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NOVEMBER 2014 Volume 18, No.6 $5.99 US DISPLAY UNTIL: 11/25/14

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Engaged Media By Beckett

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OVER CENTER

BY PETE WARD

NOT INVITED BACK! wo of the great joys of being on the road with a race team are the people you meet and the adventures, big and small, you experience. My years with The ’Goo$e provided the best of both.

In May 1983, we were competing at AHRA’s annual national event in Tulsa. Historically Tulsa was a great drag racing town and home to some outstanding racers, without a doubt the best being Bob Creitz. Though / (Left to right)’Goo$e, Bob Creitz and Mike Fanning, not a native, he’d lived there a good former LA Rams football star (over ’Goo$e’s shoulder), long time, and for more than two Jerry Ruth. Photo taken at the Tulsa track. decades fielded a series of world class fuel dragsters (Creitz and Goleman, Carbone, Brown, Donovan, Tharp, Maas) and tuned on a half dozen more, including John Collins, Roland Leong and Jimmy Nix. In addition to being a local racing hero, he had a very successful auto repair business.

One of Bob’s friends was the owner of Jamil’s Lebanese Steakhouse, a very upscale local eatery. On Thursday prior to the race, Bob wrangled ’Goo$e and team (Tom Prock, Larry “the mongoose” Board, Jim “Dudley”Rickart, Drag Racing Hall of Fame Photog Jim Kelly and me) an invite to the restaurant, and the owner spared no expense in showing us a good time. The tab was probably in excess of a grand, and a grand time was had by all.

Tulsa featured Friday night qualifying, and as happened with great frequency, it rained. Somehow Creitz got us an encore performance at Jamil’s.

Friends, I have to tell you, this was a first class establishment, huge arched stained glass windows, linen table cloths, candles, attentive waiters, coat and tie, special occasion kind of place, not our usual dining experience. We bunch of grimy drag racers looked mighty out of place, but were warmly welcomed.

So Friday evening we’re once again hammering down a great, multi-course meal—a multi-hour affair. After dessert and with belts loosened, we were kicked back in our chairs, bench racing with Creitz and the other Okie racers at our table.Larry Board made the dubious choice of leaning back against one of those beautiful 8-foot-tall stained glass windows.

Suddenly there was a thunderous explosion, huge shards of flying glass filled the air, and there was Board, on his butt in the rain on the lawn in front of the restaurant; his weight too much for the window to bear, it gave way.

He’d crashed through the window and out of the building. It looked as if a bomb had exploded, colored glass everywhere, but miraculously no one was injured.

After the initial moments of heightened pulse rates and the absence of buckets of blood, everyone shrugged their shoulders, sincere apologies expressed, sheepish grins, offers to pay for the damages made and the window quickly boarded up. With tails tucked firmly between our legs we made our exit. Needless to say, we weren’t invited back.

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VOL18 NUMBER6 NOVEMBER2014 EDITORIAL Pete Ward - Editor Michelle Salcedo - Group Managing Editor Eric Knagg - Senior Creative Director, Auto & Outdoor Groups John Cabral - Cover Design Eugene Pineda - Art Director Contributing Editors Bob Beucler, Dave Emanuel, Bill Holland, Tom “The Mongoo$e” McEwen, Bob McClurg, Liz Miles, Rod Short

ADVERTISING Gabe Frimmel - Ad Sales Director - (714) 200-1930, GFrimmel@Beckett.com Tom “The Mongoo$e” McEwen Brandon Lillie - Senior Account Executive - (714) 276-5279 Chris Crispell - Account Executive - (714) 200-1935 Bob Hulsy - Account Executive - (714) 200-1940 Gennifer Merriday - Ad Traffic Coordinator

DIRECT MARKETING GROUP John Bartulin - 866) 866-5146 ext. 2746 Paul Caca - (866) 866-5146 ext. 4961 Ryan Lauro - (866) 866-5146 ext. 2756 Mary Ann Jaca - (866) 866-5146 ext 2716

OPERATIONS Gus Alonzo - Newsstand Marketing & Sales Manager Celia Merriday - Newsstand Analyst Amit Sharma - Business Analytics Manager Mohit Patel - Newsstand & Production Analyst Alberto Chavez - Senior Logistics & Facilities Manager Shailesh Khandelwal - Subscription Manager

EDITORIAL, PRODUCTION & SALES OFFICE 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887 (800) 332-3330, Fax - (800) 249-7761 www. dragracerm ag. com www. facebook. com /dragracerm a g a zi n e www. facebook. com /eembybecket t DRAG RACER (ISSN_1094-5547) Volume 18, Number 6 is a bimonthly publication published January, March, May, July, September and November by Beckett Media LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: DRAG RACER c/o BECKETT MEDIA, 4635 Mc Ewen Road, Dallas, TX 75244. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Drag Racer c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc., PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B #855050365RT001. © 2014 by Beckett Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: BECKETT MEDIA, LLC 4635 Mc Ewen Road, Dallas, TX 75244 SUBSCRIPTIONS, ADDRESS CHANGES, RENEWALS, MISSING OR DAMAGED COPIES 800 764-6278 239 653-0225 foreign inquiries subscriptions@beckett.com, customerservice@beckett.com BACK ISSUES: www.engagedmedia.com BOOKS, MERCHANDISE, REPRINTS: 239 280-2380 DEALER SALES 239 280-2380 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, NEW PRODUCTS OR TO CONTRIBUTE A STORY OR PHOTO pward@beckett.com

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BECKETT MEDIA LLC Nick Singh - Executive Director Jennifer Degtjarewsky - Group Editorial & Business Unit Director

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NOVEMBER.2014

This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that information presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility

by Beckett Media, LLC as to the legality, completeness or technical accuracy.

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SPECIAL FEATURES COLUMNS

4 78 82 94 98 100

Over Center Merchants of Speed Collectible Keepers The Technology Advantage Carb Class The Mongoo$e Journals

DEPARTMENTS

8 12 13 14

Quarter-Mile Update Power Brokers Strange Engineering Quiz Bells and Whistles

A Half Century of Mustangs Ripping Through Drag Racing

contents

NOVEMBER 2014 VOL. 18 NO. 06

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HORSE PLAY, PART 1

John Force Racing is poised to score another NHRA Funny Car World Championship, which would be the team’s 19th and perhaps John’s personal 17th.

ON THE COVER The legendary Kenny Youngblood provided the striking cover artwork.

To obtain a high resolution reproduction of Ronda’s Last Ride signed by ’Blood, contact Kenny@fuelcoupe.com or 888.367.9830.

Visit Drag Racer online: Dragracermag.com

| Follow us on Facebook: Facebook/Drag Racer Magazine

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32 FORD 427 SOHC CAMMER The Engine That Would Be King

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WALLY PARKS NHRA MOTORSPORTS MUSEUM’S NEW GALLERY OF SPEED Setting Top Speed and Low E.T. for Motorsports Museums

60 SHIFTY MACH I

Power Increase Demands Quick Clutch Upgrade

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NHRA’S 50TH FINALS

A Half Century of Gut-wrenching Action

TITANIUM

The Most Versatile Metal In Racing Demystified

DRAG RACER (ISSN_1094-5547) Volume 18, Number 6 is a bimonthly publication published January, March, May, July, September and November by Beckett Media LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to: DRAG RACER c/o BECKETT MEDIA, 4635 McEwen RdDallas, TX 75244. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Drag Racer c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc., PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B#855050365RT001. © 2014 by Beckett Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

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QUARTER-MILE UPDATE

It’s Back and Badder Than Ever he California Hot Rod Reunion returns to Auto Club Famoso Raceway, Oct. 17-19.

Get ready for the 23rd annual California Hot Rod Reunion presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California. It’s the West’s premiere nostalgia drag racing event.

The Reunion is a three-day festival of speed, hot rods and automotive enthusiasm. It reunites racing legends and relives the golden era of drag racing. You’ll enjoy rubbing elbows with many heroes of drag racing’s past and enjoy the heartpounding nostalgia drag racing action throughout the event. Excitement begins Friday with racing and a sea of beautiful hot rods, customs and collectible cars.

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A Motorhead’s Must-Read,

The Tasca Ford Legacy: Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday! ob McClurg, noted historian, author and photographer, brings his accumulated knowledge and experience of more than four decades to this heavily researched book with the full cooperation of the Tasca family.

He details the early days, when Bob Tasca was just getting his start, through the growth of the dealership during its successful performance years, all the way to modern times. The Tasca name is still proudly selling Fords, and winning races with them, too. If you are a Ford, drag racing or muscle car fan, this story is a must-read. The 192page hardcover by CarTech is loaded with color and black and white photos. For further info, visit Cartechbooks.com.

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There are treasures to be found in the swap meet and vendor’s midway. The free honoree’s reception at the DoubleTree Hotel caps off Friday’s festivities. This year’s honorees are: Grand Marshal Mike Dunn, Bob Brooks, the Glass Slipper Team of Cortopassi Brothers & Butler, Hugh Tucker, Dennis Varni and Sid Waterman.

Saturday night, experience the spectacular Cacklefest, which will bring tears to your eyes as dozens of nitroburning historic, front-engine dragsters and other classic race cars are pushstarted and fired up on the dragstrip just like in the ’50s and ’60s. Following two days of thundering qualifying, Sunday is race day. Tickets are on sale now. Visit Nhratix.com or call 800.884.6472.

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QUARTER-MILE UPDATE

MOPAR Standouts Take Center Stage he MOPAR Hall of Fame recently inducted its latest class of Chrysler Corp. Heroes. This year’s honorees are: Keith Black, Don Grotheer, Butch Leal, Norm Krause, Tom McEwen, Don Prudhomme, Bob Riggle, Shirley Shahan, Ramo Stott, Joe Smith and Herb McCandless.

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/ From left to right: Herb McCandless, Ramo Stott, Butch Leal, Shirley Shahan, Bob Riggle, Joe Smith, Don Grotheer and Ken Black. Mr. Norm was in attendance but not available for the photo. Photo courtesy of MOPAR Collector’s Guide.

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QUARTER-MILE UPDATE

Presented by

CREW CHIEF OF THE MONTH

anta, are you listening? For that Christmas gift they’ll never forget, renowned drag racing artist Kenny Youngblood will create your custom DRAG-CARtoon.

These large, 14 x 22-inch hand-drawn originals are personalized to ensure a smile and be the centerpiece of any

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garage art collection. Just email a pic of your car to Kenny@fuelcoupe.com, order online at Youngbloodart.com or call the artist for more information at 888.367.9830. Each piece of artwork bears Kenny’s famed “Blood Did It” signature and are available for $295, or custom framed and ready to hang at $495, plus s/h. Credit cards and Pay Pal accepted.

JOHN COLLINS

t’s amazing the twists and turns life takes. John Collins, crew chief on Tommy Johnson Jr.’s DSR Make-A-Wish Funny Car, was busy running his two successful businesses, an auto repair shop and body shop, completely engaged with managing his 20-plus employees and doing a bit of bracket racing. In 1999, a chance encounter with acquaintance Tommy Johnson Sr. at a gas station in their Ottumwa, Iowa hometown sent his life down a totally new path. Johnson Sr.’s gentle arm-twisting that day had Collins wrenching on the family’s T/F at that year’s NHRA Chicago race.

A year later, Collins, finding his true calling, turned over operations of his businesses to his very capable wife Kelly and was on the road with Joe Gibbs Racing. He’d been recruited by Mike Neff and Jason McCulloch to work on the MBNA-backed T/F driven by Cory Mac. In 2001, he reunited with Tommy Johnson Jr. after following Jason McCulloch to Snake Racing as cylinder head specialist on the Skoal F/C. That year he made the major decision to sell his businesses and move Kelly and family to Indy. Two years later he transferred to the Miller T/F side of the team, working with Dick Lahaie and Donnie Bender. After LaHaie’s departure, he became assistant crew chief to Bender. It was a very successful five-year run with the dragster, including the ’03 NHRA Championship with Larry Dixon driving.

His years of experience and accumulated knowledge caught the eye of DSR and in ’08 he was asked to join the operation as assistant crew chief to Todd Okuhara on Gary Selzi’s Oakley F/C. A transfer to the Jack Beckman DSR team car, working beside Johnny West followed. In ’10, he assisted Rahn Tobler who replaced West as Beckman’s crew chief.

At the early ’12 Vegas race, Collins was part of the major DSR shake-up that saw the Jack Beckman and Ron Capps/NAPA teams literally switch places. That year Collins, with Tobler and team, experienced the heartbreak of Capps losing the F/C Championship by a mere two points.

He remained assistant to Tobler on Team NAPA until this year. DSR developed the Make-A-Wish F/C operation, with Tommy Johnnson Jr. at the helm. Initially the team was overseen by cooperative efforts of Tobler, Okuhara, Dickie Venables and Collins. At Gainesville he was appointed crew chief, and eight races later at Bristol, reunited with Johnson, Collins guided the Make-A-Wish Team to their first victory. With the car’s level of performance, many more should follow.

These past 15 years have been quite a journey for Collins and family.

John isn’t the only champ in the Collins clan.

Daughter Courtney, ace pitcher for her Indiana high school team, lead them to the State Championship title in 2012. It was the first time her school had made it past regional competition. John would like to thank his wife Kelly and kids Tyler and Courtney for their years of unconditional support and encouragement.

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Your Very Own DRAG-CARtoon

2014 NitroAlumni Auction he California Hot Rod Reunion will again host the Nitro Alumni Silent Auction benefiting the NHRA Motorsports Museum. The Nitro Alumni is seeking items for the Oct. 18, 2014 auction, which can range from historic artifacts to modern products.

Suggested items include: vintage race apparel, framed artwork, new/used race parts, jewelry, classic trophies and other types of racing memorabilia. The value of donated items may be eligible for tax deduction.

Interested donors can email Steve Gibbs at Stevegibbs20@gmail.com or Cindy Gibbs at Cinderjean@gmail.com. For more info, call Steve at 951.317.8274.

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Drag Racer September 2014

Car name: Praying Mantis

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BELLS AND WHISTLES

Safe Shot Nitrous System

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he Safe Shot Nitrous System from ZEX provides an affordable way to gain 15 to 35 instant horsepower, and it can be installed in less than an hour. In addition to the low cost and ease of installation, the Safe Shot Kit includes the quality components that ZEX is known for, such as stainless steel hoses, high-flow bottle valves and premium-quality, USA-made solenoids. The kit comes with a 5-pound black powder-coated bottle, perfect for discreet mounting.

For those who want to upgrade to more serious horsepower in the future, ZEX also offers an expansion kit that turns the Safe Shot into a ZEX nitrous system capable of safely adding 55 to 175 horsepower. For more info, call 888.817.1008 or visit Zex.com.

ATI Introduces New 1.62 Ratio Vasco Gear Sets for Big Shaft Powerglide Transmissions

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ated up to 3,500 hp, these new heavy-duty gear sets accept 27spline input shafts and feature a T400 output shaft. Special case machining is required and once the case has been machined, it cannot go back to a standard-type gear set. The special parts needed to install this gear set are included. A lightweight billet aluminum carrier and gun-drilled output shaft are standard on these gear sets and save

more than 2 pounds. Each gear set comes complete with flange and reverse ring gears and a reverse piston, pressure plate, frictions and steels. They are available in both standard 28-inch lengths and shorty 18-inch lengths for rear-engine dragsters. ATI warranties all gear sets for two years against failure, and they’re on sale now for $2,995. For more info, call 800.284.3433 or visit Atiracing.com.

The Outlaw Shifter

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he TCI Outlaw shifter ensures that you find the right gear when you need it while delivering great looks as well. Constructed of billet aluminum with a pistol-grip shifter and black anodized cover, along with an optional quickrelease setup, the Outlaw shifter is durable enough to handle street use and is perfectly suited for competition applications. It’s compliant with NHRA/IHRA-legal reverse lock-out regulations. It also features a park/nuetral safety switch along with provisions for a reverse light system. For more info call 888.776.9824 or visit Tciauto.com.

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When you need the key to unlocking more horsepower, turn to the piston ring authority...

TOTAL SEAL®. We can provide you with the most advanced piston ring designs, greatest selection and personal technical assistance that is second to none.

• • • •

Stronger and longer life – Most precise tolerances Thinner – Flatter – Lighter Conforms better to the cylinder wall Features PVD applied C-33 face coating – Quick seating, easy on cylinder walls and won't chip or flake • Custom sizing – Specialized face profiles • Available in Gapless®, Napier or Conventional styles

• Axial tolerances of +/–.000050” • Improved sealing between piston and piston ring • Optional PVD coatings engineered to match cylinder material and minimize friction losses • Custom axial thickness down to 0.6mm • Gapless ®, Conventional or Napier styles

• Features a uniform barrel face profile for smooth, quick seating and they are not aggressive towards the cylinder wall • Optional C-69 PVD face coating available for additional friction reduction • Axial tolerance of .00015" is held through our patented lapping process • Tested to be 100% light tight in their respective bore sizes • Available in Gapless ® or Conventional styles

Power that doesn't fade with opening end gaps.

• Increased horsepower and torque • Wider torque curve • Longer engine life – Fewer teardowns • Improved consistency – Longer ring life • Cleaner, cooler engine oil – Better oil control • Increased intake signal – More engine vacuum

Total Seal® can also handle any of your custom ring needs, from special coatings to any bore, thickness or radial dimension.

Contact us today and discover the difference.

800-874-2753 TotalSeal.com Tech Line: 623-587-7400

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BELLS AND WHISTLES

Attention Alcohol and A/Fuel Racers P-Carrillo introduces its in-stock pistons and rods for blown alcohol Chrysler Hemi engines.

These shelf parts include the advanced features and improvements that CP-Carrillo has developed through rigorous testing and R&D. They are ready for immediate delivery and are for the most popular Dragster, Funny Car and Pro Modtype applications. Features include: Pistons Shorter skirts to keep piston in sleeve at BDC Ring lands designed to reduce scrubbing More stable skirt designs, which yield better ring seal

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Weights and buttons to match your existing combination Related hardware including pins, rings and buttons are available.

Rods Made from a forging Supplied standard with 7/16 WMC H11 fasteners Balanced to a set within +/- 1 gram Custom lengths available in two weeks or less Comparable in weight to the competition Split-line is mated by a circular serration (offset from the bolt hole) For more info, call 949.567.9000 or visit Cp-carrillo.com.

LS7 Pro Elite CNC Cylinder Heads he performance aftermarket’s first high-performance LS head featuring a raised intake runner design, RHS LS7 Pro Elite CNC cylinder heads fit both stock and aftermarket LS7 intake manifolds and valvetrain setups. Available in both bare and assembled configurations, these aluminum cylinder heads are designed with a 12-degree valve angle and unique .220-inch raised intake runners to

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provide a better line of sight into the cylinders and allow for an improved short turn.

In addition, the heads use the popular LS six-bolt design, making them compatible with RHS LS race blocks and GM LSX blocks. Increased clamping capacity greatly improves head gasket retention in high-horsepower and boosted applications. The raised runner and rolled valve angle increase overall flow capability,

XFI Sportsman Engine Control System

while an improved water jacket design improves thermal conductivity. For more info call 877.776.4323 or visit Racingheadservice.com.

asy-to-use, programmable and custom-tunable, the FAST XFI Sportsman engine control system was engineered for muscle car, late-model street and sportsman drag racing engines, as well as boosted and individual runner throttle body applications. This system utilizes FAST C-COM software and includes a necessary USB cable for connectivity with your laptop.

Supporting both naturally aspirated and boosted applications, the XFI Sportsman engine control system features full tables to monitor fueling, acceleration, fuel timing and air/fuel targets. A configurable auxiliary input channel and fullfunction data logging are also included. For more info, call 800.999.0853 or visit Fuelairspark.com.

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WORLD’S LARGEST MANUFACTURER OF

1955-56-57 CHEVROLET

RESTORATION PARTS

o t n o s i ar p m o C There’s No CALL TODAY:

(800) 261-0296

GET OUR LATEST NEWSLETTER OR CATALOG FREE!

HOOD BIRDS 1955 1955 1956 1956

Bird ..................... #472 ......... $159.95/ea.

Gaskets .............. #918 ..............$7.95/ea.

Bird ..................... #484 ......... $159.95/ea.

Gaskets .............. #919 ..............$7.95/ea.

BEL AIR SCRIPTS

EMBLEMS WITH BEZELS

1955-56 Chrome ......... #538 ............$68.95/pr.

1957 Chrome .............. #539A .........$64.95/pr.

1957 Gold .................... #539 ............$68.95/pr.

1957 Aluminum ........... #2341 ..........$84.95/pr.

1955 Hood ................... #371 ........... $72.95/ea.

1955 Trunk................... #371A ........ $72.95/ea.

1956 Hood V8.............. #373A ......... $57.95/ea.

1956 Trunk V8 ............. #374A ......... $57.95/ea.

See catalog or website for all applications available.

1957 SIDE PANELS 1957 Bel Air 2-Door Hardtop, Sedan, Convertible, Nomad, Wagon .................................................... #573 ..................................... $599.95/pr.

1957 Bel Air 4-Door Hardtop ................................................................................................................. #573A ................................... $624.95/pr.

1957 Bel Air 4-Door Sedan, Wagon ....................................................................................................... #573B ................................... $624.95/pr.

1957 #573 No Holes, No Emblems ........................................................................................................ #573C ................................... $574.95/pr.

1957 VEES 1957 B/A Hood .......... #590 ........... $99.95/ea.

1957 210/150 Hood, Chrome ..................................... #590A ........ $99.95/ea.

1957 B/A Trunk ........... #592 ........... $99.95/ea.

1957 210/150 Trunk, Chrome "" Ê," /..................................... #592A ........ $99.95/ea. 1957 ............................. #467 ......... $269.95/set

CREST EMBLEMS 1955-57 Gold............... #365 ............$52.95/pr.

1955-57 Chrome ......... #365A .........$54.95/pr.

1955-57 Aluminum...... #2342 ..........$72.95/pr.

HOT OFF THE PRESS, GET OUR LATEST CATALOG! CHROME BUMPER BULLETS EXTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR 1955-57 ........................ #531 ........... $69.95/ea.

1957 Original .............. #330A .........$96.95/pr.

1957 Smoothie............ #330B .........$96.95/pr.

1957 Rubber ............... #330 ............$49.95/pr.

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1955-56-57 CHEVROLET

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A S U e h t n i e Parts Mad FOLLOW US FOR NEWS & SPECIALS

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1 ° " STEEL FAN SHROUDS 1955-57 V8 in 6-Cyl. Core Support, Black Powder Coated ................. #16625 .........$109.95/ea.

1955-57 V8 in Stock Position, Black Powder Coated ................. #16626A.......$109.95/ea.

1955-57 V8 in 6-Cyl. Core Support, Chrome ........................................... #16625C...... $209.95/ea.

1955-57 V8 in Stock Position, Chrome ........................................... #16626C...... $209.95/ea.

1955-57 Chrome Brackets #16625B......... $67.95/ea.

See catalog or website for all applications.

Chrome brackets are sold separately.

#794 for 2-Door Hardtop, Convertible and 4-Door Hardtop Rear Door.

Check catalog for all applications.

EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES SPINNER EMBLEMS 1957-58 ........................ #297 ........... $49.95/set

1955-57 ........................ #794 ........... $94.95/ea.

* , /ĂŠ - HEADLIGHT BEZELS 1955 ............................. #593 .......... $119.95/pr.

1956 ............................. #1057 ........ $109.95/pr.

1957 ............................. #877 ..........$234.95/pr.

1955 Clear ................... #486 ............ $10.95/pr.

1955 Amber ................. #486A ......... $10.95/pr.

1956 Clear ................... #490 ............ $10.95/pr.

1956 Amber ................. #490A ......... $10.95/pr.

TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLIES 1955 ............................. #15512 ......$229.95/pr. 1957 Clear ................... #494 ............ $10.95/pr.

1956 ............................. #1045 ....... $479.95/set 1957 Amber ................. #494A ......... $10.95/pr.

DASH TRIM SETS 1955 .................................................................................................#217A ...................$179.95/set 1956 .................................................................................................#217B ...................$179.95/set 1957 Includes #941 Bel Air Script .................................................#217......................$179.95/set HORN 1955 No Holes ................................................................................#217C ...................$179.95/set RINGS 1956 No Holes ................................................................................#217D ...................$179.95/set 1955-57 .................. #794 ................. $94.95/ea.

CHEVROLET SCRIPTS GRILLE BARS 1957 .................................................................................................#966 ...................... $319.95ea.

1957 Emblem Installation Kit ........................................................#376.........................$16.95/kit

1957 Bel Air V8 ........... #541 ........... $29.95/ea.

1957 210/150, Chrome ..................................... #541A ........ $29.95/ea.

1957 Gold, Aluminum ..................................... #1737 ......... $49.95/ea.

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HORSE PLAY Part 1

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A Half Century of Mustangs Ripping Through Drag Racing Text by and Photos by Bob McClurg

Photo by Ron Lewis

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Fifty years of Mustang drag racing history and it all began with the humble Ford Falcon. In anticipation of the April 1964 release of the revolutionary new Mustang, Ford’s Stock Vehicles Department under the guidance of Charles E. Gray Jr., Vern Tinsler and Drag Racing Program Manager Richard H.“Dick” Brannan, commissioned Dearborn Steel & Tubing (DS&T) to build a fleet of 50 427 Hi Rise-engine ’65 Mustang fastbacks for homologation as NHRA-legal Super Stockers. Because Mustang and Falcon shared the same uni-body platform, DS&T initially built a 427 Hi Rise ’64 Ford Falcon early in the year as a development mule. This Falcon was built along the same lines as Ford’s phenomenally successful 427 Thunderbolt, 9-inch rearend, torque arm rear suspension, highly modified engine compartment, leapfrog front suspension, H-M 2x4 Ram Air 427 Hi Rise power, Ford top-loader four-speed, American mags, but at roughly 8/10ths the scale. Driven by Dick Brannan, and sponsored by South Bend, Indiana’s Romy-Hammes Ford, the Falcon ran as good as 11.28-128.79 in competition.

“With the Hi Rise 427 Falcon program we had a basic platform designed and tested, and could go ahead and build a fleet of fifty 427 Hi Riser-powered Mustang 2 plusers for the upcoming season,” Brannan told Drag Racer.

Now the second part of the equation comes into play: That same year Ford also released its 427 single overhead cam (SOHC) V-8 engine for NASCAR Super Speedway competition. Called the 90 Day Wonder By Hot Rod Magazine writer Eric Dahlquist, it would be Ford’s first computer-designed high-performance V-8 engine. Mechanically, the SOHC

/ It doesn’t look like a Mustang. Well, it is, sort of. This ’64 Ford Falcon was commissioned by Ford Stock Vehicles as a test bed in anticipation of the upcoming 1965 427 Mustang Super Stock fleet because Falcon and Mustang shared the same platform. Photo Dick Brannan collection.

/ One of two 427 SOHC A/FX Mustang mules built by DS&T and tested by Brannan. It was used as the build prototype by H-M to produce eight A/FX Mustangs for the Ford Drag Team. It was also used to test the newly developed Hilborn fuel injection and Ford C-6 automatic transmission. Photo Dick Brannan collection.

/ Bill Lawton driving the multi-racewinning Tasca Ford ’65 427 SOHC A/FX Mustang. The following year it was sold to NASCAR racer Bondy Long and eventually leased to Sam Auxier Jr., who converted it into a match racer using 427 Hi Riser power and renaming it Bowani II. Jim Kelly photo courtesy Match Race Madness Motorsports Museum.

motor featured a slightly revised version of the 427 Hi Riser block as its foundation using a forged steel crank, specially developed Ford I-Beam connecting rods and 12:1 compression forged-aluminum pistons. Massive cammer cylinder heads weighing in at 75 pounds more than the 427 High Riser versions featured sodiumfilled hollow stainless-steel intake and

/ Gas Ronda (winner of NHRA’s Super Stock World Championship driving a factory Fairlane Thunderbolt the year before) talking with Irwindale Raceway’s Dick Diasz. This is most likely Gas’ first A/FX Mustang.

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exhaust valves and NASCAR-grind camshafts riding on split shell bearing inserts. A huge timing chain similar to the one used on the 289 DOHC Indy engine kept everything in sync. A single Holley 4v intake was used. Factory rated at 425 hp, the 427 SOHC would have really given Chrysler’s equally new 426 Hemi a run for its money, but NASCAR wasn’t having any of it.

“When NASCAR outlawed the 427 single over head cam engine in the fall of 1964, Chrysler’s 426 Hemi fared no better, it freed up all of the 427 SOHCs that Ford Engine & Foundry had on hand, so we decided not to build the 50 427 Hi Rise Mustang Super Stock cars. We revised that number down to 12 427 SOHC A/FX Mustangs instead,” Brannan recalls.

Ford Special Vehicles chose T-Bolt program builder Andy Hotten at DS&T to build two 427 SOHC Mustang 2+2 development mules, one red and one white. The red 427 SOHC Mustang was actively track tested by Dick Brannan, while the white 427 SOHC car largely remained in Dearborn and was used to

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gather performance data.

“We [Brannan and Gray] shipped the red car to Pomona the day after Christmas 1964 and started testing. Then we learned there might not be enough 427 SOHC engines after all because Connie Kalitta had become involved with our department, driving a 427 Ford SOHC AA/FD, and needed spare engines for this completely new program,” Brannan said.

To further complicate matters, DS&T couldn’t guarantee ontime delivery of the remaining cars for the NHRA Winternationals. Charlie Gray contacted NASCAR constructors Holman-Moody (H-M) to see if they could commit to Ford’s timetable and they said yes. With H-M onboard, Ford shipped the white R&D mule to Charlotte, North Carolina where H-M would copy it and build the remaining cars. “Tasca Ford received the first H-M-built 427 A/FX Mustang,” John Healey recalls.

“We picked that car up at H-M and drove from Charlotte straight to Pomona. I remember Dick Brannan asking, ‘You didn’t set that car up yet, did you?’ I said no because all these motors were originally NASCAR motors. We changed the cams and did a bunch of other things and went testing at Pomona and Irwindale, and you know the rest of the story,” Healey said. Bill Lawton beat “Dyno Don” Nicholson in the first round, then Roger Lindamood, Tommy Grove and the Melrose Missile. In the finals, he beat Jim Thornton in the Ramchargers Dodge, running a 10.50-128.20. National Dragster wrote, “The mighty grip of the Mopars was broken. Ford picked the Mustang to lead their 1965 racing efforts, and Bill Lawton and Tasca Ford’s performance indicates that they are ready for many more trips to the winner’s circle!”

/ Gas squaring off against Indy A/FX class winner Les Ritchey. Ronda and Ritchey were the #1 and #2 Ford guys on the West Coast. Both ran out of Ritchey’s West Covina, CA shop, Performance Associates. Photo by GK Callaway. / Ford racer/factory test pilot Dick Brannan with one of Ford Stock Vehicles 427 SOHC altered wheelbase Mustang match racers built by H-M. It ran around 10 flat at 135 mph.

Photo Dick Brannan collection.

“That was truly one of the greatest races I’ve ever witnessed,” the late Bob Tasca Sr. commented at one point, “at the time, Lawton was probably the sharpest guy around out of the gate. Of course he had a good set of wheels underneath him. I never gave him anything to drive that he was ever ashamed of.”

The 427 Mustang fastback of Tasca, Lawton & Healey continued to dominate A/FX, scoring a runner-up spot to Ronnie Sox on a redlight during the Top Stock final at the NHRA Spring Nationals, and winning the Super Stock & Drag Illustrated Nationals at York, Pennsylvania. Things were no different with the rest of the Ford Drag Team. Gas Ronda, Phil Bonner, Al Joniec, Les Ritchey, Tommy Grove, Len Richter and Dick Brannan also experienced good fortune with their A/FX Mustangs. Phil Bonner set Low E.T. of the Meet for A/FX at the 1965 AHRA

/ Shelby GT350s were primarily known as road racers. One exception was Don McCain’s Mel Burns Ford-sponsored ’65 Shelby GT350 #5S360 (later converted to a ’66) which set numerous AHRA World Records in Stock, B/Sports and C/Gas classes. In B/Sports trim the GT350 ran a best of 12.93-107.10.

/ The first DST-constructed 427 SOHC A/FX Mustang, Test Mule #1 5F09K380230. Originally known as the red car, it was later painted blue and ultimately gold and white when it was known as Gold Finger. This was Brannan’s personal A/FX car. Photo Dick Brannan collection.

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/ This was what was known as a crossover car. In 1966, the Southern California AA/Fuel Altered team Snodgrass and Mahnken removed the Fiat Topolino body from their 427 Ford-powered AA/FA and replaced it with a fiberglass Mustang shell. Larry Barker was the driver.

/ In late 1965, Tasca fielded the longest wheelbase (112 inches) Mustang match racer (15% engine setback). It served as the blueprint for Ford’s 1966 Experimental Stock Mustangs. It was named the Mystery 9 because it ran an extraordinary 9.82141.76 carbureted on gas. With nitro and fuel injection, it quickly broke into the 8s. It won everything from the NASCAR Drag Racing Division’s SU/SI title to the Super Stock Magazine Nationals. Photo courtesy Tasca Photo Archives.

Winternationals at 10.83. Ronda set an A/FX record at Carlsbad Raceway at 10.87, but unfortunately broke an axle a couple of weeks later at Lions and totaled his first Mustang. Ford quickly replaced it with a car originally intended for Oregon Ford star Bill Ireland. Gas rallied winning Top Stock at the AHRA Nationals and was runner-up to Les Ritchey’s Mustang in A/FX at the U.S. Nationals.

However, things were changing rather quickly in the class. The legitimate A/FX cars were suddenly sprouting fuel injectors, thanks to Chrysler, and burning small doses of nitromethane. Privateer entries from the GM camp, including Pete Seaton, Tom Sturm, Malcolm Durham, Doug Thorley and Arnie Beswick, blended into the mix with Ford, Mercury and Chrysler. Before you knew it, it was all-out warfare.

By late 1965, Ford had built a number of altered wheelbase 427 SOHC Mustangs tested by Brannan. A couple of these cars were equipped with C-6 automatic transmissions and fuel injection instead of carburetors and four-speeds for testing the effects of nitromethane in anticipation of what would be coming the following season. Various wheelbases were tested along with front and rear spoilers and the like. Ultimately the 112-inch wheelbase design proved ideal. Since Tasca was the second largest Ford Dealer in the U.S., and played a key advisory role in almost every Total Performance drag racing program being developed at Ford, it was only natural that he was privy to what was going on with the

Ford Drag Council cars. As such, Tasca received the first H-M built 112-inch wheelbase Mustang match racer, aka the Mystery 9; however, he participated with some degree of reluctance. “I had no reason to build a Funny Car,” said Tasca. “As far as I was concerned, the Ford Motor Company should only have been involved in racing if racing sells cars and parts. My motto was win on Sunday, and sell on Monday. Now really, how many Mystery 9s am I going to sell off my showroom floor?”

The Mystery 9 match race Mustang program proved an instant hit with drag racing fans. In fact, the car that debuted in late 1965 was so successful that Ford used Mystery 9 as the basic blueprint for the 1966 Ford Drag Council program. H-M continued to build/convert the record-setting cars for Brannan, Gas Ronda, Phil Bonner, Darrel Droke, Tommy Grove, Al Joniec and others. The 1966 AHRA Winternationals marked their debut, with Tasca and Gas Ronda facing off in the final, which Tasca won.

“Of all the cars I’ve driven, that ’66 was my favorite car,” Gas Ronda said. By mid-1966, Ford, like Chrysler, realized what Tasca had been saying from the beginning, “Ford doesn’t sell Funny Cars so why be involved with them?” In March of ’66, Ford chose to shift its corporate focus to its new 427 R-Code Fairlane program.

Huge cutbacks to the Funny Car program came in early 1967.

Those Ford FC racers who remained on the deal were instructed to choose a car builder. Gas Ronda chose Exhibition Engineering, while Grove and Bonner selected Logghe. Other racers like Joniec

/ H-M’s works car (5F09K380236) raced by H-M employee Paul “The Fugitive” Norris, who later founded of Norris Cams. It ran 10.80-131.86 to claim NASCAR Drag Racing Division’s Ultra Stock-2 record.

/ In 1967, West Coast gasser racer Skip Hess (Shores & Hess) snagged Revell to sponsor the Jim Kirby-chassis all-fiberglass 427 SOHC engine AA/GS Mustang. Best performance was 8.50s at 170-plus on alcohol.

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/ Gas Ronda considered his 112-inch wheelbase allfiberglass ’66 Mustang match racer to be the best race car he ever drove. It ran from high eights at 157.34 to mid sevens prior to retirement, winning 90% of its races.

elected to stick with what they had.

The year of the Cobra Jet was 1968. In the early days of the project, Ford engineer Bill Holbrook worked as senior mechanic on what was then called the 428GT program. One day Jacques Passano approached Holbrook and said, “I bet Tasca lunch that our car, a candy apple red 1967 Mustang GTA fastback, could beat his car.”

Tasca Ford had constructed a ’67 Mustang 390 GTA two-door hardtop. Not satisfied with the car’s performance, Tasca acquired a 428 Police Interceptor short-block, swapped in a special grind FoMoCo cam, and mated it up to a set of 1964 date code, 427 Medium Rise cylinder heads and a 2x4 aluminum intake sporting a pair of 735-cfm Holleys with snorkel-type dual ram air. Chief Mechanic Bill Gilbert also tweaked the Ford C-6 and installed a Detroit Locker 9inch Ford rearend. The newly christened KR8 proved wicked fast. Holbrook notes, “I said to Jacques, ‘Well, how far am I allowed to go with this project?’ Passano says, ‘You can go as far as you want, but no cheating. It has to be all Genuine Ford Parts.’ Bob Hide and I built this 450-inch package. We installed a 428 crank into a 427 side oiler block at 454-cid. I had Harvey Crane grind up a number of cams and found the one that worked the best.

We backed it up with a Ford C6 and set the transmission governors to shift at 7400 rpm. I also wound up putting a Hurst Line Loc on the car. Basically, I wanted to get the car to where anyone could put it in drive and run the same numbers without going up in smoke.”

When the big day came, Ford X-Garage

/ In 1967, “Ohio George” Montgomery debuted his fiberglass-bodied 427 SOHC AA/GS Mustang using highly modified ’33 Willys frame rails. It bombed the record and won nearly everything, running a best of 8.93-162.00.

/ Gas Ronda’s Exhibition Engineering-chassis 427 SOHC Mustang began as an injected car running as quick as a 7.67 E.T. prior to switching to a blown 427 SOHC even though it was a sprung car. A solid suspension was preferable when running a blown motor. Gas is racing Ray Alley’s Engine Masters Barracuda.

/ Throughout the ’60s Ford produced a string of highly successful drag race cars, the ’68 ½ 428 Cobra Jet Mustang was one of its best. It dominated the 1968 NHRA Winternationals Super Stock with Al Joniec winning. This marked Ford’s first NHRA Super Stock Eliminator title.

/ The Platt & Payne/Ford Drag Team 1969 SS/IA 428 Cobra Jet Mustang and Dick Wood-driven 1970 Ford Drag Team SS/H Mustangs.

employee Bob “Jumpy” Snyder drove the 428GT, while Tasca wheeled the KR8.

Tasca’s KR8 got trounced three straight, but Ford chose Tasca’s more conservatively constructed and less expensive 428 as the more practical of the two power plants. Tasca may have lost the race but they won the war.

On Dec. 26, 1967, Ford Stock Vehicles Department’s newly appointed manager C.R. “Chuck” Foulger sent a memo to all regional and district sales

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managers titled “ANNOUNCEMENT OF 428 COBRA JET MUSTANG.” The memo broke down the list of special equipment indicative to the car as well as warranty and suggested retail price.

Would you believe $3,612.69? In February 1968 members of Ford’s Drag Council received a total of eight H-M/Stroppe prepared R-Code 428 CJ Mustang drag cars and totally dominated the NHRA Winternationals.

Al Joniec defeated fellow Ford racer

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/ In 1970, the Ford Drag Team also campaigned 427 SOHC Mustangs in AHRA and NHRA’s new Pro Stock class. Ed Terry launches off the OCIR starting line during its first West Coast Pro Stock Championships.

/ The Tasca Ford Super Boss, a Boss 429 Mustang (KK-1214) that ran 11.10-131 on bias-ply street tires. The big performance advantage was a well set-up car by Tasca’s Bill Gilbert and John Healey. It was later powered by an even better 494-cid all-aluminum Boss 429 Can Am engine running street mufflers. Tasca routinely offered $1,000 to anyone who could “Beat the Boss” at his high-performance clinics, and to our knowledge, there were never any takers.

/ This half blue and white Foulger Ford Drag Club-sponsored ’69 428 CJ was first driven in SS/IA by Randy Ritchey (runner-up at the ’69 Hot Rod Magazine Drags). When Ritchey went to Vietnam, Lucy Below took over driving duties, competing in SS/HA winning the NHRA Division 7 SS title and recording a best of 11.29-126.00.

Hubert Platt for class and defeated Dave Wren’s Mopar on the final, presenting Ford with its first ever Super Stock Eliminator win in NHRA national event history.

Most experts agree that 1969 was the high water mark for Ford’s Total Performance Era. Not only did they have their hugely successful Ford Drag Team clinic programs, they also sponsored Mickey Thompson who fielded two 427 SOHC Mach-1 Mustangs: The blue version driven by Danny Ongais, and the red by Pat Foster. Ongais’ blue Mustang proved the bane of Funny Car Eliminator, setting records and winning prestigious events all over the country. Thompson also fielded a ’69 Boss 429 Mustang match racer that year driven by Butch Leal. That same year also witnessed Mustang Funny Car pilot Tommy Grove, relying upon Ford power, join Gene Snow in breaking the 200-mph barrier.

The Mustangs of Canada’s Barrie Poole and John Elliott garnered two national event runner-ups in 1969. The following year saw Poole and his Sandy Elliott Ltd.-sponsored ’69 428 CJ Mustang coupe give Canada its first national event win, defeating Geno

Redd’s ’68 SS/FA Mustang at the NHRA Winternationals.

The beginning of the ’70s also marked the debut of NHRA/AHRA Pro Stock, specifically “Dyno Don” Nicholson’s Paul Harvey Ford-sponsored ’65 427 SOHC Mustang. He’d been particularly strong during the previous year’s competition, but was woefully outclassed by Bill Jenkins’ Chevrolet and Sox & Martin’s Plymouth and was finally legislated out by NHRA. It would not be until 1972 when the NHRA refactored Pro Stock, allowing the 96-inch wheelbase, small-block Pintos and Vegas at 6.75 pounds per cubic inch that Nicholson’s fortunes began to change.

Another of Pro Stock’s more interesting developments also involving Dyno Don took place in 1974 when Nicholson, Gapp & Roush and Glidden took advantage of a loophole in the NHRA rules stating 1969 or later factory-produced coupes, sedans or station wagons were legal for Pro Stock, meaning that a 100-inch wheelbase car like a ’70 Mustang or ’70 Maverick fourdoor when equipped with a 366-cid Boss engine could run at 6.45 pounds per cubic inch. That year Dyno Don and Bob Glidden campaigned their infamous ’70 Mustang fastbacks. Dyno Don went on to win the

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1977 NHRA Pro Stock Championship driving a Mustang II. With Ford officially out of racing from 1972 through 1983, there wasn’t much to cheer about. Then in 1984, the creation of Ford Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) and its accompanying retail hot parts division, Ford Motorsport, marked Ford’s official reentry into organized motorsports.

Glidden dominated NHRA Pro Stock with his big-block Ford Thunderbirds, but in IHRA racing where big-inch Mountain Motors ruled, Ronnie Sox won the IHRA Pro Stock championship in a Mustang for owner Dean Thompson. The Mustangs of Rickie Smith and Roy Hill were the other big IHRA attractions.

No one knows exactly why, but with the release of the 5.0L EFI Mustangs, racers who previously campaigned Tri-Five Chevys, Camaros and other popular brands of door cars were suddenly showing up at race tracks driving 5L Mustangs and a new movement was born.

One of the earliest proponents of Pro 5.0 was Steve Collison, editor of Super Stock and Drag Illustrated (SSDI) and later Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords magazines. Collison and contributing editor Francis Butler used SSDI as a forum for the class and even raced their own project car known as Mean Mr. Mustang. Pro 5.0L became an officially recognized class once Bill Alexander from the Fun Ford Weekend Series added it to his national event schedule, and then things really started getting serious. Early standouts in Pro 5L included Norman Gray, Gene Deputy, Jason Betwarda, John Gullet (the first Pro 5.0L over 200 mph), Billy Glidden and Joe de Silva. Today, Pro 5.0L is more popular than ever and has evolved into a six-second Mustang free for all.

From 1993 to 2000, Ford Special Vehicles Team (SVT) funded three R-Model Mustang programs based on the ’93 Gen II Fox Mustang and the ’95 and ’00 Gen III Mustangs. However, between road racers and collectors, few of these cars ever made it to the dragstrip. That changed when Ford released its ’08 Cobra Jet Mustang to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the original Cobra Jet Mustangs storming Pomona. Just as if it were 1968 all over again, the Hajek Motorsports 2008 Cobra Jet Mustang, driven by John Calvert, stormed to victory at the 2009 NHRA Winternationals, paving the way for a second Cobra Jet invasion of our nation’s drag strips. Ford upped the ante in 2010

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/ In the late ’60s, Ford funded Mickey Thompson in several Mustang-related programs. The most successful were his M/T Mach-1 Funny Cars driven by Danny Ongais and Pat Foster. The blue car, with Ongais up, dominated the class, while the red car (primarily used for R&D) was runner-up to Charlie Allen at the 1969 Hot Rod Magazine Drags.

with the release of its Cobra Jet Mustang race car, followed by Ford Racing’s 2012 through 2014 Cobra Jet competition models.

Although there are slight differences from year to year, these new-era Mustang CJs were all delivered with 8.50-second certified full roll cage, 3-link adjustable 9-inch rear suspension and Ford Racing adjustable coil strut front suspension. Powered by 5L Ti-VCT four-valve modular V-8 engines featuring a forgedsteel crank, Manley H-beam connecting rods, Mahle forged-aluminum pistons, CNC ported four-valve cylinder heads, proprietary-grind Ford Racing camshafts, an optional Whipple 2.9L supercharger and a Cobra intake featuring an oval mono blade throttle body. Exhaust is made up of a set of 304 stainless steel headers. Transmission choices are either a race-prepared Ford C3 automatic or Liberty five-speed transmission. At this writing, Carl Tasca Sr. has the quickest and fastest manual transmission late-model CJ in the nation, recording a 7.72-177.00 with 4.7s at 140-plus mph in the eighth-mile. Roy Hill holds the quickest and fastest marks for automatic transmission CJs at 7.92-172.00. Suddenly it’s 1968 all over again—only faster.

If this seems to be a bit like a glossed over version of Mustang’s quarter-mile history, it is. So rather than continue to talk about these awesome machines, let’s use the editorial space to show some of those storming stallions from back in the day. Happy 50th birthday, Mustang.

/ Tommy Grove and his Logghe-chassis, Shedlick-bodied, 427 SOHC Going Thing ’69 Mustang. He and Gene Snow are cocredited as having clocked the first official 200mph runs in Funny Car history.

/ After winning Super Stock Eliminator at the 1968 NHRA Winternationals, Al Joniec swapped rides. He began 1969 by defending his SS title at Pomona driving a ’69 428 CJ Mustang. The remainder of the season he drove a gas-burning 427 Cammer Mustang Funny Car in NASCAR and this 427 Cammer-powered Boss 429 Mustang (KK 1720) in the Heads-up Super Stock Class.

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FORD 427 SOHC CAMMER Text by Bill Holland Photos by Bob McClurg

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/ Fast Eddie Schartman was one of the Mercury factory racers who showcased the flip-top SOHCpowered Comets. Its interior was spartan by today’s standards, featuring little more than a roll bar.

Note the large steering wheel. Veteran tuner Roy Steffey prepares to light the Cammer for Schartman.

ord engines had a strong presence in the early days of drag racing. The venerable flathead V-8 accounted for many victories, including Calvin Rice’s Top Eliminator win at the inaugural NHRA Nationals in 1955. Fast-forward to 1959, and it was Rodney Singer winning top honors in his big-inch MEL(Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) powered dragster. But as the sport entered the ’60s, the proverbial handwriting was on the wall—Chrysler’s Hemi engine was taking over.

By the mid-’60s Chrysler’s domination, buoyed by the introduction of the 426-ci elephant motor in 1964, was in full swing.

In addition to drag racing success,

F

/ One of drag racing’s most versatile and successful pioneers, Hayden Proffitt, was lured to the Ford camp to campaign this AF/X SOHC-powered Comet.

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Richard Petty was nearly unbeatable on NASCAR’s super speedways.

This did not sit well with the Blue Oval troops in Dearborn, Michigan. They yearned to see Fords back in the winner’s circle; so they formulated a plan to trump Chrysler with its own hemispherical combustion chambered engine and introduced the now-famous 427 SOHC Cammer in 1964.

Based on Ford’s proven FE (FordEdsel) block that debuted as a 332-ci engine in 1958 and grew to 352, 390 and 427-ci variants, the Cammer used the high-performance 427 side-oiler block.

/ Originally developed for NASCAR competition, the Cammer produced 615 hp with a single four-barrel.

/ Another of the Comet contingent was Dyno Don Nicholson, who was credited with being the first into the seven-second zone.

/ Funny Car pioneer Jack Chrisman was a key standard-bearer for the Comet contingent.

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Essentially a Y-block design (the pan rails were about an inch below the crank centerline), the FE bottom end was quite sturdy. Add to this the sideoiler priority main lubrication design (the top-oiler engines would lubricate the valvetrain first, whereas the sideoiler initially feeds the main bearings) and the block’s use as the foundation for a true high-performance engine was warranted.

The engine features a 4.230-inch bore and 3.784-inch stroke to achieve its 427-inch displacement. Bore spacing is 4.630 inches (compared to 4.562 inches for the 392 and 4.800 inches for the 426) and has a deck height of 10.170 inches, considerably less than the early and late Hemis.

The FE’s wedge heads were replaced by an innovative design that featured hemispherical combustion chambers, generous intake and D-shaped exhaust ports, and much larger valves, actuated by shaft-mounted rocker arms controlled by an overhead camshaft.

/ One of the original Ford team A/FX drivers was Al Joniec, who had success in Pro Stock with this SOHC-powered Maverick.

/ Jack Chrisman also campaigned this sleek Comet roadster in early Funny Car wars.

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/ Georgia engineer Sneaky Pete Robinson enjoyed success with his SOHC-powered fueler. He also developed a gear drive system to replace the Cammer’s 6-foot chain.

/ Connie Kalitta pulled off a rare triple crown in 1967, winning the AHRA, NHRA and NASCAR winter races with his SOHC-powered Bounty Hunter. / One of the original factory flip-top Comets went to Colorado’s Kenz & Leslie, with Ron Leslie at the helm.

The heads were likened to Ford’s 255cid Indy engine on steroids, albeit with two less camshafts.

A crank-driven idler shaft was employed where the FE’s camshaft lived and drove the oil pump and distributor. Attached to it was a humongous 6-foot-long timing chain, which, along with various idler gears, connected the cams. The lengthy chain was subject to stretching, and cam timing synchronization issues were a major concern.

Ford produced the required number of Cammer-powered Galaxies to gain homologation status. The engine, with a single four-barrel carburetor, was rated at 615 hp, and a dual-quad version cranked out 657 ponies at 7,500 rpm.

Unfortunately for Ford, NASCAR banned the Cammer engine for 1965. The ban was said to be in response to Chrysler’s threat to pull out of cup racing if it was allowed. But NASCAR’s actions proved to be a windfall for drag racing, because Ford focused its efforts on the 1320.

First to benefit from Cammer power were a squadron of A/FX ’65 Mustangs assembled by the legendary NASCAR powerhouse Holman & Moody. The SOHCpowered ’Stangs made their presence known immediately, with Les Ritchey winning the AHRA Winternationals, and Bill Lawton, driving Tasca Ford’s entry, copping A/FX honors at Pomona.

Another of the better-known SOHC-powered Mustangs from the initial batch of 10 was the Russ Davis Ford entry driven by dapper dance instructor turned race car driver Gaspar “Gas” Ronda. Others in that initial group included Dick Brannan, Phil Bonner, Al Joniec, Len Richter and Clester Andrews.

In 1966 the long-nose Mustangs appeared. They had an extended wheelbase, injector stacks through the hood and spartan features. Ronda’s car was running 8.7s at more than 170 mph.

Meanwhile, the folks at Ford’s Mercury Division wanted to have some fun, and by most accounts were responsible for setting the groundwork for the Funny Car class.

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/ Lou Baney had the West Coast’s first SOHC-powered fueler. Tom McEwen drove the Ed Pink-wrenched Brand Motors Ford entry.

While drag racing legend Jack Chrisman made lots of noise and smoke with his supercharged, nitro-guzzling ’65 Sachs & Sons Comet, it was the next generation of Comets campaigned by Chrisman, “Dyno Don” Nicholson, “Fast Eddie” Schartman, and Colorado stalwarts Kenz

and Leslie that set the stage for today’s tube-chassied, flip-top-bodied floppers.

Nicholson's Eliminator I Comet was based on a tube chassis built by the Logghe Bros. in their Michigan Logghe Stamping facility. Noted fabricator Al Bergler, himself a Funny Car driver of

/ Don Nicholson gave Ford its first NHRA Pro Stock title with his SOHC Maverick.

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note in the ’70s, handled the tin work.

Nicholson is credited with the first 7-second time slip recorded by a Funny Car in 1966.

Top Fuel racer Connie Kalitta also took great interest in the SOHC engine, and opted to replace the 392 Chrysler in the Logghe frame rails of his Bounty Hunter with a Cammer. In 1967, he pulled off a trifecta, a feat that has not been duplicated since, winning the AHRA Winternationals, NHRA Winternationals and NASCAR Winternationals. Kalitta's winning time at Pomona was a stout 7.17, 218.43 mph.

The SOHC engine had a standout year for Top Fuel racing in 1967. Following Kalitta’s winter exploits, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme won the NHRA Springnationals, defeating fellow Cammer racer “Sneaky Pete” Robinson in the final.

Prudhomme’s Lou Baney-owned, Ed Pinkengined car is also credited with the first six-second T/F run at an NHRA National event, carding a 6.92 at Bristol.

Prudhomme’s Cammer also ran under Shelby's Super Snake banner.

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/ Carroll Shelby teamed up with Don Prudhomme to field Shelby’s Super Snake.

Robinson, the soft-spoken engineer from Georgia who stunned the drag racing world by winning the 1961 NHRA Nationals in Indy with a small-block Chevy-powered dragster, was a formidable competitor with the Cammer. Always the innovator, Robinson developed a gear drive setup

that proved to be far more accurate and reliable than the factory chains.

Other Cammer-powered fuelers of the era included the swoopy full-tailed entries of Washington’s Jim Crooke (Assassin) and Minnesotan Tom Hoover, plus Canadian Scott Wilson.

Mickey Thompson’s SOHC-powered

/ Jack Chrisman campaigned the unique blown, nitroburning Sachs & Sons Comet. The car was sponsored by L.A. area Mercury dealer Helen Sachs.

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NOVEMBER.2014

red and blue Mustangs, driven by Pat Foster and Danny Ongais respectively, dominated 1969. With their unique Lil’ John Buttera-built chassis and Foster’s innovations (like zoomie headers), Ongais won both the NHRA Springnationals and Nationals.

For 1970, however, Ford had pretty much pulled the plug on the Cammer for fuel racing, focusing its energies on the new 429 Shotgun motor. Try as they might, Thompson’s team couldn’t come close to matching the success with the Shotgun that they enjoyed with the SOHC. Funny Car’s loss was Pro Stock’s gain, as the 1970 season saw Dyno Don Nicholson’s SOHC Ford-powered Maverick dominate the match race circuit. The following year Dyno became the first Pro Stock driver to win a Wally with a Ford, capturing the 1971 Summernationals. Bob Glidden and Gapp & Roush also carried the Blue Oval into battle.

Often overshadowed in the history of the Cammer by the more glamorous Professional Class entries are the exploits of former NHRA World Champ Mike Schmitt and his Desert Motors Ford B/FX ’64 Galaxie. Schmitt won Street Eliminator at the NHRA Springnationals in 1966 with the bulky SOHC-powered entry.

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Ed Pink: The King of the Cammers Text by Bill Holland

//The first West Coast Cammer (L to R): Lou Baney, Ed Pink and Tom McEwen. //

The Cammer’s life span as a force in drag racing lasted about five years, but in that time the SOHC hybrid FE motor won important races in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock eliminators. Kalitta, Robinson and Prudhomme all set NHRA National Records with Cammers, too.

Noted FX and Funny Car racer Tommy Grove also put the SOHC into the record books in 1968 with his Mustang, which was one of the first floppers to eclipse the 200-mph mark. Ongais pushed the M/T blue car to a 7.37 NHRA standard the following year.

Despite all that was good about the engine, it had a reputation for being hard on parts, and without factory support, racers were left to their own devices.

With affordable aluminum versions of early and late Chysler Hemi engines developed by Donovan, Milodon and Keith Black, it was only a matter of time until the Cammer became a footnote in drag racing history.

Fast forward: Modern manufacturing technologies have enabled aftermarket manufacturers to replicate the Cammer’s block, cylinder heads and other engine components. This has allowed the engine to experience a resurgence in nostalgia racing, street rodding and with muscle cars. The SOHC Ford lives on.

THERE’S PROBABLY nobody better qualified to discuss the technical attributes (and shortcomings) of the Ford Cammer than Hall of Fame engine builder Ed Pink. “The Old Master” was there at the ground floor when the SOHC 427 was introduced, and worked on the likes of Lou Baney’s Tom McEwen-driven Brand Motors Ford digger, Funny Car pioneer Gas Ronda’s Mustangs and Lou Baney’s record-setting Shelby’s Super Snake dragster driven

by Don Prudhomme.

In Pink’s own words, “It all started one day in 1964 when Lou Baney and I were having lunch and he said, ‘Ford just came out with an overhead cam 427 engine. How do you think it would work in the dragster?’ At the time, I was doing the engines for Baney’s Yeakel Plymouth Woody car, which Tom McEwen was driving. I told Baney that I really didn’t know too much about the Ford engine, but would like to learn more before giving him an opinion. So Lou and I flew to Detroit and met with some of Ford’s key racing personnel, including Jacques Passineau and Fran Hernandez. I’d known Fran for a long time, going back to when he worked for Edelbrock as shop foreman. He’s also the guy recognized as participating in the first sanctioned drag race back in 1949 and is credited with bringing nitromethane to the sport. Fran was also a very talented engineer.”

Pink went on to say, “Back then the 426 Hemi was a rarity, and we were mainly concerned how it stacked up against the 392 Chrysler, which is what most everyone was running. Being a knowledgeable engine man, Fran knew what we were up against and gave Lou and me solid input. I was intrigued by the Cammer’s cylinder head design and flow possibilities, plus having the extra displacement compared to the 392 could be an asset. I told Lou that the 427 SOHC engine had good potential in a fuel car. So Baney struck a deal with Ford and the Yeakel Plymouth car became the Brand Motors Ford Special, mainly because Lou owned a Ford dealership at the time.

“It took us a while to figure things out, with cam timing being one of the most critical issues. The 6-foot-long chain presented problems with stretch, so we had some special ones made and got everything in phase. We had relatively little breakage with valvetrain components, other than rocker arms, but I can’t say the same about the blocks and crankshafts. Remember that they were essentially side-oiler FE blocks and the main webs were not sturdy enough to withstand the punishment of supercharged nitro racing. It was a good thing that Ford was giving Baney all the blocks and cranks he needed.”

While it was good for power, the Cammer’s elaborate valvetrain was a cause for concern from an on-track maintenance perspective. Ed said, “Our challenge was to develop as much power as possible, but still be able to cross the finish line. We couldn’t lean on the engine too much because having to do any major repairs between rounds was almost impossible. You’d have to have a lineup of engines ready to go. Today, it doesn’t sound so strange, but back then it was unthinkable.”

As the story goes, it was about this time that Pink was collaborating with Don Long on The Old Master fuel car, and Baney was very much impressed with its design and performance. The fact that it was lighter than his Woody car was important. So he ordered a chassis from Long designed for the Cammer and opted to put Prudhomme behind the wheel while McEwen went on to eventually campaign his own Tirend-sponsored car. The combination proved quite formidable, and the team won many races, including the 1967 NHRA Springnationals, and they set the class E.T. mark at 6.92. The year ended with Prudhomme finishing runner-up to Benny “The Wizard” Osborn at the NHRA World Finals in Tulsa.

In 1968, Carroll Shelby entered the picture and Prudhomme’s ride was transformed into Shelby’s Super Snake dragster. A win at the AHRA Winternationals started the year, and many more wins followed.

Forty-plus years later, the car is back in Prudhomme’s hands, and it’s being restored to its original configuration, albeit with a few changes to the engine as a nod to reliability. According to Pink, the car will primarily be cackled and go to select car shows, although burnouts and squirts are a distinct possibility. Don Long is doing the chassis work and Pink is taking care of the engine build. Visit Edpinksgarage.com for more Snake/SOHC info.

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he Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by Automobile Club of Southern California recently opened its new interactive exhibit hall, the Gallery of Speed, which brings to life, significant moments in American motorsports and car culture.

The Gallery of Speed allows you to step back to the humble beginnings of the NHRA and experience how hot rodding and motorsports have touched our lives through innovation, engineering and design.

“The new Gallery of Speed is not just an exhibit, but an innovative and original learning experience providing a unique look into the fascinating world of hot rodding and motorsports,” the NHRA Museum’s Executive Director Larry Fisher said.

“Here we will begin to tell the stories of the great American hot rod, and those who built and raced them, in a new light. We will not only celebrate the cars, but the people, the engineering, the science and the sheer audacity of those who pushed the limits in their pursuit of speed.”

The Gallery of Speed features five focal areas: The origins of hot rodding, land speed racing, the early days of the NHRA and the influence of custom car design. The immersive exhibit offers a fascinating assemblage of historical vehicles,

Wally Parks NHRA

The

Motorsports Museum’s

New Gallery of Speed Setting Top Speed and Low E.T. for Motorsports Museums 42

NOVEMBER.2014

Text by D. M. Smith Photos by Jim White

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/ A ’32 Ford featuring that company’s first production V-8 that dominated hot rodding for decades. From the collection of John Lawson, Fresno, CA. Also featured, a ’32 under construction as a hot rod.

Featuring an original ’32 Ford chassis and a souped-up Ford flathead engine, the car demonstrates what a hot rod might look like during the process of construction in an enthusiast’s garage. From the collection of John Mumford and Roy Brizio Street Rods, South San Francisco, CA.

artifacts, interactive touchscreens, images, oral histories, life-sized sculptures designed by Weldon Exhibits and other articles of historical and cultural significance.

The Gallery of Speed will ignite the

h te

//The new Gallery of visitor’s quest for knowledge regarding this intriguing aspect of our culture. The exhibit is designed to be a fun learning experience combined with hands-on activities and touchscreens focused on S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology,

Speed brings years of America’s love affair with hot rodding vividly to life.//

/ The McMullen ’32 Ford highboy roadster. After appearing on nine magazine covers, four record albums and in several television shows and movies, this is possibly the world’s most famous street roadster. Featuring a supercharged small-block Chevrolet engine and iconic flames designed by the late “Big Daddy” Ed Roth, the car was named one of the 75 Most Significant Deuces for an exhibit celebrating the ’32 Ford’s 75th anniversary. Restored by Roy Brizio Street Rods, it’s on loan from Mecum Auctions.

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engineering, arts and math). Visitors can customize their own hot rod, learn the language of hot rodding, and listen to candid and inspiring stories from NHRA founder Wally Parks and other motorsports legends.

“We wanted to develop a new approach to learning about the history of hot rodding, motorsports and the individuals who influenced American car culture,” said Greg Sharp, curator of the NHRA Motorsports Museum. “I believe that the new Gallery of Speed will capture the visitor’s imagination and inspire all ages for years to come. It’s an exhibit our founder Wally Parks would be very proud of.”

The museum’s newly renovated retail store offers a wide variety of unique and interesting gifts and keepsakes, providing visitors the opportunity to take a reminder of their experience with them.

The NHRA Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For further information, visit Nhramuseum.org.

/ The Chrisman #25 dragster. Arguably the world’s oldest living hot rod, it is believed to have been built in the early ’30s as a track car. It was raced at dry lakes time trials through the late ’40s. In the early ’50s, Art Chrisman raced it at Santa Ana dragstrip. In 1953 he lengthened it and added disc wheels to make it more suited to the new sport. It became the first dragster to exceed 140 mph. It made the first run at the first NHRA Nationals in 1955. It was restored by Chrisman to its 1953 trim and was gifted to the museum by Bill Lindig and family of Houston. It’s in competition with The Albertson Olds dragster. In the late ’50s, commercially manufactured dragster chassis saved racers money and allowed them to race safely. This car, based on a Chassis Research K-88 frame, took its name from Culver City, CA’s Albertson Olds dealership. The team of Ronnie Scrima, Gene Adams, Leonard Harris and later Tom McEwen, won an amazing 12 consecutive Top Eliminator wins at Lions Drag Strip. At the sixth NHRA Nationals in Detroit, the team set Low Elapsed Time and beat 34 other dragsters to become the national champion. It was restored for the museum by noted Oldsmobile racer Don Ratican.

/ The Beast III streamliner. In 1952, Chet Herbert, a young Southern California entrepreneur in the camshaft business, decided to build a streamliner from scratch for competition at the Bonneville National Speed Trials. Aerodynamicist Rod Schapel designed the car based on computations and the results of testing a 1/10th scale model in Cal Tech’s wind tunnel. Schapel then built the full-size body from fiberglass. Using a new Chrysler Hemi engine, it arrived a few days after Speed Week began. Driver Art Chrisman attained a one-way best speed of 238.095 mph and a two-way average of 235.991 mph, qualifying Chrisman as a charter member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club and the Beast as the fastest single-engine car in America. The car was restored by Custom Auto of Loveland, CO and gifted to the museum by Dr. Mark Brinker, M.D. of Houston. At the NHRA Nationals in Detroit, the team set Low Elapsed Time and beat 34 other dragsters to become the national champion.

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TITANIUM The Most Versatile Metal in Racing Demystified Text by Lisa Giosi

itanium, it’s on the periodic table, but it might surprise some people that it’s also being used in the top cars competing in the nation’s most popular racing series. As the fourth most abundant metal on earth, titanium has found a home in many different industries, including aerospace, medical and knife making. While some of these industries have been employing titanium for more than 70 years, the metal has been used in racing for nearly five decades now.

At the time it was being introduced into the racing community, titanium was used primarily in aerospace. With military grades and traceability options, in addition to titanium’s innate qualities of lightness and durability, it was seen as the metal one would use when building a plane, not a car. Yet, as engineers began to experiment with various materials to decrease the weight of their cars, they discovered that there were more options available than they had originally thought. “It’s interesting how titanium got its start

T

/ John Force Racing crew member Justin Deaton welds a rear body tree for John Force’s Funny Car body in the JFR fab shop. Photo courtesy of John Force Racing.

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50 NOVEMBER.2014

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in racing,” says James Hostetler, senior vice president at TMS Titanium. “For us, it all started when the racing community picked up titanium from aerospace surplus and found that although there is a significant cost to purchase and make parts, titanium has an increased lifecycle…It reduces assembly weights, which increases rpm and lowers resulting damage.”

For those who may not be as familiar with the metal as Hostetler is, titanium is a naturally occurring element, and as stated previously, the earth is generously stocked.

Found in the sand on beaches primarily in Asia and Australia, the titanium particles are chemically reduced, melted, forged and rolled into what becomes the usable metal that is ultimately acquired by racing engineers. The overall manufacturing process is lengthy, taking at least six months, and in some cases a year, to complete. There has been an industry-wide misconception that all titanium is manufactured in Russia, when in fact it is also produced in the United States and Asia.

Lack of exploration wasn’t the only reason why titanium had little presence in the racing industry. Another reason was due to regulations sanctioning bodies imposed upon participating teams. “We first started using titanium parts on the race car to a sizable degree around 1984,” recalls John Medlen, world championship crew chief for John Force Racing. “Titanium started gaining popularity when the NHRA began placing minimum weight requirements on race cars, allowing us to experiment with different materials.”

Today, many racing series use titanium for driver and heat protection. Many series including TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (the 2014 merger of GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series) have tight restrictions when it comes to using the material for parts, leading engineers to some of their most creative ideas when incorporating titanium into parts and engines.

While titanium has taken a bigger role in race cars, not everyone was onboard to work with the metal from the get-go. The long-standing myth that titanium is a difficult material to work with kept a lot of engineers reaching for more familiar materials, such as aluminum and steel.

Though both metals have beneficial qualities, titanium can serve as a convenient one-stop-shop for all of the qualities an engineer is looking for when creating a part, such as strength, lightness and flexibility. Though these characteristics tend to

/Warming up the Crower 7.0 Pro Dragster at the 2014 March Meet, Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, CA. Photo courtesy of T. Harrison.

/ JRobert Hight drives the Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang Funny Car. Photo courtesy of John Force Racing.

/ Courtney Force drives the Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car. Photo courtesy of John Force Racing.

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/ Drag racer Dennis “Mr. Big“ Jauregui’s ride features many Crower-manufactured titanium engine parts. Photo courtesy of T. Harrison.

be the most sought-after aspects, titanium’s use as a protectant is by far the most valuable quality that race teams benefit from.

Drag racing has enthusiastically embraced the use of titanium. Here hundreds of pounds are spinning at incredible revolutions per minute and hanging off the end of the crankshaft, mainly in the clutch and flywheel area. Additionally, the driver’s compartment is sheeted with titanium to protect the driver in the event of failure, while the bell housings are titanium to contain the clutch. Driveshafts employ titanium enclosures because they need to be lightweight, but are still strong enough to bear stress and have the ability to contain parts in case something doesn’t go as planned. The NHRA now mandates the use of titanium in several areas because of the ballistic capabilities that the metal provides, allowing drivers better impact protection.

The John Force Racing team uses titanium in similar ways for their Funny Cars and Dragsters. “We primarily use titanium in the clutch components, bell housing, pressure plate and cover, flywheel, some chassis components—basically we use it wherever we can to conserve weight and still have a high degree of strength,” Medlen explains. Medlen has rejoined the organization, working with JFR from within The Eric Medlen Project, a research and safety initiative founded in 2007

by John Force, located in the team’s Brownsburg, Indiana facility. Given Medlen’s position in The Eric Medlen project, he has become the “safety conscience” of the organization.

Formula DRIFT is another venue where an abundance of titanium is used. Nate Haugh, chief engineer and lead fabricator for Bink Industries, works closely with Formula DRIFT professional racer Joon Maeng, and has incorporated titanium into Maeng’s Lucas Oil, MavTv, Rayno Film S13 car. "The most useful application of titanium for us is the bash bars. We are able to shave off weight outside of the wheelbase and still have full protection for the driver and chassis, without compromise in design because of weight."

Considering the amount of contact drift cars are subject to while sliding in tandem with other drivers just inches from walls, titanium helps protect the frame of the chassis in the event of a crash. "We use titanium in drifting because we need a lot protection for the frame, motor and other engine vitals. Titanium provides a good crush element for the front and rear of the car. It also is used in hanging body panels, intercoolers and used for firewalls to separate the driver from radiator and oil lines," explains Haugh. These crush elements are so effective, in one instance it actually saved the car from being totaled. Other materials could have been used and they may have saved the car as well, but not without

DRAG RACER

52 NOVEMBER.2014

sacrificing the major weight savings that titanium offers. "I love the advantage of using titanium in drifting and only see continued use by more teams as time goes on."

The overall properties of titanium make it a wonder metal. An intriguing benefit of titanium is that it’s able to fix itself. Todd Harrison, president of TMS Titanium explains: “The reason that titanium is ultra-corrosion resistant is because it forms an oxide layer over its surface to fight off contaminates. If this surface is damaged, the oxide layer actually repairs itself.” Titanium can also be welded, but not to anything other than titanium. It’s a reactive metal, if it’s exposed to the atmosphere at an elevated temperature, it will absorb the oxygen from the atmosphere and weaken the welded area. There are several common ways to keep out the oxygen, such as welding in an enclosed space purged with argon, or purging the inside of the tube and trailing the torch with extra argon protection.

As one of the early adopters of titanium, John Force Racing’s two-time world championship Crew Chief Mike Neff sees the continued value of the metal: “We’ve been using titanium for many years, and as time goes on, we see it being used more and more in the racing industry. Yes, it is more expensive, but it’s worth it because it holds up longer." Neff is the crew chief for

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Robert Hight, JFR president and driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang Funny Car. Bruce Crower, mastermind behind Crower Cam and Equipment, started using titanium more than 40 years ago and has been employing it ever since, mainly through connecting rods. "We use titanium because it is 40% lighter than steel but still matches the strength. Titanium has an amazing power-to-weight ratio, and is really the perfect element for creating the ultimate race car.” A force to be reckoned with since the ’50s, Crower’s engineering genius has grown into not only a substantial enterprise, but has resulted in the creation of the Crower Cup series. The 2014 Crower Cup series was be held last summer at The Barona Drag Strip in Lakeside, California.

NASCAR teams use titanium in areas where the rules permit, which are very limited, allowing only small items such as intake valves. Indy Car is another series where titanium is allowed, but once again, only in very limited areas. Here teams find ways to work with titanium, mostly using it in specific assemblies. Sprint cars have the ability to use more titanium, and it’s employed in a lot of hardware as well as brake rotors and brackets.

While the bigger players have to use their imagination, most race teams, despite size or budget, have one goal in mind: to save weight wherever possible.

Titanium allows them to do this by shedding weight from the car and individual assemblies, thus affording engineers the opportunity to add it back in areas where they choose. The easiest way to incorporate titanium into a race car is hardware, because the metal is half the weight and similar in strength to the standard metals used. Additionally, the hardware is easy to change and provides a team immediate weight savings.

One of the main factors for titanium’s entrance into the racing world is the metal’s competition with steel and aluminum.

/ Todd Harrison, president of TMS Titanium, in the pits at the Long Beach Grand Prix 2014.

Photo courtesy of J. Hostetler.

/ Joon Maeng’s Lucas Oil, MavTv, Rayno Film S13 car on the track at the Formula Drift Road to the Championship held in Atlanta.

Photo courtesy of Rayno Film.

DRAG RACER

While the most common titanium grades used are just about the same strength as steel, titanium is 40% lighter and has better memory. When compared to aluminum, titanium is actually heavier, with the density of titanium being .163 lbs-in cubed, where the density of aluminum is .0975 lbs-in cubed (steel is .284 lbs-in cubed). The benefit that titanium has to offer over aluminum is strength. Titanium maintains its strength over a longer period of time, allowing the fabricator to use very thin material to accomplish the same task, whereas aluminum would have to be double the thickness for the required strength.

One way titanium is projected for use in the future is for fabrication, thanks to new machining and coating technologies proving to make titanium a more fabricator-friendly material.

This advancement helps solve titanium’s age-old problem of being horribly galling in any situation where it rubs against anything, such as when it’s not bolted solid. Coating technology is quickly developing to improve this issue, and the answer for the future might be a combination of coatings: a first coating to improve the hardness of the titanium, and a second to improve lubricity.

Another area that’s being explored is the driveshaft, a piece that connects the transmission to the rear axle, which could benefit from flexibility and light weight resulting in increased driveshaft speed and efficiency. ALDriveline is using titanium in its driveshaft construction. This shaft is a great start, and in the future could be coupled with additional titanium parts.

Overall, titanium is used across a diverse range of industries and possesses many exceptional qualities and benefits. Although it’s been around for many years, new uses are being explored and limits are being pushed, showing that it has much potential for the future. The racing community has become an adapter of the metal and is consistently making new discoveries and improvements for exploiting titanium in a variety of parts, all with one goal in mind, to build the ultimate race car.

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Reserve your spot in history today, for the Dedication Ceremony & 50 Years of Champions Celebration

NOVEMBER 15th, 2014 NHRA Motorsports Museum & Sheraton Conference Center Honored guests, Art Chrisman and other legends and heroes of the sport.

Museum cocktail reception, gallery dedication, dinner and 50th celebration.

Single seats for $150, reserved tables starting at $2,500

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Shifty Mach I Power Increase Demands

Quick Clutch Upgrade

Text by by Titus Bloom Photos by Moore Good Ink

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I

n its eleventh year, Gary Winter’s ’03 Mustang Mach I received a clutch upgrade. Nothing very remarkable there, you might think, as engine power increases so, too, must clutch holding power. Nor is the job arduous; that is if you have access to a lift and a transmission jack. At MV Performance the able Jason Carr completed the upgrade in around two and a half hours.

The car’s background is also worth exploring. In 2003, Winter unexpectedly needed transportation and set off to buy a pickup truck. He promptly selected the one he wanted, but came home with a new, red 4.6L Mach I Mustang instead. On his way to the sales office he caught a glimpse of the DOHC four-valve machine and changed his mind.

Since then the car has accrued 76,000 miles, and though it’s no longer a daily driver, it’s still active on the roads each month, making its way to car shows or to test and tune meets at local drag strips.

Externally the Mach I’s appearance remains unchanged, except for the Billet Specialty wheels.

/ The clutch upgrade requires the removal of the transmission and starts by disconnecting the shifter.

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In the engine bay there resides a Ford Boss 5.0L block bored and stroked, which increased the displacement from 4.6 (281 ci) to 5.3L (324 ci). Built by MV Performance of Winder, Georgia, power increased from the stock 305 hp at the flywheel to 430 hp. The induction was changed to include a Sullivan intake and the factory computer was swapped for a Big Stuff3, which increased the engine’s rev range from 7,000 to 9,000 rpm and picked up a further 75 hp.

At the rear, stock springs were used but lowered by the removal of one coil. Also

/ Remove the O2 sensors and gain access to 5 or 6 inches of additional space.

Separate all of the remaining connections on the transmission wiring harness. In addition to the O2 sensors these include power to the neutral-safety switch, back-up lights and speedometer.

/ Exhaust systems come in all configurations, but most of them, including this mild steel X-pipe system, need support when removing and refitting. / Next, detach the clutch cable from the clutch fork and mark the driveshaft flange and pinion flange to maintain former alignment later. Remove the driveshaft.

visible are Metco upper and lower control arms with Delrin bushings; earlier polyurethane bushings shattered. The axles are manufactured by Moser, and the shocks by Strange Engineering, who also provided the spool-style rearend.

For nimble quarter-mile performance, the stock transmission was incapable of fast shifting and was subsequently replaced by a TKO 500, which attaches to a Quick Time bell housing. Importantly, the transmission was sent to Liberty’s for face-plating, a process that results in rapid

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/ Disconnect and remove the starter motor and transmission.

/ Undo the bell housing and clutch cover assembly.

no-lift shifts during hard acceleration.

“I was cutting the lights at 7,800 rpm,” said Winter, “so we altered the rear gear ratio from 4.56 to 4.88:1. With the lower gear we’re aiming to exit the quarter-mile at 8,300 or 8,400 rpm.”

During the latest upgrades, the Mach I received a Ram billet aluminum flywheel and Powergrip clutch assembly. A single-disc direct-fit arrangement, the 10.5-inch flywheel is lighter than the original by around 14 pounds. Lower mass means a lower moment of inertia,

/ The original flywheel is around 14 pounds heavier than the aluminum replacement, which is a significant amount of surplus rotating weight. When Ram aluminum flywheels, which operate with a ¼-inch-thick steel friction insert to dissipate heat faster, are exposed to excessive heat, they can be resurfaced and live again.

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/ On the right is Ram’s King Cobra pressure plate, which has a lighter pedal effort than its standard Powergrip set for these Mustangs. Holding power is rated around 550 hp and provides a nice balance of drivability and dragstrip performance.

/ Install the flywheel and single-clutch disc. This single disc introduces two different types of friction pads: the organic side operates with the flywheel and the metallic side with the pressure plate.

/ Attach the starter motor, and then fit the slave yoke to the rearend of the transmission to align the input shaft with the clutch splines as the transmission is raised into position.

/ Attach the cover assembly. Note the alignment tool that inserts through the splines of the clutch disc and engages in the end of the crankshaft, centralizing the disc in the clutch assembly.

/ Using leverage on the clutch fork, pull it forward and install the clutch cable. Aim for approximately ¼ inch free play between the throw-out bearing and the clutch. Free play is regulated at the firewall adjuster.

/ Secure the new throw-out bearing to the clutch fork.

/ Finally, connect the driveshaft, the exhaust and the electrical connections on the transmission wiring harness.

/ Next, install the bell housing. This Quick Time model is a spun steel safety shield—not rolled or stamped—and certified for drag racing applications. It accommodates the TKO 500 transmission as well as the T5 Mustang and Tremec 3550

which translates to faster response, which means faster acceleration and deceleration as well as less wheelspin. The increased clamping pressure of the new flywheel-clutch system accommodates power increases up to 550 hp while maintaining light pedal operation.

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SOURCE RAM CLUTCHES 803.788.6034 RAMCLUTCHES.COM MV PERFORMANCE WINDER, GEORGIA 770.725.7862 MVPERFORMANCE.COM

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NHRA’S TH 50 FINALS A HALF-CENTURY OF GUT-WRENCHING ACTION Text by Susan Wade Photos by Ron Lewis he Blackhawk helicopter was circling over Baghdad, and the U.S. Army pilot was on his cell phone in those dangerous skies in 2006, connected to his NHRA buddies at the Auto Club Finals at Pomona, California. He wanted to know the outcome of Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher’s finalround run.

The championship was hanging in the balance. Doug Kalitta had lead the standings for the entire second half of the season and had his first championship locked up, unless Schumacher could win the final round against Melanie Troxel with a national record-setting elapsed time.

In 4.428 seconds, Schumacher did just that, clinching his fourth of seven championships in the U.S. Army Dragster.

Somehow, amid dozens of stunning twists of racing fortune throughout drag racing’s decades, this pass will live in legend simply as “The Run.”

T

Funny Car icon John Force heard Schumacher tell that story and said he had his own motivation that year to win his 14th of 16 series titles. “I didn’t have a Blackhawk helicopter,” Force deadpanned, “but I had eight or nine creditors hanging around.”

He said Ford Racing Technology Director Dan Davis whacked him on the helmet and told him as he sat in the staging lanes in his Castrol GTX Mustang that day, “You will win this championship, or I will fire you,” Force told us. “That’s really how it goes down in drag racing.”

As this 50th edition of the NHRA’s Finals, or World Finals, approaches, the sport has seen dramatic finishes to the season at six different venues, under the sponsorship umbrella of Winston then Coca-Cola (Powerade, Full Throttle, MelloYello), with a diverse cast of racers from the well-known to the dark horses and featuring an evolution of vehicles. Moreover, they have been framed by several formats from an invitational for division champions to a points system to the current Countdown to the Championship. It has wrapped up seasons that consisted of five or fewer national events to the current schedule of 24.

Tracing the path to this year’s 50th Finals is this selective recollection of

/ Unheralded Bennie “The Wizard” Osborn won back-toback T/F Championships (’67 and ’68) by beating Don Prudhomme and John Mulligan.

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heart-pounding action and sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking results.

TULSA, OKLAHOMA (1965-1968) During its first nine seasons, the Finals was the championship event. Division and regional champions represented their local areas, much like today’s JEGS Allstars sportsman extravaganza that takes place at the Joliet, Illinois event. Whoever won this invitation-only race earned the title.

Maynard Rupp stole the 1965 spotlight in Top Fuel before a reported 37,000 fans that October day at Southwest Raceway and in front of National Dragster and NBC television color cameras. TV game-show host Bill Cullen, who loved mechanics and had once aspired to a racing career, supplied the commentary.

Rupp made a solo pass to win the inaugural. His lovely parting gifts from this popular show included a new Mustang, $1,000 in merchandise from torquewrench giant P. A. Sturtevant, $2,000 in contingency awards and two cams (Crower & Isky), a Teleflex tachometer, a Bell fire suit and a set of wheels from Motor Wheel Corporation.

The following fall, Ed Schartman drove Roy Steffy’s S/XS Mercury Comet to both ends of the class national record at 8.61

/ Ed Miller shocked the troops by winning the ’67 SS Crown and a cool $10,000 from George Hurst, the largest payout at an NHRA event.

/ Shirl Greer suffered a tremendous qualifying run fire.

Burned and bandaged, he left the hospital to race his patched-up ride and won the ’74 FC World Championship.

seconds, 172.72 mph and beat Don Nicholson to become the first Funny Car world champ. Pete Robinson scored the Top Fuel victory, setting the pace with a 7.19-second elapsed time in the semifinals.

Favorite son Bennie Osborn put his Okie stamp on the Finals at Tulsa. Osborn wasn’t a familiar name nationally in 1967, but he knew Southwest Raceway intimately and used that to become the first to win back-to-back Top Fuel

/ Bob Glidden was in third place, trailing by 330 points coming into 1974’s final race. He set the National E.T. record, won the event and his first World Championship.

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championships. With help in the 1967 semifinal from Steve Carbone, who clicked off his engine early, believing his holeshot had done the trick, Osborn advanced to a showdown with Don Prudhomme. The legend, in the Pink-Baney Ford that ran in the six-second range, morphed into “The Snake,” but Osborn was “The Wizard.” He wove his top-end magic, pulling away from Prudhomme for the title. Shockingly, the event’s biggest winner financially was the

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/ Don Garlits said, “My greatest win was the 1975 NHRA Finals at Ontario, California.” he qualified #1, set national E.T. and Speed records, won the race and T/F Championship.

/ The move to the World Finals’ current home in Pomona seemed to have been fortuitous for Kenny Bernstein. He won the event six times: four in T/F and two in F/C.

unheralded Ed Miller and his ’65 Plymouth who captured the Super Stock crown and with it the $10,000 cash prize, the largest ever in NHRA competition, which was posted by George Hurst.

The next year, Osborn repeated (against John Mulligan) as six cameras transmitted closed circuit World Finals coverage to theaters nationwide. With Osborn no longer a surprise, Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins created the buzz of the event. He had his bases covered in the Street and Super Stock categories. He had three “Grumpy’s Toys” on the property, with hired driver Ed Hedrick piloting the two Camaros. Hedrick lost in the Modified final in the ’67 Camaro, and Jenkins was Super Stock runner-up in his ’68 Chevy Nova in 1968 to Dave Strickler, who relied on a Jenkins-built small-block Chevy engine in his SS/F Z28.

Jenkins had hauled Strickler’s car in a fully

enclosed double-deck car transporter (one borrowed from a York, Pennsylvania dealership). So Grumpy arrived in style, not just with a fleet of highly competitive race cars, but also with a trailer that put him way ahead of his peers. So he, like Osborn, had left an unmistakable impression on the competition.

DALLAS, TEXAS (1969-1970) Carbone atoned for his gaffe with the 1970 Top Fuel title as the Finals headed south to Dallas. Ronnie Martin (Top Fuel), Gene Snow (Funny Car) and Ronnie Sox (Pro Stock) ushered out the Dallas era with championships.

AMARILLO, TEXAS (1971-1973) Jerry Ruth, the Northwest’s self-

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proclaimed king, indeed earned his crown in 1973. In the Finals’ last season in the Texas panhandle, two Seattle natives duked it out: Ruth and Gary Beck. “I knew how good he was. I raced him a lot,” Ruth, who won in the Pay-N-Pak entry, said.

Beck, who helped build Seattle’s iconic Space Needle as an apprentice bricklayer in the ’60s, was proud of his region’s showing: “That’s two Northwest cars in the final round of what then was the championship.”

But Ruth, who was, and still is, notoriously uninhibited about trumpeting his skills, drew this wisecrack from a National Dragster writer: “The only bad thing about Ruth’s win is the fact that now everyone will have to listen to him expound upon his World Championship for the next year!”

ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA (1974-1980) The Finals found a new home in 1974 at Ontario Motor Speedway, and with the venue change came a format change. The Finals no longer was an invitational, with points determining the champions. Don Garlits (Top Fuel), Dave Condit (Funny Car) and Bob Glidden (Pro Stock) won the event, but based on points accumulated all season, Beck, Shirl Greer and Glidden had the distinction of being the first national series champions in 1974.

Beck earned his first of two Top Fuel

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championships that year, thanks to a comfortable point margin entering the event. The driver with the most dramatic story that weekend was Georgia native and longtime Tennessee resident Greer. He entered the Finals 174 points behind Funny Car leader Paul Smith, and his prospects of closing the gap dimmed considerably with a devastating fire during Saturday qualifying. That blaze put him in the hospital with severe burns to his hands and face, and it incinerated the rear tires and the back half of his Ford Mustang.

Smith failed to qualify for the race, so he and the crew of his ironically named Fireball Vega rebuilt Greer’s engine and the back half of his car. They worked overnight, and the car sported a patchwork-like appearance. Greer plodded through his pain, borrowed a fire suit from Al Hanna and gloves from Prudhomme, and slipped back into his cobbled-together car on race day.

Greer beat Leroy Chadderton in the first round but exploded the supercharger. It didn't matter, because Prudhomme’s second-round loss gave Greer the $10,000 championship by 23 points over Smith. Brian Greer remarked of his late father, “To all of us, Dad was always larger than life. Superman didn't have anything on him.”

No one in Pro Stock that weekend had anything for Glidden. He won both the season title and the Supernationals trophy, raking in a whopping $25,000. His performance was stunning, considering he entered 330 points off leader Wally Booth’s pace and 293 behind Wayne Gapp. He drove his Ford Pinto to a national elapsed-time record worth 200 points, advanced farther than Booth (who dropped out early with mechanical trouble), edged Gapp in their final-round blast, and took the first of his class-best 10 championships.

The next year Garlits, Prudhomme and Glidden were the first Winston champions, as the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company began its powerful sponsorship reign. “My greatest win was the 1975 NHRA Finals at Ontario, California,” Garlits said. “The deck was stacked against me from the get-go, but I prevailed and set both ends of the record that held for seven years! I came to Ontario to win the World Championship, and I knew it would take the sport’s best-ever clockings.” He left no honor unswiped, becoming the first to top the 250-mph plateau, qualifying No. 1, posting a series of 5.6- and 5.7-second runs to rewrite the national E.T. standard, and running away from Herm Petersen in the final. This was first of his three Top Fuel titles.

Beck closed his career 2-for-4 in six final rounds at the Finals (at four different sites), curiously with none of them coming in his championship seasons of 1974 and 1983.

Glidden continued his march, scoring six Finals victories in seven years at Ontario. In 1978, he became the first and only driver in any category to reach the finals at every event in the series (nine).

Rob Bruins claimed the dubious distinction in 1979 of earning a title without having won a single event all season, a feat unrepeated until 2008, when three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Eddie Krawiec walked away from Pomona with his first.

Shirley Muldowney won the second of her three Winston Top Fuel titles in 1980 at Ontario, which shut down weeks later, giving way to commercial development. And she did it in grand style, barging her way from third place in a four-driver dogfight to best Gary Beck, Jeb Allen and Marvin Graham.

/ Joe Amato took a bittersweet win over ’89 champ Gary Ormsby. The championship went down to the final run of the final race of ’90. Amato prevailed and Gary died the following year.

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ORANGE COUNTY/IRVINE, CALIFORNIA (1981-1983) Beck book-ended the NHRA Finals’ run at OCIR, first with a disappointment, then with a triumph. He and Jeb Allen provided the Top Fuel drama in 1981. Beck defeated Dwight Salisbury for the race victory but lost the bigger prize, the Winston series championship, to Allen by a mere three points, the class’ narrowest margin under that point system.

Beck had one last shot in finals to take the title. He had to run quicker than 5.641 seconds, faster than 247.93 mph and win.

Salisbury shut off early, and Beck won with a 5.57 E.T. that at the time was the quickest in drag-racing history. P.A. Announcer Dave McClelland declared, “He's got the time!” Meanwhile, an amped-up Allen was screaming for news of the speed. McClelland gathered himself and informed the crowd, including Allen, “For want of 2 miles per hour, Gary Beck has missed the world championship.” Beck had registered a 245.23-mph speed.

Just like she bade farewell to Ontario, Muldowney did the same at Orange County International Raceway by winning the 1983 Final. Warren Johnson won back-to-back Finals in 1982-83, a decade before he started earning his six series crowns at Pomona.

/ DSR has experienced the highs and lows of World Finals racing. Experiencing wins with Tony, Beckman, Brown and Hagan, but seeing Capps leave as runner-up four times, losing once by just two points.

In a good-bye salute to perhaps the NHRA’s most fabled track, the 1983 Finals at OCIR saw a spate of record-breaking performances, with John Lombardo emerging as Funny Car winner and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Terry Vance winning his second of only two bike races that year.

Beck also finally scored his second Top Fuel championship.

POMONA, CALIFORNIA (1984-PRESENT) Each November, this current home of the Finals at the Los Angeles County Fairplex wakes up with fans cheering on the sport’s greatest stars. Kenny Bernstein won here six times: four times in a Top Fuel dragster, twice in a Funny Car. This is where Joe Amato sealed five Top Fuel

/ Team Force has also experienced joy and sorrow, but have accumulated an astounding 18 Championships, with John scoring 16 himself.

/ Hagan and Force have fought to an F/C Championship draw, each taking one crown from the other.

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championships. Where John Force finally achieved the stature for which he’d struggled, where his rags-to-riches story blossomed as he recorded eight Finals victories in 15 total at Pomona and celebrated all 16 of his championships and two more as a car owner.

Pomona Raceway, now Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, was the stage for all of Tony Schumacher’s seven championships and his most recent in 2009, when he nosed three-time champion and keen rival Larry Dixon by just two points. Schumacher had lost dominating Crew Chief Alan Johnson to the new Al-Anabi Racing team that hired Dixon, and Schumacher defied critics who said he’d never win a race again, let alone a championship. The U.S. Army Dragster driver presented his championship trophy to the soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas, where a shooting days before had claimed 13 lives.

He won by qualifying No. 1 and gaining two points on Dixon. Both lost in the semifinals, so that made the difference.

“That run was bone-crushing, weight-ofthe-world pressure, and that U.S. Army team came through. We knew we had one shot at low E.T. and that extra point that would help us control our own destiny,” said the standout who claims to like what he calls big moments. “I was blessed with the greatest team that gave me the ability to make that one shot.”

But for every Schumacher title is a Cory McClenathan calamity, as in 1992, when Cory Mac skipped the Montreal race for financial reasons and ended up losing the series title by nine points. He won the Finals, and had he done nothing more than qualify at Montreal, he would have earned enough points to pass Amato for the crown.

For every triumph, such as Antron Brown’s Top Fuel title by virtue of Brandon Bernstein beating Brown’s teammate

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Schumacher in the 2012 Finals showdown, is a stunning disappointment. A blatant example is Jack Beckman’s two-point Funny Car championship run that same year that relegated Don Schumacher Racing colleague Ron Capp to his four-time runner-up status. “I don't know what to say, man,� the completely dejected Capps said. “It's heartbreaking. It’s going to be tough to sit at the table [with Beckman at the awards ceremony the next day].�

Or it’s the hard lesson learned when Funny Car’s Matt Hagan battled Force in points in 2010 and got knocked out of contention by Bob Tasca. However, Hagan came back the following year and won the championship.

It includes the bittersweet victories, such as Amato’s 1990 duel with Gary Ormsby.

The title came down to one ďŹ nal-round, winner-take-all match. Ormsby redlighted, and Amato had the third of his ďŹ ve crowns, but he said, with “mixed emotions. I remember he congratulated me and went over and sat in his van and he was looking dejected. I remember that next year he had cancer and ended up dying.â€? The victory, in retrospect, Amato said, “was good and bad at the same time. You're happy you won, but‌he was a good guy. There’s a winner and a loser in everything. That’s life, but that’s my memory of Gary Ormsby.â€?

Surely Force remembers his tenacity in the 1992 Finals at Pomona and of losing his bid for a third straight championship.

Relentless Cruz Pedregon had made him crazy, and John decided if he were to go down, he’d go down swinging. He’d hit the wall in the previous race in Dallas, trying so hard to regain his points lead, and in qualifying he ended up rolling his Mustang onto its roof, sliding down the strip.

UnqualiďŹ ed, his crew ďŹ xed the damage and he managed to slip into the ďŹ eld in his last chance. Pedregon interrupted Force’s title streak, but that weekend Force proved his passion.

The 1984 Pomona Final saw the ďŹ rst of 30 years of surprises with privateer Funny Car driver Sherm Gunn capturing the event trophy. From the nondescript No. 11 starting position, Gunn took aim at Kenny Bernstein, then Don Prudhomme, knocking out both on holeshots. Then he eliminated Billy Meyer in the Chief Auto Parts/7-Eleven entry. Gunn earned his only national-event trophy by beating Mark Oswald and the Candies & Hughes Trans-Am. What surprises, satisfactions and sorrows await this year’s racers? It’s always worth the price of a ticket to ďŹ nd out.

/ One of the greatest World Finals upsets: In ’84 Sherm Gunn plowed through a heavyweight field to claim his one and only F/C Wally.

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THE MERCHANTS OF SPEED

BY ALAN PARADISE, PHOTOS BY ALAN PARADISE AND COMP CAMS

COMPETITION CAMS

/ Bob Glidden was one of the first “big names” to choose COMP Cams.

The relationship spanned from 1979 until he retired in 1997.

During that time he amassed more wins than any other driver in NHRA history.

h e mid ’70s was a pivotal time in American history. As the country prepared to celebrate its bicentennial, much of the nation was in serious change. The oil embargo had driven up the price of gas to the ridiculous amount of $1 a gallon. Drivers were discarding their big American iron for Toyotas, Hondas and Datsuns; yet, born within this turmoil was opportunity. Eager performance enthusiasts purchased and improved the discarded muscle that was so dominant just a few years earlier.

As performance from the showroom declined, attendance at the most American of motorsports, drag racing, reached new heights. It was during this time that a second wave of iconic performance companies was born.

Perhaps the most notable and successful is Competition Cams, better known in the pits and on the street as COMP Cams.

Like many great ideas, COMP Cams was born more out of necessity than a longterm dream. In the midst of the mild

T

recession of 1976, John McWhirter, Ivan Smiltniks, Tom Woitesek and Bob Woodward—drag racers looking for a way to support their on-track efforts—created Racing Head Service, which catered to the high-performance and racing community in the Memphis, Tennessee area. During this time the need for specific cam grinds became urgent. Building a vast array of engines for a wide range of performance applications created a desire to better understand every aspect of what specific cams could provide for their engine sets.

This lead to tailoring cams for a multitude of performance applications. In speaking with Chris Douglas, vice president of COMP Cams, he explained the company’s start. “Competition was born out of Racing Head Service. The business expanded from building cylinder heads to complete engines. Eventually the partners found they needed to know more about camshafts in order to push the envelope of performance.”

The thirst for discovery coupled with the wait time for the highest quality cams biting into their cash flow, pushed the

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decision that crafting their own cams would be a better option. “It didn’t take long before the investment in equipment, knowledge and personnel began to pay dividends. From here Competition Cams was born,” Douglas added.

Innovation is often linked with unrest.

With the original partner group split as to the vision of the complete operation, there was an amicable parting of the ways between the Racing Head Services and COMP Cams operations. In fact, McWhirter and the COMP Cams team set up shop very close to Racing Head Service.

“The only thing separating the two operations was literally a parking lot,” Douglas recalled.

From that point the two companies took drastically different paths. While Racing Head Service retained a mostly regional clientele, COMP Cams began an aggressive approach to reach a rapidly growing national performance enthusiast base. With roots in drag racing, its first inroads were in sportsman classes, which spilled over to Main Street. If it had a green light and two lanes of blacktop, COMP Cams carved out a reputation for optimum performance. Soon it was challenging the established brands.

By combining superior performance with upper-level quality at a popular price, COMP Cams became the hot ticket, especially for street-to-strip drag racers. Thanks to its quarter-mile success mixed with a strong street presence, COMP Cams achieved an all-important youth market following. Its formula of creating ideal lift and duration combinations for the most abundant engines, small-block Chevy and Fords, the brand became a staple at speed shops and with engine builders.

Everyone at COMP Cams came from success on the strip. Their goal was to get high-level professionals to jump from older camshaft brands to the new kid on the block. Messing with drivers’ and crew chiefs’ comfort zones was no easy task.

Once one A-lister found the COMP Cams formula for victory, it was believed others would follow.

“One of the first big names to take on COMP Cams was Bob Glidden,” Douglas revealed. “That was a pretty big deal as he was one of the best in the business.” By

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1979 Glidden was a star in the ultracompetitive NHRA Pro Stock class. “To make the move to use an up and coming brand was not done without proof our cams could perform at the apex of the class. It was a bold move as dollars, points and championships were on the line on each pass,” he said. McWhirter and company put it all on the line to prove their product was not only capable of making Glidden’s car competitive, but was able to provide a clear advantage. At the end of the season, Glidden and COMP Cams were number one, winning seven major events, a feat only matched that year by the legendary Funny Car driver Don “The Snake” Prudhomme.

Glidden’s success brought more converts to COMP Cams. The professional exposure equaled even greater street credibility. This created a challenge to fill demands for both venues while maintaining quality. The ideal to never compromise durability and performance lead to an even more sterling reputation.

By the mid ’80s, COMP Cams had achieved success by performing on the grassroots racing level, the street and the all-important professional level. The company built by enthusiasts was flying high. Little did they know this was only a fraction of what was to come.

Auto racing is a remarkably incestuous business. When drivers find an advantage in one niche, word quickly spreads to other forms of the sport. Soon teams in dirt track and stock car racing were on COMP Cams’ doorstep. By this time a state-ofthe-art research and manufacturing facility was in place. This fueled even more opportunity and growth.

The evolution of the drag racing was

/ According to Douglas, “John Force has been a long-time supporter of COMP Cams. We’ve enjoyed the relationship with the entire Force family.”

/ No speed parts vendor would be without COMP Cams’ extensive product line for classic and modern V-8 engines.

/ There is a wide range of brands under the COMP Performance Group umbrella, including Inglese Induction and ZEX Nitrous.

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THE MERCHANTS OF SPEED ideal for COMP Cams. Perhaps the most notable aspect was the rapid growth of bracket racing. This style of racing promoted the sport to millions of potential participants. With budget no longer a hindrance, builders of everything from blown big-blocks to turbocharged Hondas could literally dial-in their level of racing.

This not only fed the cam business, but was perfectly timed as COMP Cams added to its expanding high-performance parts line. Now there were valvetrain components, transmissions, intake manifolds, heads, induction units, ignition products, starters, clutch kits, nitrous kits and instrumentation, all of which are designed to be sold and installed as standalone improvements or combined for optimum performance.

With the advent of today’s modern muscle cars, the COMP Cam family of brands found ways to really stretch its wings. “The modern muscle car has really been a blessing, not only for our company, but the industry as a whole. It has introduced performance to the next generation,” Douglas said. The rebirth of the Camaro, Mustang, Challenger and Charger has also reignited the performance passions of the COMP Cams’ consumer base of the ’70s. “We have continued to evolve, creating new products that work with the newest technology,” he added. This is evident in the new phaser technology designed to advance and retard the camshaft timing based on the load of the engine. “These very complex systems require a great deal of engineering to get it right. It would have been easy to decide to simply lock it out and stay within the borders of what is comfortable. We didn’t go that route,” he proclaimed. Instead, COMP Cams went through extensive effort to unlock the otherwise hidden potential of newer engine platforms. The result can yield as much as an additional 70-80 hp in modern street V-8 engines.

The second part of the modern-day performance puzzle was installation. In older V-8 engines, it’s a fairly uncomplicated project. With newer cars, the concern is how to create straight forward installations. Tremendous effort has gone into developing more detailed instructions and informative videos. “It has been and will always be our customer service that is at the heart of our business model. We have a very robust tech

THE EVOLUTION OF THE BRAND

/ First Competition Cams logo

/ The famous Cam Burst

/ Next came the Disco Era Bubble Letters.

/ To the present Corporate ID

support program.” Douglas noted. Be it online in downloadable tips or through the large video/YouTube presence, there is a wealth of accessible information on the entire line of products. “At the core of the customer service program is the more than 50-technically advanced people that man our information center. In the day of high-tech electronic information, one-onone conversations, be they by phone, live chat, Twitter or email, are our strongest and most effective connection with our street, sportsman and professional users,” he added. Technical support is by no means limited to the home office. At every NHRA event, a team of COMP Cam product specialists are available to handle all levels of inquiries.

What started out as an offshoot of necessity, has become a global brand.

From a shop “across the parking lot” to a modern 120,000-square-foot facility, COMP Cams is poised to take automotive performance to the next level. And that original staff of three is now a proud team of 250 helping to achieve annual revenues approaching the 40-million dollar mark.

COMP Cams is one of most successful automotive aftermarket companies on the planet. And it all started with a group of enthusiasts who loved going fast in a straight line.

OUR INSIDE SOURCE Chris Douglas is more than a man with a degree in Business and Marketing. He is, first and foremost, a performance enthusiast with deep racing roots. Hailing from Jackson, Tennessee, he is from a

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racing family. He grew up first watching then helping his father, a successful circle track driver. He started racing go-karts at age 8 and steadily moved up the racing food chain. “I was that guy who wanted to be the next Jeff Gordon,” he was proud to say. He pursued that dream to the upper levels of the highly competitive Southern circuits and even tested for what is now NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. “I was blessed to have success, but the timing was never right to get the sponsorships to jump to the highest of levels,” he recalls.

Logic and wisdom took over, and Chris sought higher education, focusing on Business and Marketing at the University of North Alabama. As he puts it, “I selected that college partly because it was close to the engine builder I was working and racing for at the time. I guess some people can boast they selected a college because of academics or sports. My choice was due to its proximity to my racing.” UNA is known for the excellence of its Business and Marketing programs, so it was a winwin decision.

Chris found a home at COMP Cams and now serves as its vice president of marketing. It’s his foundation in competition combined with a high level of education and practical experience that has brought him to this professional level.

“Whether it was circle track or drag racing, the principals and understanding for the passion and commitment that goes into each are the same,” Douglas concluded.

That same attitude runs deep though the COMP Cams ranks, helping to make it one of the primary merchants of speed.

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Designed for up to 500+ additional horsepower

In the last few years nitrous flow rates have seen a considerable increase in demand. Jet sizing and nitrous flow rates have therefore seen substantial increases resulting in further demand on current plate injection technology. To a large degree, nozzle bars on current injector plates are constructed with an OD (outside diameter) of 5/32”. Standard (older plates) work fine on lower HP levels they were designed for.

To meet the challenge of larger flow rates desired by today’s racers, two important factors needed to be considered, volume and distribution. N/S has introduced a larger diameter 3/16” OD nitrous spray bar in conjunction with nearly twice as many, but smaller diameter precision drilled holes. The end result is not only superior volume, but also a substantial increase in distribution and atomization qualities! To get volume, we could simply drill larger holes. However, if we were to do that, the nitrous flowing out at a very high pressure would allow too high of a pneumatic pressure or energy. This “garden hose” affect pushes all the nitrous and fuel toward the sides of the plenum, nullifying any acceptable distribution gains. The trick is to take most of this “energy” out of the discharging nitrous by making smaller holes, but more of them. By taking out this “massive” discharge, superior control of the distribution of nitrous is the result.

In summation, the combination of a larger diameter nitrous spray bar in conjunction with a higher quantity of precision-drilled holes, allows for more volume potential along with the benefit of aiding atomization with smaller droplets of fuel.

5/32 tube 3/16 tube

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DR.1411-94-COMP.qxp 8/18/14 10:45 PM Page 94

THE TECHNOLOGY ADVANTAGE

BY DAN HODGDON

THE COMP PERFORMANCE GROUP TRAILER SUPPORTS DRAG RACERS AROUND THE UNITED STATES ach week across the country thousands of drag racers take to the track. It doesn’t matter if their name is Force, Schumacher or everyman Joe Racer, each one is pursuing a thirst for performance that has to be quenched.

The COMP Performance Group (CPG), made up of performance brands including COMP Cams, FAST, TCI, RHS and ZEX, understands this passion as the company is made up of current and former racers. For this reason you can find its display trailer and employees supporting dozens of drag racing events every year.

“We try to have our trailer in front of as many of our customers as possible,” says CPG Contingency Coordinator Billy Carroll. “We use it both as a support and an exposure vehicle. When mapping out the route the trailer needs to take each year we start by selecting the key events that we would like to make sure we hit.

Once we have the primary locations chosen, we then look at what other events fall on the weekends in between and what is possible to attend without getting the trailer too far off course.”

The CPG trailer goes to a variety of events such as the NHRA U.S. Nationals, Summernationals and more, and has the ability to support everyone from Top Fuel teams to Super Street competitors. It can also be spotted at a variety of sportsman-specific races like the JEGS Cajun SPORTSnationals and a wide range of NMCA and NMRA shows. CPG also uses a second trailer dedicated to West Coast events, to cut down truck drivers’ time and miles.

Each trailer showcases new and popular products, plus related literature, and is staffed by folks who know the products inside and out. “The trailer gives the racer a chance to look at new products in person, discuss them with our technicians and take a new catalog or product brochure home,” Carroll explains.

COMP Cams and its sister brands were born from drag racers who did it all themselves. As a result, CPG understands the value of having

E

knowledgeable techs on hand and parts available to solve problems so the weekend warrior can get as much track time possible.

“In case a racer needs a new replacement part at the track, the trailer is stocked with our most common part numbers,” Carroll says. Those parts could range from a replacement for a broken valve spring, a torque converter with a different stall from what a racer has previously been running, a new inline fuel pump or dozens of other items.

The trailer also acts as a home base for CPG staff working the event. A racer knows to head that way to get tech assistance. If their car needs to be checked, they can have a CPG staffer contact a coworker in the pits and direct them to the racer in need of assistance.

“Most teams do not have the need or budget for full-time specialists, so having our techs attend as many events as possible gives every racer access to the best advice and product knowledge in the industry,” says David Ising, Technical Services Manager overseeing the techs for all CPG brands. “We take pride in helping racers win with our parts and our expertise, and because of that mindset we put a special emphasis on having internal representatives at each and every event.”

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Sportsman racers are the bread and butter of the COMP Performance Group business, so it’s just good business sense to be present at the events they attend.

But the support doesn’t stop at the track.

The CPG brands also support racers in a variety of classes with a contingency program designed to reward them for running CPG products. Racers have many choices when purchasing performance parts, so the COMP Performance Group tries to give back to its customers and provide an added bonus when they win with a CPG component. Plus, if a racer wins yearly with the same part, the payouts will continue over time.

The underlying benefit that results from both the trailer and contingency programs is that the COMP Performance Group builds long-lasting relationships with its customers, with the hope that each positive experience will keep them coming back.

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DR.1411-98-CARB_tl.qxp 8/18/14 10:49 PM Page 98

CARBURETOR CLASS

BY LIZ MILES

PRESENTED BY

ALL ABOUT INTAKES, PART 2 ast month we went over the basic types of intake manifolds. We covered single planes, dual planes and tunnel ram-style intakes and how each of them works with carburetion and fuel injection. This month we are getting into the more techy stuff, and maybe some things you didn’t think you wanted to know thanks to one of our engineers, Jim Dralle.

L

RUNNER LENGTH The difference in length between a standard dual-plane intake and a tunnel-ram style intake is pretty obvious. Runner length is extremely important to “optimize the acoustic wave timing in the inlet tract so that acoustic wave aids in starting the flow

/ Single-plane manifold, Chevy small-block

into the cylinder during valve overlap.”

That’s our engineer talking, what does that mean? The length of the runner can facilitate the cylinder with the fuel mixture at the right time using the pattern of the engine pulses. Due to the restrictions of the tight packaging of a single- or dual-plane intake, proper runner length is almost never achieved.

A tunnel ram type, however, does give the designer the opportunity to create more ideal lengths. Once that length is settled, the exhaust primary tube size and tube length needs to be matched.

less air restriction. The layout greatly benefits the performance of the intake manifold by reducing flow restriction and providing good air and fuel distribution to the cylinders.

RUNNER CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA Cross-sectional area, or CSA, is just as important as runner length. It controls the air velocity in the intake manifold and port. If the CSA is too small, velocities will be too high and the runner will be restrictive during the downward suction stroke of the intake cycle. If the CSA is too large, velocities will be too low and the momentum of the charge as the piston comes to the bottom and begins to move upward will not be taken full advantage of, which will reduce the amount of air that makes it into the cylinder. The CSA has a tight relationship with both the piston bore area and the flow of the intake port. If either is increased, the CSA will likely need to be as well.

RUNNER TAPER VS. CONSTANT CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA Runner taper is usually found in single-plane intakes. The taper levels out any peaks and valleys in the incoming air charge to smooth out the torque curve. It also tends to increase air flow, an important quality in a singleplane intake. Dual-plane intakes usually

RUNNER LAYOUT

/ Dual-plane manifold, Chevy small-block

This is simple, the straighter the shot from the carburetor or throttle body, the

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NOVEMBER.2014

/ Tunnel ram manifold, Chevy small-block

benefit from a constant CSA, where air speed and stability are less of an issue.

Where stronger pressure wave signals in the runners seem to improve the amount of air-fuel charge, the engine will draw.

PLENUM VOLUME AND CARB/THROTTLE BODY CHOICE Like runner length, proper plenum volume aids in producing optimum acoustic wave timing. A plenum that isn’t large enough can restrict air flow while one that is oversized is less of a problem. Without the right carburetor or throttle body, none of the items we discussed above can be used to their full potential. The wrong carburetor has more of an affect on the way the intake manifold design aids in performance, while port fuel injection with a throttle body is less picky. You can generally keep going up in throttle body CFM until performance stops increasing.

We have covered a lot, and this kind of information can often leave you with more questions, as some of this engineering talk can get a bit out there.

You should definitely be able to impress your friends at your next dinner party with all of your knowledge on intake manifolds.

DR_1411_99 8/26/14 1:16 AM Page 99

DR.1411-100-GOOSE_M.CX.qxp 8/27/14 8:26 AM Page 100

THE MONGOO$E JOURNALS

BY TOM “THE MONGOO$E” MCEWEN

THE ’GOO$E IS JUMPIN’ y friends, it’s been a busy stretch of time for your old Mongoo$e, and I want to share with you all that’s been going on. The AAA of Southern California recently held its annual employee car show, and as always, a grand time was had by all attendees. There was great live music, good food and neat cars, including nostalgia drag cars, especially the nitro cacklers. The day wrapped up with an autograph session starring three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, driver of Triple A’s Indy Car entry. A/Fuel dragster pilot Megan McKernan and yours truly also broke out our Sharpies to sign for the Triple A folks.

I was also given the opportunity to attend the open house at SEMA’s Garage/Industry Innovations Center. The facility has a dyno lab and a fully certified test center, complete with expert staff available to help members through the testing process. It’s also available to help manufacturers develop automotive parts and accessories from start to finish; this is one amazing operation. SEMA’s fighting the good fight to keep speed parts available to us all.

If you haven’t been to the NHRA Motorsports Museum lately, you really need to check it out. There have been major changes made. You won’t believe the new Gallery of Speed. They went all out to create an exciting interactive environment. When you go, pack a lunch, because you’re gonna want to spend some serious time there. They invited me to the soft opening for museum board members, sponsors and other museum special guests, which was a sneak preview of all of the neat stuff, and then again when it was open to the media. I’ll talk all day long to folks about what a great place this is.

I got a note from my old friend Bill Doner, the CEO of London Bridge Raceway Park in Lake Havasu, Arizona.

They’ve moved the track’s office to the track site, and are preparing necessary engineering and environmental studies.

They’re still shooting for a 2015 groundbreaking for the 110-acre project.

Another dragstrip in this part of the world will be very welcome.

M

/ The AAA Employee Car Show was another success (left to right): HelioCastroneves, ’Goo$e and Megan McKernan.

/ A gaggle of cackle cars provided the evening entertainment for SEMA’s open house.

/ (Left to right) Steve Gibbs, Art Chrisman and ’Goo$e. Gibbs, former NHRA director of competition, was a good friend of Wally Parks and has been very active in the museum. Chrisman is represented in two of the new Gallery of Speed exhibits.

100 NOVEMBER.2014

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DR_1411 8/19/14 1:16 PM Page 102

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DR_1411 8/19/14 1:16 PM Page 103

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Mongoose & Snake Dvd’s & Collectables Hot Wheels & Posters, DVD’s, Diecast, T-Shirts, Collector Pins, Model Kits and Handouts, Nostalgia to New P.O. Box Box 9253 Fountain Valley, CA 92708 E-Mail: msrc@socal.rr.com EBAY MEMBER - MSRC 511

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DR_1411 8/19/14 1:16 PM Page 105

DR.1411-106-AD INDEX 8/25/14 12:39 AM Page 106

ADVERTISERS INDEX ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE Accufab, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Advanced Fuel Ignition Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Aeromotive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Aerospace Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Air Flow Research Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Altair Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Ariaspistons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 ARP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 ATI Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Auto Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Automobile Club Of So. Calif. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Blower Drive Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Browell Bellhousing, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 CFE Racing Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Chris Alston's Chassisworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 CP Carillo, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Crower Cams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Currie Enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Danchuk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18-19 Dart Machinery LTD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Fuelab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Good Vibrations Motorsports . . . . . . . . . . . . .40-41 GRP Connecting Rods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Harbor Freight Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Heidts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Holley Performance Products . . . . . . . . . . . . .22, 91 Hughes Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Isky Racing Cams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Littlefield Blowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Magnafuel Products Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Manton Racing Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 McLeod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Moduline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 MSD Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 NHRA Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2, 86 NHRA Motorsports Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Nitrous Supply Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Performance Racing Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 PerTronix Performance Products . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Prolong Super Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 PRW Industries Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 QA1 Precision Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Racepak Data Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 RAM Clutches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Rod End Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Ross Racing Pistons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Rusty Nutz & Rodz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48-49 S&W Race Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Schneider Racing Cams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106 Scott McClay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Secure Medical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Specialty Fasteners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 Strange Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Suncoast Race Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 System 1 Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 T&D Machine Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Taylor Motorsports Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Titan Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Titanium Metal Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Total Seal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Valley Head Service, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Venolia Pistons and Rods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

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106 NOVEMBER.2014

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John Force, 16-Time Funny Car Champion Courtney Force, Funny Car driver

Brittany Force, Top Fuel driver

“I NEVER REALIZED THE EFFECT MY DRIVING HABITS HAD ON MY DAUGHTERS. As a parent it’s your responsibility to drive safely, and with any luck your kids may grow up to be better drivers than you!”

Teens are eager to get behind the wheel and learn the basics of driving. And there’s no better role model than you. So set the example and always practice safe driving habits in front of your teen. Make sure you talk to your teen and agree on the rules and consequences that come with driving. Because driving is a privilege everyone should take seriously.You and your teen working together make for a great driving team.

Your teens have their whole lives ahead of them.

So visit teendriving.AAA.com Copyright ©2014. All Rights Reserved.