Ever since I can remember I always had an interested in cars or motorcycles. When I growing up I had two other friends that I always hung around with. One was Mark Yaple and the other was John Spisak. I was around 8 years old when Mark showed me a HOT ROD magazine he picked up at the local store. Mark always had a keen interest in cars and he always had some sort of car journal with him at school, home or where ever. After seeing that Hot Rod magazine with all the cool cars, my interests grew even more. We always talked about getting a 57 Chevy when we turned 17 (if they were still around as this was 1961). We really thought that they would all be junked by the time we started driving. Wow, were we really wrong. I remember when Mark installed a Stewart Warner mechanical oil pressure gauge and the Cal-Custom Chrome are cleaner on his dad's 1966 Dodge Cornet, in the summer of 1966. We just turned 13 and we thought we hit the big time. During that summer, Mark and I became friends with another neighborhood local named Phil Speno (Phil was a little older than us and had a vast amount of car knowledge, including welding and fabricating experience, plus he had a big garage). Another influence which pushed me in my future direction was my cousin Frank Koller. Frank is 8 years older than I am, but he was always very helpful to me. I remember when I was 10, Frank had a 1960 Chevy Impala, Red with a small block and a three speed, with a Hurst shifter. This car was bright red and sounded good. But my all time favorite was his 1962 Corvette. He bought the car in 1965 (I was 12 years old). It was Red and had the Hurst shifted 4 speed. He also had the Rodchester Mechanical Fuel Injection installed on the 327 small block. This car was sharp and fast. He took me for several rids in this car everytime I visited my aunt and uncles house. I still remember his 29 Chevy (red of course) 327, and it had a Hydro-matic trans in it. Cool street rod over 25 years ago.
Growing up in central New Jersey allowed me many opportunities to become exposed to several types of motor sports. There was Indy, USAC and Asphalt Sprints at Trenton International Speedway, Dirt Modified cars at East Windsor, Flemington and if you traveled you would go to Nazareth (even seen Mario Andretti there). Asphalt Modified cars @ Wall Stadium and of course Drag Racing @ ATCO. There were Strato Rods (Fort Dix - McGuire) and Island. Before it closed there was the old Langhorne Speedway 1/8 mile. I remember that there was a rumor that a "new super drag racing track" was being built in New Jersey. A place called Englishtown. Where the hell was that? A small Barney Fife Patrolled town with 1 traffic light located in the middle of nowhere.
But, in the summer of 1966, my life changed forever. At 13 years old, my neighbor, Bill Jenkins (no not the "Grump", he just had the same name) asked me if I wanted to go with him to ATCO on a Saturday night. Until that time I had been to every other kind of live motor sports except Drag Racing. So you can imagine how thrilled I was. That night there was a "match race" between 2 Mercury's (Cyclone vs Cougar). These were the 427 cuin Injected, 100 percent Nitro Feed, Altered Wheel Based Flip-up Fiberglass Bodied Monsters. These FX cars were the ones that started the whole funny car craze; the ones just as the fiberglass flip top bodies were starting to making the scenes. I believe the matchup was Dyno Don Nicholson vs. Fast Eddie Schartmann.
When we arrived, we roamed around the pits (which was a first for me) and had my first opportunity to get up close to look at all the cars - I thought I died and went to heaven. When the cars went to the staging lanes (which was restricted to anyone under 18) we headed for the stands. Standing on those old wooden bleachers around the 400' area of the track was great. Than it started. The 1/8 mile burnouts, the header flames and that first smell of nitro methane. It was a feeling I can still remember today. That was it, I was hooked, and from that point on I didn't care about any other sports - period. For me, playing Babe Ruth baseball or Rec Football, no longer meant anything and it seemed that, and I mean nothing could compare to the sensation that first night. The best of three rounds, thundering nitro races was better than anything I could ever ask for. And as the saying goes - "If you need to ask why, you wouldn't understand anyway".
During the next summer - 1967, Bill took me to Cecil County to see Don Garlits in a match race with Mike Snively, Mr. USA Eliminator event. He did lose to Snively that day (blew the engine and oiled down the track and himself) and I think he scraped the guardrail in the match race and hurt the car. However, that day, after I meet him, along with hundreds of other people who were there, he became my drag race hero, a title he still holds to this day.
After finishing my active duty stint serving Uncle Sam at Fort Dix and Aberdeen Proving Grounds in 1971 thru 1973 (Heavy Duty Track Mechanic, Welder-Fabricator and finally Body-Paint Repair) I attended a Junior Fuel Race in Atco in October of 1973 with my buddy Phil Speno. I remembered there were about 40 of these cars spread out over the pits. Mostly SB Chevy's with injectors in 200" wb cars. After we left that night, I just had to have one. This set my wheels in motion and at 20 years old I purchased my first real drag race car.
It was used mild steel 165" w/b chassis with and Olds rear, steering, front axle and shorty body. With a ton of help from Phil Speno the car was completed. The first combo was a SB Ford (307 cuin) with a carb and 2 speed trans (with a clutch). Sort of a crude combination, but it ran in the low 9's. I got my "Modified Eliminator" license and my first NHRA permanent car number was 158.
The Car was classified as a C/D and I ran this car through 1974. I then bought another bare chassis from Bruce Abbott in Pendel, Pa. This was a 172" car, but it was 4130 chrome-moly, and light. Took all the stuff from the old car and transplanted it into the new chassis, than added Hilborn Gas Mechanical Injectors and an ART CARR clutch-flite 3 speed transmission, (with reverser) and a RAM Clutch. Because of the engine size, I was always down on power.
In 1975, I installed a new 355 SBC also with Hilborn Injectors. The clutch-flite was removed and a 3 speed BJ and 2 Disc RAM clutch was now being used. In the spring of 1976 my older brother, who left the dirt-car scene started helping me out with this car. He supplied a new engine and I owned and drove the car. We changed the combination by installing an A1 powerglide and a 750 Holley Carb which converted the car to the "new econo dragster" class, C/ED. I also front halved the car due to a bent right side upper chassis rail. I added 24" to the overall chassis and installed a new SPE narrow and solid front axle and reinstalled the spoked front wheels. We made money with this car and won some races but runner upped a lot more then I care to remember. After getting married in 1977, hurting my back and buying a house, I sold the car at the end of the season in 1978, but I still went to the races all the time. I did, however drive for several other car owners for the next few years.
In the 1990's I bought my son a Junior Dragster and tried to start all over again. but his spirit just wasn't there like mine was. Don' t get me wrong, he was good at it, but, he was a much better Baseball player and hockey player than I could ever be, so away went the car and we traveled for sports. In 1997 I bought an Ed Quay Super Comp Dragster. It took a year to build, funding was mostly why. So with the help of a lot of friends, Big Vince Ordini who helps me with almost everything on the car and at the races, Bill Lowery who is an awesome welder (and he introduced me to the Whopper), Dave Burkett of Burketts Auto Service, Bob Giovannetti of Olden Speed Shop, Dave Muller, Ed "Grumpy" Franks (no, not Jenkins, this is our local guy who also works for NHRA) and others, I got this car on the track and started racing again. Don' t forget Mark Yaple....if it wasn't for him I still do not know what I would be doing these days, maybe golf. NAH, I don' t think so. Now, I haven't seen Bill Jenkins (no not the "Grump") since the summer of 1969, right after he bought a brand spankin new Kelley Green with a black vinyl top, black leather interior and a 375 HP - 396 with a Muncie 4 Speed SS Chevelle. I know he joined the Navy during the Viet Nam era and took the car with him. I want him to know that he helped make my dreams come true. And finally, let me give credit to my very understanding wife. She still lets me do this stuff, with out bothering me and still thinks I am nuts for doing it. After a few years of local bracket racing I started trying my hand a the NHRA - Lucas Oil Series Races. Traveling around the east coast and staying at tracks for up to three days. Meet a lot more of interesting, helpful and very, very nice people.
After Several upgrades to the car, and myself (back surgery, hip surgery, titanium plate in the neck) I still keep plugging along. This year I thought I would like to change it a bit. I started to see more and more older style front engine junior fuel type cars in Comp Eliminator. I started doing some research and fell in love with the car that got me started in all this mess, and my call to Scott Weney, President of SW Race Cars, began another journey. I am in the process of selling my current 236" BB Chevy Super Comp car and having a 225" B/ND built. For my first trip out to SW, after the chassis had been tack welded, I was initially fitted into the new cockpit (I got stupid and did not bring a camera to take pictures of the new car on the jig). Around Thanksgiving , I will be returning back to SW for a (Pre) final look and to schedule having some additional items to be placed on the new chassis before it is final welded and the rear housing installed.............
I will be supplying some pictures as the progress goes alone ......................................................11-18-09
To be continued ....................
Nostalgia Dragster
I am not sure if these photos are period correct, but they were the closest ones I could find
After losing the Spring Nationals @ Bristol in early 1967 Garlits built this SWAMP RAT 11 in just three days because SWAMP RAT 10 was to heavy. Even with the new 426, #10 would only run 7.50's This car had the new style 426 HEMI replacing the old 392 HEMI and after getting bugs out of it, in September, he won the US Nationals.
SWAMP RAT 11 ran 6.80's and weighed in around 1300 lbs
"DYNO" Don Nicholson
"FAST" Eddie Schartann
This is it - the "CAMMER" - FORD 427 SOHC
This car was a real money-maker for the few years we ran it. It was consistant and fast for its time.
