Sush matsubara biography of william
80s Funny Cars: West Coast Racers
By Danny White
Drag racing had its own wild and wooly characters. Mike "The Hippie" Mitchell was one of them. Mitchell used to sport a flattop before becoming "enlightened." Mike used to threaten drag racing journalists that brought up his past.
He even painted "Impeach Nixon" on the back of his car, complete with a swastika replacing the x in Nixon�s last name. That did not sit too well with some drag racing conservatives. Mike Mitchell was a serious racer nonetheless. The wildly painted M&S Motors Corvette was his final race car.
It was an average runner with best of at Mitchell and Lorry Azevedo both drove the beautiful machine in until Mitchell retired. (Photographer unknown; photo courtesy of ; info from files)
Ron Colson was one of the best funny car racers of the s, driving the "Chi-Town Hustler" and "Hawaiian" funny cars to fame.
In , Colson raced the Jamie Sarte built "King�s Hawaiian Bread" Omni for Roland Leong. Leong had one of the first Omnis, but Colson crashed it in the middle of the year. Ron ran at before the accident. He finished out the year in the team�s old Corvette. Colson got the win at the last World Finals held at Ontario, after which he retired from full-time driving.
Colson returned to race in match races every now and then. Ron now runs a consulting business that helps to build drag strips. (Photo by Norm Newgord, courtesy of Gary Newgord; info from files)
The "Super Star" team came from out of nowhere to win the Springnationals and finished in the top ten that year.
Owner Don Tate had been in racing for a few years, first teaming with the Trillo Bros to run an AA/Funny Car and AA/Fuel Altered. The team achieved mediocre results, and in , Don Tate got serious.
Sush matsubara biography of william It marked the first season for a new class, Pro Stock, and the first time that a season champion would be crowned in a fledgling class known as Funny Car, which until then had run only sporadically — six times, to be exact -- since its inception in late Foster also set top speed at After Sush retired, Pisano employed a series of hired drivers until the day he died. Don Prudhomme also dropped the hammer on the Funny Car field, streaking to a 6.He built a new Plymouth Horizon and hired Amos Saterlee to tune the car. Tate got unknown Craig Epperly to drive. He also raced a blown alcohol Monza with Donnie Holm at the wheel, as well as a BB/Altered Camaro that he shoed himself. The nitro "Super Star" ran a best of at After the World Finals in , the team broke up and all went their separate ways.
Don Tate retired from drag racing.
(Photo courtesy of Walter Huff; info from files)
The Johnny Loper owned "Lil� Hoss" series of funny cars was one the nation�s best from the late seventies to the early eighties. The Arizona-based car was one the first into the fives with Eddie Pauling driving. This success continued then Tripp Shumake took over the wheel of the Plymouth Arrow.
Loper�s team found the five second zone with Shumake at the wheel, too, as Tripp ran a solid at An ill-handling Mustang replaced the killer Plymouth, and soon the Arrow was brought back to complete the seasons. Loper and Shumake raced together into the season until Johnny ran short of cash after adding a Top Fueler to the team.
Loper retired from racing while Shumake went on to a few more rides. (Photo courtesy of Mike Ditty; info from files)
Before John Force became the funny car king and NHRA�s media darling, he was just another struggling funny car racer trying to make ends meet. It is hard to image he had only been in one NHRA final at this time, the Cajun Nationals.
It would be years before his first national event win. In , John raced under the Mountain Dew/Jolly Rancher banner. The sponsorship was nothing compared to his current Castrol budget. Force held his own with the brick like Citation during the seasons.
Biography of william shakespeare Sounds like a hell of a man and one who will be long remembered. It would be years before his first national event win. Fuel Altered Files, Part 8. NHRA also decided that because points were not on the line, the event was the perfect place to test its new ProStart system, which featured one amber light instead of the traditional countdown Christmas Tree.He got the boxy Chevy to run low sixes with Harry Velasco doing most of the tuning. Force ran all the national event circuits and any cow pasture track that would pay him. Love him or loath him for his current success, nobody can argue that John Force didn�t pay his dues. (Photo courtesy of Walter Huff; info from files)
After the "Super Star" team broke up, Craig Epperly ended up in the "H.B.
Sush matsubara biography of william murphy: Photo courtesy of Walter Huff; info from Draglist. Mike Mitchell was a serious racer nonetheless. Mondello later built a famous Olds Stocker and specialized in building Oldsmobiles. Post by hotrodsigns » Sat Jul 29, pm To young to ever get to see him run, but I've read lots and lots about him.
Gold Tobacco" Chevy Citation owned by Billy McCahill and tuned by the great Gene Beaver. This was one of the last funny cars to use the Milodon Hemi. Epperly did not have the same success in as he had in , but he did run at in the car. McCahill later took over the driving and Beaver left the team. Billy raced the car through the season as match racer with direct drive.
Sush matsubara biography of william hurt Garlits ran in the fives in all four rounds — not one of the other 15 qualified drivers ran in the fives even once in eliminations — running 5. Loper and Shumake raced together into the season until Johnny ran short of cash after adding a Top Fueler to the team. And another in a long line of influential Japanese American drag racers who've contributed so much to the sport. Tom made side trips into IHRA races, too, and ran many match races.It has been said that McCahill�s life would have made a great movie, but we don�t have the space to tell that story here. (Photo courtesy of Mike Ditty; info from files)
This Dodge Omni is considered one the best looking funny cars of time. Although Joe Pisano never had an ugly funny car, this little Dodge stands out.
Pisano, a Southern California regular, began his drag racing career with his brothers. Joe raced gassers before entering the funny car wars. Brother Frank drove the floppers at first, then AA/Fuel Altered driver Sush Matsubara took the wheel. After Sush retired, Pisano employed a series of hired drivers until the day he died.
Joe hired Tom Ridings and later Craig Epperly to drive this beauty. Epperly ran a good at with the car in (Photo courtesy of Walter Huff; info from files)
Gary Burgin was one of the top funny car racers from the seventies into the early eighties. Burgin was one of the top independents of that era, but a money shortage sidelined him after the season.
The funny car in the photo was the last "Orange Baron.� Gary used the much-maligned Iversen Trans Am wedge body. A Keith Black Hemi powered the car to a at by the end of the year. Burgin had a mediocre year in , and he sold the car and equipment to enter the export business. Gary still exports parts to eager overseas racers to this day (Photo courtesy of Bob Plumer; info from files)
Tom McEwen is credited with ending the "Corvette Curse" with his Corvette, and his success continued his third version, this red and white machine.
McEwen was one of the leading participants in the �beer wars� of the s. Coors stepped up to sponsor Tom in McEwen got the Coors Corvette to run at in , where he was a regular on the NHRA and AHRA circuits. Tom made side trips into IHRA races, too, and ran many match races. McEwen�s easygoing personality made him popular with fans, writers, and racers alike.
(Photo courtesy of Mike Ditty; info from files)
After years of retirement from racing, Doug Cook returned as the tuner of the Miller and Palawelos owned "Red Baron" Dodge Omni.
Sush matsubara biography of william shakespeare What the race lacked in number of classes it more than made up for in histrionics, and the OMS dragstrip finally came into its own as a record-busting quarter-mile. Force held his own with the brick like Citation during the seasons. Clay Miller had driven funny cars in the seventies. Bill Pratt Draglist.Clay Miller had driven funny cars in the seventies. The "Red Baron" will not be remembered for its performance, but for its immaculate appearance. The car was painted Candy Apple Red and was chromed and gold plated all over. Doug Cook got a best of at out of the car with "Rocket" Rod Phelps at the wheel.
The car never qualified for a major race with either Rod Phelps or Ed White driving. The "Red Baron" raced on the West Coast from to (Photo courtesy of Mike Ditty; info from files)