Nostalgia Drag Racing

August 2010

The Western Fuel Altered Association had a race scheduled at Rocky Mountain Raceway, and we decided to join them (they run an alcohol class). We were underdogs with the shortest wheelbase and smallest motor in the class, but I wasn't about to pass up a chance to run with "similar" cars. For us, that opportunity doesn't arise very often. We cranked the blower up to compensate for the altitude, and made a pass. We ran 1/8th mile due to a nasty crosswind. The car was down on power, so we cranked the blower up again and gave it another try. On the second pass the input shaft broke at the shift. Our day was done, but we still had a lot of fun!

Video from "Nitro Armageddon" at RMR (broken input shaft)

June 2010

The Oldies drags in Boise were a blast this year! We made several good straight runs in the 7.80's. Everything worked perfectly! It was fun to catch up with our friends Mike and Shelly Molea as well. We got the grand tour of the new tower at Firebird....Very nice!

September 2009

Still gathering Funny Car parts. We acquired a clutch, blower, magneto, bell housing, and a few other odds and ends. Once I have a rough plan for a motor combination I'll get the rotating assembly ordered up. There's still a long way to go, and progress is slow, but it's coming together!

June 2009

The Oldies race in Boise was a little rough on the Fiat this year. We overlooked a small detail while preparing for the race and it resulted in a broken pushrod and bent rocker shaft. We spent most of the day scrounging parts from fellow racers. Once everything was back together we got one run. On the second pass, the transmission let go.

July 2008

We have rounded up some parts for the funny car.  A TFX block, Alan Johnson heads, oil pan & diaper, front cover, and valve covers.  The changes have been made to the chassis so it will certify.  Also the head restraints have been installed.  We also bought a Lenco.

2/8/07

I've always been drawn toward Funny Cars. With the recent rise in popularity of the nostalgia Funny Car's I knew that's what I wanted to race. After getting input from lots of people, I've decided to go for it.....

I purchased a '91 S+W funny car! The plan is to make the necessary updates to the chassis, replace the body with a cool nostalgia body, and go fuel racing!

Scott Mason, Boyd, and I drove 2900 miles to pick the car up in Illinois. We'd have made the trip in just over 3 days, but we got into some really bad roads in Wyoming, and were forced to spend a night in Rawlins. I'm sure we'll remember that trip for a long time!

The funny car is a big commitment for me and Jenny, and it'll take some time to get the drivetrain put together, but I'm so excited!....

We'll continue racing the Fiat at our favorite events......We truly enjoy racing that car, and have no intentions of stopping!

12/12/06

Happy Holidays!

The 2006 season has come and gone. We had a great year of racing! Jenny decided not to drive her dragster this year. We only had the Fiat at three events, but we had a great time at each of them. Jenny and I made it to all of the events with the Sudden Impact crew this year. I moved into my new shop....It's amazing how quickly the space filled up! We still have a few things to finish up in the shop, and then it will be full steam ahead on car projects. Our '53 Ford Victoria will be the main focus......

3/1 Happy Birthday Lori!

It's been a few months since I've had the time to update the site. We're still working hard on the workshop, and it is still taking most of my time. The good news is.....It's almost ready for me to move in!

We displayed the Fiat in the Autorama again this year. It's always fun to hear comments from people who don't realize that you are the owner of the car.....You can tell who has seen the car run...they usually say something like: "That guy is crazy!". The people who haven't seen it run say: "I'd like to drive that!...It'd be fun!". It was cool that we were right next to the Sudden Impact display also. It was a great weekend! Thanks to the Hammond family for putting on such a great event!

Check out the updated schedule to see when and where you can catch up with us this summer!

We were honored to be the featured team on Firebird Raceway's "Racer Spotlight"

Thanks to Nitrophoto for the great photo!

Return to Firebird Home Page

10/12 We stopped working on our shop long enough to make it to the California Hot Rod Reunion. What a trip! Jenny, Mike, Larry, Verlene, and myself loaded into the truck and drove to Jean, Nevada. We met up with the Sudden Impact crew there. They had some truck troubles on the way, and arrived late. We headed out for Bakersfield the next morning. We got a call from Scott Mason later that morning letting us know that the truck gave out! They had only made it about 10 miles! We decided that we would drop off our trailer at the track, and go back to pick up the Sudden Impact crew. Incredibly, we were able to find someone with a truck that had the hitch we needed. Tom from the "Plaza" top fuel team let us take his truck! Holly and I loaded up and drove back to Jean. After fiddling around with the trailer lights and brakes, we headed for Bakersfield...again. It was one LONG day, but we made it! Besides...what are friends for?......Boyd, Scott, and Bill paid me back by helping re-torque the cylinder heads on my hot rod. That's a major undertaking because the valve springs must be removed to get to the head studs. Anyway...thanks guys!

We had a good time at the race despite a couple minor problems. I had a hard time keeping the car pointed the right direction, and ran a best of 8.01 @ 162. The combination of the bigger tires and the new torque converter has made driving a little more difficult....at least until I get things figured out again.

It was nice to see some familiar faces, as well as meet a few new fans.

Were headed back to Famoso Raceway later this month for the Goodguys "Fuel and Gas Finals" to work with the Mason crew. After that, it'll be full steam ahead on our shop!

Check out www.maziracing.com for some cool black and white pics from CHRR14...including a great "wheels up" shot of Bad Manners......Hopefully Bob Brown will have some great shots this year as well.

9/7 Two months since the last update....too many projects, not enough time! We've been helping out with Sudden Impact as much as possible, and working hard on the new shop. That has turned out to be a much larger project than anticipated!

7/7

It's been a while since the last update, but you haven't missed much. We ran into trouble with the camshaft, and we're waiting for the new cam to arrive. In the meantime, we have started building a new shop behind our house...and that project is taking every second of spare time. Racing has taken a back seat temporarily. We'll be back at the track soon enough!

We have T-shirts being printed right now, and they'll be ready for the next event. Check out the design!

5/18

We got it done! Boyd, Mike, Scott Mason, and myself got things far enough along to take the car to the Oldies in Boise. We had a few things to finish up when we arrived, but at least we were there! During the first burnout, the new tires were rubbing the body slightly, so we had to modify the wheel tubs slightly. On the second attempt, the timing slipped, and the motor wouldn't run. The third attempt was better. The burnout was awesome! (Check out the video on the Bad Manners page) I was forced to lift when the car got far out of the groove and got close to the center line. The tires were still rubbing, so we put the small tires back on. Sunday morning brought rain. We went right into eliminations after the track was dried. That run was probably the wildest ride I've had in the Fiat.....It spun the tires pretty hard at the hit of the throttle, then went into a wheelstand, and moved to the centerline. I eased off the throttle, and drove back into the groove. When I hit the throttle the second time, the car shot to the centerline again, forcing me to lift. I decided to keep trying, so I hit the throttle again...this time the front end came off the ground, and the car wandered toward the wall. I'd had enough fun, and pulled the chute.....I still ran 8.81......

Photo by Nitrophoto

5/7  

The Oldies in Boise is just a few days away, and because of delays with the cylinder heads, we are not ready! Wright Automotive Machine has been working hard to prepare the new heads with the o-rings and other modifications we need. Boyd and I will have to pull a few "all-nighters" to get the motor put back together. We'll do whatever it takes to get it done in time!

I got new wheels and tires mounted on the Fiat. We stepped up from 29" tall tires to 31"s, and went from 10" wide to 14". The new hides look huge! Hopefully the added rubber will make the car behave a little better down the track.

We also put a new torque converter in the car. The new converter should be good for several "miles per hour", and tone down the launch slightly. We'll find out for sure in just a few days!

3/16

Boyd and I found a problem with one of the cylinder heads that has kept us from getting the motor back together. We'll be cutting it close to have things ready for the Oldies in Boise, but we'll do everything we can to be there.

Unfortunately...Jenny's car has been put on the back burner temporarily. Her motor has had enough...and needs to be freshened. We'll start collecting parts as our budget allows......

We made the trip to Bakersfield CA for the March Meet this month, to help our friends Scott and Holly Mason with their "Sudden Impact" front engine Top Fuel dragster. We had a great time, despite problems with the car. Scott qualified 16th, and took out the top qualifier in the first round!