There were rumors circulating that first round of eliminations would be held at 3 P M Saturday afternoon, but that didn’t happen. Internet fueled rumors! Sunday’s eliminations were moved up to around noon only to be pushed off to clean up a small oil down in the left lane. So only the first round of N E T O Nostalgia, Supercharged Gassers, East Coast Fuelers, and 2 fuel altereds made passes before drops were felt. Troy Leibi made what looked like a 1000 foot burnout from my vantage point at the top end! He would’ve been a serious contender for the $500. The track manager and Dino were in the tower watching the radar and there would be about a 2 hour window between showers and even if the track was to be dried, with no sun and more showers on the way, Wayne ( track manager) had to make the tough decision to cancel the rest of the event. The place proceeded to empty out quickly. It’s too bad, because it would’ve been a great show. It wasn’t a total loss though because of Saturday’s great action. This is the premiere nostalgia event on the East coast in my opinion. Yes, there are others (and I’ve been to them) and as good as they are, they are not as well rounded as this one. It’s a must attend event and if you can swing it, do the 2 days. NOSTALGIA DRAG WORLD – By Ted Pappacena

Drag racing has a unique way of bringing people together. Stepping into the racing facility is kind of like stepping into an amusement park of speed. And just like an amusement park, people from all walks of life come to enjoy the entertainment value presented at the racetrack. For this reason, drag racing has long been able to boast that it is a leader in diversity compared to other motorsports. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a racer, a car aficionado, someone intrigued by the mechanics or the science of the sport, or just someone that is impressed by the spectacle that drag racing presents. Whether people are racing their daily driver or a 300 mph nitro fueled land missile there is something for everyone to feel like they belong and can take part in. Combine all of this with the unprecedented accessibility fans have to the cars and the racers and it is easy to see that there is something for everyone at the dragstrip.

I am going to write this as a stream of consciousness. For nearly a dozen years I had the distinct honor and pleasure of writing a monthly column for Drag Racing Online, owned and operated by Jeff Burk. Jeff and his lovely bride Kay have since retired, and now I will be bugging Al and Rob here at Nostalgia Drag World. For me, the operative word in that description is “Nostalgia”. Thus, for most of us when the word nostalgia is used in conjunction with drag racing, many of us conjure up thoughts of front motor top fuel dragsters, and funny cars running bodies as per the NHRA Rule Book which states “Limited to 1965 to 1979 American-made bodies. Bodies must resemble the original mass-produced make and model. Corvette roadster and Jeep bodies permitted. Bodies may be made of fiberglass or composite material. Body must lift off as a one-piece unit. (2022 Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series Rules Supplement, Page 47.) Now in the past, many racers have stretched those rules to almost the breaking point. (Honestly, I have no beef with that, it is the race teams’ job to get everything they can within the confine of said rules.) Bend them as far as you can without breaking them. Back a few years ago Canadian racer Ron Hodgson commissioned Victory Chassis to create a new 1969 Camaro. (I called it a Cam-aero) The car had more in common with modern-day Pro Mods, than nostalgia funny cars.) Nevertheless, the Gang from Glendora gave the body its blessing, and it was allowed to compete. There was a great deal of hate and discontent with many of the other teams who stated the Victory Body was “not in the spirit of the nostalgia vibe.” A valid point. Nevertheless, during competition the advantages of aerodynamics and the lightweight of the body became apparent. As the season went on many other teams decided to take the road of, if you can’t beat them join them. More and more of the Cam-aero showed up. This brings me to my point of this opinion article. Once again Hodgson has collaborated with Victory Race Cars, to come up with a 2.0 version of the “Cam-Aero”. We will call it the Firebird Trans-Aero. Once again, the nose and front end resemble a Pro Mod 69 Firebird, aka “The Crow from Street Outlaws.” Furthermore, like the Cam-aero before it, the new Trans-Aero is going to raise eyebrows and some people’s blood pressure. Once again I don’t have heartburn with either Mr. Hodgson or with Ron at Victory. They are stretching the rules to the utmost, it is the sanctioning body that is supposed to have a clearly defined set of rules and enforce said rules. This is an image released on social media of the car, and it is a stunner.

Since the fall of 2017, Funny Car racing just hasn’t been the same, thanks to Funny Car Chaos. Twenty-nine events later, over 100 teams from across the country have since participated in the run whatcha’ brung flip-top hootenanny which has revived enthusiasm and participation for Funny Car racers and fans from coast to coast. The 2021 season set the bar by hosting the largest Funny Car race in over 50 years, paying out over $250,000 and setting its highest participation numbers to date. The series will carry that momentum into its fourth Championship season in 2022 with a lot to look forward to.

The first Saturday morning of 2022, I walk out in the shop, cranked up the furnace, and looked around. One project next to another….next to another….and over there. It was about 7 am and I sat down at my desk to tend to the morning ritual of checking mail, messages, and minutiae of all variety. A Facebook group popped up on my newsfeed. It was one for early haulers, etc., which I have frequented for a few years. Without pause, I typed a post putting the Jungle truck up for grabs. This is a dance I have went through before… did I really want to do this? Not so much selling, it was time for it to find a new home. I rescued it from certain death back in 2008, sitting in that gravel lot slowly rusting away. I actually found reluctance in listing it, due to tire kickers, dreamers and the myriad of other time-wasters. I did it anyway. Within a few minutes, I had the expected inquiries. A few were actually past inhabitants of the driver’s seat, and a former owner. I listed it for what I had in it. All I really wanted to do was not lose on the deal, out of principle or maybe stubborn thrift. I had one message, in which the fella started with his name and phone, followed by, “ I want the truck let me know how you want me to pay if it’s still available.” My reply, in my best early morning sarcasm, “Cash in a brown paper bag.” I looked up this fella on Facebook and started to think to myself, he’s for real. He had credentials and a pretty damn nice collection of the things that fuel our addiction. If he was willing to drive up from Mississippi in questionable weather, he’s too much like me and he’s the next caretaker! I had committed to a local, who had seen the post, to let him come look at it. He inspected it in all its roughness and I could tell, it wasn’t exactly grabbing him… which was fine. Different strokes for different folks. Maybe the reason I have so much junk laying around this place, is my lack of tolerance for bargain hunters and those with lack of vision, or an ignorance of the significance and historical value of these things we love so much. Hell, half the people don’t even know who Jungle Jim was. If you get those who had heard of him, you lose about half when you say his real name. Then you have those who think they can get you for half your asking price. They tell you they have a brother in law, cousin or buddy. I don’t care whom, this guy is going to restore it for them for a couple cases of beer and have it back on the streets in a month or two. OR…. the “flippers” who are going to turn around and sell it because some famous guy owned it. The only thing I have ever associated the name Flipper with, was the fish from the television show , when I was a kid. I have never been a big fan of people coming to the shop and looking at things I have squirreled away. They have to tell me about the aforementioned brother in law, cousin, etc. who had one just like it. “It went 9’s in the quarter and would drag the bumper when he got on it.” When I get someone who is interested, knows what they are looking at and doesn’t care to ring their own bell… They win. But, I digress. The local guy and his buddy, were good Saturday morning conversation and nice guys. I look forward to running into them again. My refusal to budge on price was firm though. I called the fella from Mississippi, after the local left and told him it was his. He said he was leaving at noon and would be here the next morning at 7am. What happened next, was almost 12 hours of moving things, finding things I hadn’t seen in years. More than once, I would come across something and utter to myself,” Where the hell did that come from?” I had to move cars, trucks, chassis, tires, wheels, blowers, engines, sign panels, materials,etc. I probably swept half a million square feet of floor, raising a dust cloud that could have been seen from the International Space Station. Any regrets I may have had, they were moot at the end of the day. All that crap I moved, it worked the sentimentality out with the sweat. I decided I had become a hoarder. Most of it is really cool stuff. Still, it’s another damn addiction! Spencer and I arrived at the shop the next morning, around 6:45. Even though I had spent all that time the day before, cleaning, rearranging, etc. I still had to get things moved, just to get it out of the warehouse. When Mr. Jimmy Shaw arrived, it was almost ready to emerge from its home of the last 13 years. I forgot to mention, Jimmy has one of, if not the baddest Maverick on the planet. Twin Turbo’d ,multipurpose, street legal, 200 plus mph, Greening built early 70’s compact. Oh yeah, Street Machine of the Year that won every award imaginable. He dug in and we started getting it ready to snake through the 100′ maze from the back of my warehouse to the front of the shop. We backed the shop van up to the back of the truck, strapped the two together and about 15 minutes later, viola! A 50 year old, almost 40 foot long behemoth, pulled from it’s place of rest, into the icy January 2nd air. Our next task at hand, get it on the trailer. Now, here is where my reluctance to throw anything away comes in valuable. Winching the truck onto the trailer wasn’t too difficult, at first. The low riding nature of the beast posed a problem. We had to devise a way to get it high enough to clear the various obstacles. Naturally, we grabbed 2×4’s and planks. Those were good for a little movement but still left us short. We had project that required cutting out figures for a local Christmas display. I had hundreds of pieces of off fall, from 45 sheets of plywood. To make a long story not so long. Careful, and not so careful placement, was just enough to achieve our goal. Mission Accomplished! About 2 hours of thrashing in the icy cold morning and we were finished. Jimmy had a new project. I had about 600 square feet free, again. I was also sure, beyond any doubt, it was going to the right home. We bid adieu and pleasantries and it was back to work, getting everything back in the shop…and on with life. I got a little crap from people about selling it. So what. Reflecting on the last decade or so, I have had more cool stuff than most have had in a lifetime…or two. Instead of looking at it as another project not finished. I tend to look at it as another piece of history that was saved from obscurity and the scrap yard. I have plenty of projects to keep me busy… until I am really old! In fact…. well… I just bought a…. Stay tuned NOSTALGIA DRAG WORLD – By Eddie Buck

We caught up with Gerard and The Wicked 1 at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, New Jersey. The Wicked 1 is a 1948 Anglia two-door sedan owned by Gerard Milidantri from Suffern, New York. He’s the general manager of an aerospace company that overhauls turbine engines and, on the weekends, he runs the Anglia at Southeast Gasser events. The SEGA brings back Drag Racing from the late sixties and the cars must have period-correct parts that you could only buy up until 1967 and no later. Absolutely no modern electronics, automatic transmissions, or electronic fuel injection is allowed in any competing cars. What you will find are open headers and a 4-speed, a perfect combination for wheels up launches. This Anglia was hand-built in Pennsylvania in the late sixties by a fellow named G.K. Bernard. It was later purchased by SEGA emcee Quain Stott. The first time Gerard saw the Anglia was at a SEGA event in 2019. It made such an impression that he sold his Corvette and decided to pursue SEGA racing. In 2021 Gerard and Quain struck a deal, and he purchased the Anglia. The body is a 3-inch chopped steel body with a fiberglass tilt nose, doors, and trunk lid. The body rides on a custom-built boxed frame with a straight axle and leaf springs up front and a 9-inch Ford rear end suspended by 5-inch coil springs. Old school wheelie bars hang out from under the bumper. Rolling stock consists of classic 15×4.5 and 15×10 Ansen slot wheels.

At a recent meeting at his American Legion post, long-time NHRA Division Five racer Les Jackson was honored for his lifetime achievement. On hand to present the award to Les, and acknowledge the contribution of his late brother Cal, were Nate Johnson (pictured left) Chief Technical Advisor and Ed Arcuri (presenting the plaque to Jackson) Founding Director of the Rocky Mountain Superchargers. Guests at the event included many of those who have known and applauded the performance of the “High Heaven” series of .Altereds and Funny Cars including Pikes Peak Hill Climb Champion Frank Peterson and his wife Kaye, Competition Director Ron Burge, Roger Kuyatt, Brent Wildenstein, and chassis builder Larry Parentau. Also on hand to honor Les was his son Keith who now campaigns the “High Heaven” Funny Car. Everyone had a great time looking through the many photos that Keith had brought to tell the story of the Jackson Brothers and regaling one another with tales of their exploits and many wins. Of course, the usual rule applied: “the older we get the faster we were.”