John Force Racing 2 for 2 Winning Gatornationals
March 17, 2011 by pikesan · Leave a Comment
Team Force Wins Gatornationals
TEAM JFR RACE REPORT
2nd of 22 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Series
42nd annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway
Gainesville, Florida
March 13, 2011
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Final round results from Sunday’s 42nd annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, second race in the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:
FUNNY CAR – Mike Neff, Fishers, Ind., Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 4.092, 310.48 mph, def. Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind., Snap-On Toyota Camry, 7.819, 99.32 mph.
TOP FUEL –Del Worsham, Chino Hills, Calif., Al-Anabi dragster, 3.858, 318.00 mph def. Tony Schumacher, Brownsburg, Ind., US Army dragster, 3.866, 318.39 mph
PRO STOCK – Jason Line, Mooresville, NC, Summit Pontiac GXP, 6.554, 211.96 mph def. Greg Greg Anderson, Mooresville, NC, Summit Pontiac GXP, 6.545, 212.43 mph
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – Eddie Krawiec, Brownsburg, Ind., Harley Davidson V-Rod, 6.847, 197.08 mph def. Karen Stoffer, Gardnerville, NY, Geico Suzuki, Red-light DQ, 6.949,193.27 mph.
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CASTROL GTX’S NEFF WINS GATOR NATS
GAINESVILLE, FL — Mike Neff and his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang were hot on Saturday and they got hotter on Sunday racing to a second career win as a driver at the 42nd annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. The win was the 198th funny car win for John Force Racing and it was the eleventh win for JFR at Gatornationals seven by John Force, one by Tony Pedregon, one by Gary Densham, and one by Ashley Force Hood in TAD. This was the first funny car win for JFR at Gatornationals since 2003.
It was the second win in a row for JFR in 2011, Robert Hight won the season opening NHRA Winternationals, and the fourth overall going back to John Force’s championship clinching wins at Las Vegas and Pomona at the end of 2010.
“This is just a great day for our whole team. We needed this to keep the Force string going,” said Neff. “This is four in a row for team Force. It feels good. Fortunately I have a great Mustang. It is the car John drove last year and I just got in it. Now it is just a matter of not messing it up as a driver. That is the hardest part for me.
This was Neff’s first final round and win at the NHRA Gatornationals as either a driver or crew chief. Neff was crew chief for Scotty Cannon and Gary Scelzi. His previous best at the Gatornationals was two appearances in the semi-finals with Scelzi.
Neff is pulling double duty as crew chief and driver but he is not carrying the load by himself. He was quick to spread the credit for the team’s success to his crew and teammates.
“I am mentally drained. Losing an hour of sleep last night didn’t help me either. We have so much help with people looking at the track like (track specialist) Lanny Miglizzi and (crew chief) Bernie Fedderly. I’ve got guys like (crewmen) Danny (Hood) and Jon (Schaffer) in the pits helping me. They help carry the load and they do a lot of the hands on stuff. The hardest part is the mental side. That mental drain just kind of wears you down over the course of the day. It is all worth it now.”
Neff didn’t know he would be back in the driver’s seat until the end of January. For the unflappable Neff the return to the seat was a welcome diversion but also a mentally taxing endeavor. When he was asked if he could slip back into the crew chief role if Force suddenly reversed field Neff was eager to make his driving plans clear.
“I want to give it a run all year now. I love tuning and that is what I will be doing for a long time. This driving deal might just be a one year deal for me. I am trying to make the most of it. When I drove a couple of years ago I was disappointed with my results,” said the seven time NHRA national event finalist driver. “I just felt like we didn’t achieve what I would have wanted to achieve. I made some mistakes driving. For whatever reason I just felt kind of unsatisfied. It is important to me that I want to be a good driver. That is what I am really trying to work on. This win means more to me than the other one by far. This is just a great, great day here.”
With the win Neff moved into sole possession of the Full Throttle points lead. He became the 37th different points leader in funny car class and he is the sixth different JFR driver to lead the funny car points. He joins a list led by John Force, Robert Hight, Ashley Force Hood, Tony Pedregon, and Gary Densham.
For the crew chief turned driver he improved his final round record to 2-5 and he has now won his last two final round appearances. He is 2-5 versus Cruz Pedregon. Ironically, Neff’s first touring job was working on Pedregon’s McDonalds Oldsmobile in 1992 when Pedregon won the funny car championship.
He opened the day with a first round win over friend Jim Head. Neff dispatched fellow Ford driver Bob Tasca III in the second round and he defeated Jack Beckman in the semi-finals before outrunning the two-time world champion Pedregon in the final.
Neff’s Castrol GTX Ford Mustang clicked off an impressive string of elapsed times: 4.095, 4.059, 4.126 and 4.092 for a round average of 4.093 seconds on a track that reached a temperature in excess of 110 degrees.
Neff’s last win was 2009 Auto Club NHRA Finals when he defeated teammate Ashley Force Hood.
While Neff was extending the JFR win streak his teammates were battling to maintain their positions in the Full Throttle top ten point standings. No. 10 qualifier Robert Hight had the toughest draw in the opening stanza racing against teammate and legend John Force. Hight made his best lap of the weekend, a session quickest 4.079 seconds in route to first round win. Hight dropped his next round race to Jack Beckman when his Auto Club Ford Mustang went up in smoke at half track.
After his first round win over Force Hight told the near capacity crowd, “That is what we have to do. We have to quit messing up. Our team was behind this run. (Crew chief) Jimmy Prock and (assistant crew chief) Eric Lane were great. Now my team gets to put some of these Mac Tools to work. It is tough when you have to race the boss but now he is going to tell me to go out there and get this win now.”
At the top end after his first round loss Force was philosophical but not concerned by his slow start for the 2011 season.
“I make (Hight) president and now he is sending me home every week. It ain’t no good if we have to race each other in the first or second rounds. We need to stay away from each other and get everyone up in the top half. Jimmy said OK and then he runs a 4.07,” said Force.
“I thought good as long as one of these Fords wins. My son-in-law is my new president. At the end of the day he whipped me in Pomona and I had to fight my way back here. I am just excited because he is still in and Neff is still in. (Co-crew chiefs) Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas were taught by Austin Coil, the very best.“
When Force looked back on some of his personnel changes from the past two seasons, the winningest driver in NHRA history doesn’t know how to evaluate their success.
“I don’t know if I am lucky or smart. I keep having to make changes amongst the teams and move my drivers and crew chiefs around. Mike Neff proved that he could win when he won Pomona (in 2009). To see him come out here and win is great,” said the 132-time winner.
“He was on his game all day. The car was consistent. He has Danny and Jon working with him and these kids are working hard for him. They are working like Austin and Bernie. The car isn’t missing a lick. Not only is he doing great as a crew chief but also a driver. He was on his game every round. I was really proud. He was under a lot of pressure. He showed he can do it. He is in the game up in the points. I am not worried about Guido and Ron Douglas and my team. We know how to win and we just have to get our deal jiving. I made some good calls. All our sponsors Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, Mac Tools, and BrandSource get the payday.”
The three John Force drivers will leave Gainesville Raceway in first, fourth and ninth place in points.
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UNOFFICIAL FULL THROTTLE POINT STANDINGS
FUNNY CAR – 1. Mike Neff, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 201; 2. Cruz Pedregon, 161; 3. Matt Hagan, 175; 4. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 170; 5. Jack Beckman, 116; 6. Ron Capps, 105; 7. Jeff Arend, 104; 8. Johnny Gray, 100; 9. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 88; 10. Jim Head, 86
TOP FUEL – 1. Del Worsham, 186; 2. Tony Schumacher, 162; 3. Shawn Langdon, 148; 4. Morgan Lucas, 147; 4. Larry Dixon, 147; 6. Antron Brown, 141; 7. Spencer Massey, 136; 8. Steve Torrence, 87; 9. Doug Kalitta, 85; 10. Terry McMillen, 84
PRO STOCK – 1. Jason Line, 230; 2. Greg Anderson, 182; 3. Greg Stanfield, 148; 4. Roger Brogdon, 138; 5. Ron Krisher, 131; 6. Erica Enders, 115; 7. Kurt Johnson, 85; 8. Shane Gray, 83; 9. Ronnie Humphrey, 82; 9. Vincent Nobile, 82.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – 1. Eddie Krawiec, 124; 2. Hector Arana, 104; 3. Karen Stoffer, 100; 4. LE Tonglet, 74; 5. Andrew Hines, 62; 6. Matt Smith, 54; 7. Gerald Savoie, 53; 7. Shawn Gann, 53; 9. David Hope, 32; 9. Jim Underdahl, 32; 9. Angie Smith, 32; 9. Mike Berry, 32
THE DRIVERS
JOHN FORCE, 61, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang
Final Qualifying: 7th at 4.119 seconds, 310.48 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: 0
Race Results: Lost to Robert Hight.
Quotable: On Mike Neff – “He is trying to lead tune the car and lead drive the car. That is a lot of overload. Then you have the pressure of stepping into my hot rod. I told him there is no pressure. This is our house we own it. Nobody tells us what to do and I only make changes when changes are due. I am just excited for the whole group and we have a strong three car team. Ford says we are One Ford. We are all in the top ten and we will be OK.” – JOHN FORCE
MIKE NEFF, 44, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Final Qualifying: 3rd at 4.074 seconds, 311.05 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +7 (3rd quickest of Q2 and quickest of Q3 and Q4)Race Results: Beat Jim Head, Bob Tasca III, Jack Beckman, Cruz Pedregon
Quotable: After second round win – “I felt pretty good rolling up there. We went down the race track when it was a little hotter than this. I just kind of ran in like yesterday. I hate to say it but I am a little surprised it ran that quick. It feels good the old Castrol Ford has been running good. I am just going to try and not screw it up.“ – MIKE NEFF
ROBERT HIGHT, 41, Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang
Final Qualifying: 10th at 4.133 seconds, 309.20 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: 0
Race Results: Beat John Force. Lost to Jack Beckman.
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FOLLOW JOHN FORCE RACING AT www.twitter.com/jfr_racing.com
****
NEXT EVENT:
12th annual SummitRacing.com Nationals, April 1-3, Las Vegas, Nev.
2nd annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, April 15-17, Charlotte, N.C.
24th annual O’Reilly Spring Nationals, April 29-May 1, Houston, Texas
31st annual Summit Southern Nationals, May 13-15, Atlanta, Ga.
23rd annual O’Reilly Summer Nationals, May 20-22, Topeka, Kan.
John Force is Big in Texas
March 8, 2011 by pikesan · Leave a Comment
Force Selected As Newest Inductee Into Texas Motorsports Hall Of Fame
FORT WORTH, Texas (March 8, 2011) – John Force, one of drag racing’s most legendary figures, will add yet another racing accomplishment to his illustrious career resume when he becomes just the fourth NHRA racer inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Force, a 15-time NHRA Funny Car champion (1990-‘91, ‘93-2002, ’04, ’06, ’10), will be honored Thursday, April 7, at the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Gala held in the Speedway Club’s Grand Ballroom at Texas Motor Speedway during the Samsung Mobile 500 NASCAR doubleheader race weekend.
Force’s induction will highlight an evening that recognizes the accomplishments of some of the biggest names in motorsports, all while benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities at Texas Motor Speedway. Others being recognized are seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Richard Petty; defending race winner of Texas Motor Speedway’s Samsung Mobile 500 and AAA Texas 500 Denny Hamlin; five-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson; four-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon; and veteran motorsports reporter Terry Blount.
“Being inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame is a great honor,” Force said. “I have a lot of great memories racing in Texas. They say everything is bigger in Texas. I won my 100th race in Houston and that was a huge milestone. When you think of the other great Texas drag racers like Raymond Beadle, Kenny Bernstein, Eddie Hill, Lee Shepherd, to add my name to that list is amazing. The fans in Texas have always been some of my best. When I was in the hospital after my crash in 2007 (at the Texas Motorplex), they brought cakes to Baylor (University Medical Center in Dallas) for me and waited outside for days. I’ll never forget that.”
Force will become the 13th member enshrined into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame. He joins previous inductees A.J. Foyt (2003), Johnny Rutherford (‘03), Terry Labonte (‘04), Lee Shepherd (‘04), Kenny Bernstein (‘05), Jim Hall (‘05), Eddie Hill (‘06), Mark Martin (‘07), Jim McElreath (‘07), Bobby Labonte (‘08), Bruton Smith (‘08) and Joe Gibbs (‘09).
Force joins Shepherd, Bernstein and Hill as the only NHRA racers inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame. The Lone Star State has provided the best and one of the more terrifying moments of Force’s career. Entering the 2011 season, Force has registered 13 of his 132 career victories in the state of Texas. One of his most unforgettable drag racing moments also came in Texas, and it wasn’t celebrating a win or championship. In 2007, Force was involved in a near-fatal accident when he blew a tire that sent his car careening into Bernstein. After six hours of surgery and several months of rehabilitation, Force returned to for the season opener in 2008. His redemption came in 2010 when he became the oldest NHRA champion, winning his record 15th championship at the age of 61.
Petty, one of NASCAR’s iconic figures, will be honored with the Bruton Smith Legend Award. Petty has been synonymous with NASCAR, starting his career as a driver in 1958 and since retiring from racing in 1992 he has remained active in the sport, serving as car owner of Richard Petty Motorsports. Petty’s career is highlighted by his seven series championships (1964, ’67, ’71, ’72, ’74, ’75, ’79), which is tied for the most in history with the late Dale Earnhardt. Petty’s ultimate racing honor came last year as he was among the five individuals inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s inaugural class.
Hamlin, last year’s most dominant Sprint Cup Series driver at Texas Motor Speedway, will be awarded the Texas Motor Speedway Racer of the Year. Hamlin became just the second driver in speedway history to sweep both Sprint Cup Series races in the same season – winning April’s Samsung Mobile 500 and November’s AAA Texas 500. His victory in the AAA Texas 500 served as a clear indicator that he was a championship contender as he overtook Johnson for the championship lead, marking the first time since 2005 that Johnson was not leading entering the final two races of the season.
Johnson, the defending five-time Sprint Cup Series champion, will receive the Texas Motor Speedway Sportsmanship Award. Johnson has dominated the sport – becoming the first driver to win five consecutive Sprint Cup Series championships – and doing so with his modest and humble personality. He also embodies the ideals of sportsmanship off the track. His charitable contributions through the Jimmie Johnson Foundation have helped raise more than $3.5 million for charitable organizations.
Gordon, Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, also will be recognized for his contributions off the track as he will receive the Maj. General Thomas Sadler Award. He has championed the efforts of Speedway Children’s Charities through his contributions with the Jeff Gordon Foundation Corvette Raffle. Since beginning the raffle in 2006, he has helped raise more than $400,000 for Speedway Children’s Charities at Texas Motor Speedway.
Veteran motorsports journalist and Houston native Terry Blount will receive the Excellence in Motorsports Journalism Award. Blount’s career has spanned more than 30 years with tenures at some of the largest newspapers in the United States. He has worked at the Houston Post, Houston Chronicle and The Dallas Morning News and currently is a motorsports writer/columnist for ESPN.com. During his career, he has missed only one major race at Texas Motor Speedway since it opened in 1997.
Blount has earned numerous writing honors, including the Citation for Writing Excellence from Hearst Newspapers and the Excellence in Journalism Award from the Houston Press Club.
Fans will once again have a say in the voting for the top moment of 2010 at Texas Motor Speedway. The choices have been narrowed to three moments: Hamlin’s sweep of Texas, Kyle Busch’s record fifth consecutive Nationwide Series victory at TMS, and Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton’s scrap on the backstretch during November’s AAA Texas 500. Fans can submit their vote by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.
The Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame, located in the outdoor atrium adjacent to The Speedway Club, is open year round and free to the public. The Hall of Fame atrium features pedestals of the inductees, including their career highlights.
The Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Gala benefits Speedway Children’s Charities at Texas Motor Speedway. The organization’s mission is to care for children in educational, financial, social and medical need in order to help them lead productive lives. Speedway Children’s Charities at Texas Motor Speedway has distributed more than $7.5 million in grants to local children’s organizations in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties.
A VIP reception hosted by previous Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees will take place prior to the awards ceremony beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT on the ninth floor in the Grand Ballroom. The Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame induction ceremony will begin at approximately 8 p.m. CT.
Table sponsorships, beginning at $1,200, and individual tickets for $150 are available by calling the Speedway Children’s Charities office at (817) 215-8421 or by visiting www.scctexas.org.
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FOLLOW JOHN FORCE RACING AT www.twitter.com/jfr_racing.com
The Winningest Competition Cobra in History “DragonSnake”
Shelby Cobra DragonSnake, CSX2093
All photos used with permission from Mecum Auctions
Out of six pictures in this story, it was tough to pick one to lead with. In the end, I chose this one to feature one of the baddest drag race cars ever, the Shelby Cobra DragonSnake. Note the knockoff slicks in the back, the slight nose-in-the-air stance and finally that open header pipe looking right into my soul. I need to hear this serpent run!
This photo was a close second!
DESCRIPTION provided by Mecum Auctions
CSX 2093 was the 93rd Cobra built and is one of only eight cars modified with the Shelby-developed Dragonsnake package designed to maximize drag racing performance. Depending on options, the package could swell the bottom line to a whopping $8,990, a huge sum in 1960s-era dollars.
Owned by Jim Costilow and piloted by drag racer Bruce Larson, later of USA-1 Funny Car fame, the Dragonsnake dominated the NHRA’s A/SP, AA/SP, B/SP and C/SP classes in 1964. It set all new records in the 1965 season and won the NHRA Springnationals, Winternationals and U.S. Indy Nationals that year. The Cobra was so successful that it overshadowed Shelby’s factory-sponsored Dragonsnake, much to Shelby’s dismay, and thereafter factory support for the privateer effort began to dry up.
Later, with subsequent owner Ed Hedrick behind the wheel, CSX 2093 went on to win the 1966 Springnationals and U.S. Nationals. It also chalked up class wins at the 1967 Springnationals, Winternationals, U.S. Indy Nationals, and finished out the season with the World Points Championship. It continued to set records in 1968. All told, CSX 2093 held national titles in four separate classes.
The Costilow/Larson Dragonsnake has been authenticated and certified by the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) as a true and correct original car, and has also won that organization’s Senior Award and Race Car Certification badges. It has undergone a completely accurate and show-quality restoration by Ziegler Coach of Los Angeles, CA and is presented exactly as it competed, including the Weber-carbureted 289 Ford V-8 with Ballanger side mount headers, 4-speed transmission, Cobra Sunburst rear wheels with slicks, wire front wheels, removable hardtop and eye-grabbing Magenta metalflake paint.
Offered with full documentation of its NHRA national records, this is not only the most famous and successful of the eight Shelby Dragonsnakes; it is in fact the winningest competition Cobra in history.
Shelby Cobra DragonSnake HIGHLIGHTS:
- The winningest competition Cobra in history
- Authenticated and certified by the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) as a true and correct original car
- Senior award winner badge and Race car certification badge
- National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) record holder in retired classes AA, A, B, C/ sports
- Won 7 NHRA National events with Bruce Larson or Ed Hedrick driving
- Won the 1966 NHRA World Championship while owned and driven by Ed Hedrick
- Undisputed best winning record for the 6 factory and independently prepared Dragonsnakes
- Documentation of NHRA national records
- Show quality full and accurate restoration by Ziegler Coach, LA
- Deluxe side curtains and optional chrome front wire wheels included
Bid and win this amazing piece of racing history here:
Kissimmee, FL Auction January 26-30, 2011. This Lot scheduled to be sold SAT 2:45PM
Europe’s First Dragster – The Allard Chrysler Dragster
October 28, 2010 by Hechtspeed · 3 Comments
1961 Chrysler Hemi Nitro Dragster from the UK
Story by Brian Taylor
Sydney Allard’s 1961 Allard Chrysler dragster (source Crazy Horses, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu)
Drag racing has come a long way since its beginnings in the USA during the late 1940′s. And although it had a culture of straight-line sprinting (runs against the clock rather than a knock out competition) dating back to the early 1900′s, Europe had to wait until early in 1961 before it saw its first dragster. It was born when British sports car manufacturer Sydney Allard stormed into the office, slammed a copy of a Hot Rod publication featuring Chris Karamesines’ Chizler dragster onto the table and announced, “We’re going to build one of these”.
Sydney Allard, the father of British drag racing. (source Crazy Horses, Gavin Allard collection)
The Allard Chrysler being built. Sydney Allard watches from the cockpit as designer David Hooper (left) checks the plans and John Hume (right) adjusts the steering. (source Crazy Horses, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu)
There were no official drag racing regulations in existence in Europe at the time. Royal Automobile Club building regulations for cars used for sprinting and hill-climbing had to be followed and these were pretty general to cover a range of competitive disciplines. They would severely limit the potential of Sydney’s first attempt, the new Allard Chrysler dragster having to have front brakes, covered moving parts plus front suspension.
Work on a 354 cubic inch Chrysler Hemi engine commenced in his London workshop during 1960 and speed equipment was ordered from Dean Moon in the USA. He decided on a front mounted blower rather than top mounted as on the Chizler because with covered moving parts it enabled better streamlining. And in truth, initially the car was seen as a way of putting a bit of ‘jazz’ into sprinting (which was suffering a bit of a decline at the time) rather than bringing the American sport of drag racing to the UK.
The car was first shown at Brands Hatch in the Spring of 1961. It was without its bodywork and although the car was not run on the track the blown and injected Chrysler Hemi V8 engine was fired up. Britain heard its first American styled dragster.
The Allard Chrysler at Brands Hatch in 1961. (source Crazy Horses, LAT/Autocar)
The dragster is unloaded at the 1961 Brighton Speed Trials (source Crazy Horses, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu)
Sydney held a ‘live’ press demonstration of the car on the old Club Straight at Silverstone, but the first appearance of the dragster in front of the public was at the long established Brighton Speed Trials in 1961 (the first of these events was held in 1905). During the rest of the year and through 1962 its ‘art-deco’ styled body could be seen at sprint meetings and shows throughout the UK, putting down mid 10-second standing start quarter mile times with estimated terminal speeds of around 150 mph. The fuel used was methanol with a small percentage of acetone.
The Allard Chrysler dragster at Goodwood in 1962 (source Bernard Gudge)
In July 1963 Sydney received a telephone call from a speed shop operator and drag racer in Las Vegas called Dante Van Dusen. Duce, as he preferred to be called, issued a challenge that he could beat the Allard Chrysler and Sydney accepted. Duce mentioned the project to one of his speed shop suppliers Dean Moon and Dean offered to provide his 600 bhp 350 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 engined Mooneyes gas dragster for the trip.
The then President of SEMA Ed Iskenderian stands besides the 1963 SEMA Trophy (recently re-discovered and on display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. (source Crazy Horses, Gavin Allard collection)
Moon mentioned the upcoming match race at a meeting of the recently formed Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) and they put up a trophy for the winner – the SEMA Trophy. Mickey Thompson was at that SEMA meeting and he immediately made plans to join the party as an uninvited guest.
Sydney Allard (right) in the Allard Chrysler lines up alongside Dante Duce (left) in Mooneyes. Dean Moon does the flags. (source Crazy Horses, National Motor Museum, Beaulieu)
Allard and Duce first appeared together on the Club Straight at Silverstone on September 10th of that year. Then at the 58th Brighton Speed Trials, the second event of the Challenge, Sydney and Duce were joined by Mickey Thompson with his blown and injected V8 Ford powered nitro burner, the Harvey Aluminum Special.
The dragster demonstrations were saved until the end of the day and the 30,000 crowd was shocked into disbelief. The next event in the Challenge series was held at RAF Church Lawford, followed by RAF Debden the next day. Even though it was not promoted as a spectator event around 5000 people blagged their way past astonished RAF Debden Police and lined the strip. Allard and Duce called their Challenge Series a draw and the SEMA Trophy was left with Sydney Allard’s name on it. The spectacles fired the imagination of hundreds of budding UK hot rodders and drag racers.
Duce and Dean Moon returned to the USA very enthusiastic about the UK trip. Moon offered to be a spokesman for the idea of getting a team of American racers across the following year and within a month Sydney Allard and Wally Parks of the National Hot Rod Association were in discussions.
The 1964 International Drag Festival series of six meetings was held over three consecutive weekends in different parts of the country – Blackbushe, RAF Chelveston, RAF Woodvale, RAF Church Fenton and RAF Kemble. The American team was selected in match-race pairs of the most popular drag racing classes at that time (dragsters, gassers, factory experimentals and drag bikes) and consisted of Don Garlits, Tommy Ivo, Bob Keith, Tony Nancy, George Montgomery, Keith Pittman, Ronnie Sox & Buddy Martin, Dave Strickler & Grumpy Jenkins, Dante Duce, Doug Church, Bill Woods and Don Hyland. Sydney’s son Alan Allard took the Allard Chrysler to a best time of 10.28 seconds at 150 mph
The Allard Chrysler at the 1964 Drag Festival. (source Crazy Horses, Gavin Allard collection)
By this time it had become clear that the 1961 Allard Chrysler dragster was now well past it’s sell-by date. It had become obsolete with no chance of development to modern standards due to the RAC regulations in place when it was built. So they commenced building a new dragster, this time one designed solely for drag racing rather than a highbred for sprinting and they used the engine and front mounted blower from the original Allard Chrysler.
Sydney Allard died in 1966. The old 1961 Allard Chrysler rolling chassis had been kept at the London workshops but after Sydney died it was moved around Southern England when his companies were split up, ending up in Alan Allard’s barn for many years. Alan handed it over to Allard Owners Club member Brian Golder in 1979 who carried out a part restoration of the rolling chassis and body before loaning it to the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. After Brian’s death it was bequeathed to the museum. There it has remained on display for many years with most visitors not really recognizing its historic importance until recently.
It was 2008 when the latest chapter of the Allard Chrysler dragster’s story was opened. During research for his book for Haynes Publishing called Crazy Horses – the history of British drag racing, author Brian Taylor became very aware of the excellent condition of the car and its importance in the sport’s history as Europe’s first dragster. He judged that it wouldn’t take too much work or funds to get it back into condition where it could be ‘cackled’ and paraded.
He contacted Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and after a series of meetings the Museum Trust gave the thumbs up, so Brian decided to form a group of enthusiasts who could start raising the funds and provide the expertise to take the project forward – hence the Allard Chrysler Action Group (ACAG).
Brian acted as Chairman of the ACAG liaising with Doug Hill, Chief Engineer and Museum Manager. Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason agreed to be the group’s patron. He is Chairman of the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu Trustees Advisory Council and a Trustee. The first job was to thoroughly inspect the car to see what was needed and establish some kind of budget and task list. Fortunately one of the group was David Hooper who designed the car for Sydney in 1960 so his input was invaluable.
ACAG members and National Motor Museum, Beaulieu staff inspect the car. (source ACAG, Alan Currans)
ACAG Patron Nick Mason tries the car for size. (source National Motor Museum, Beaulieu)
ACAG members with Patron Nick Mason at Beaulieu. The 1963 SEMA Trophy is in front (source ACAG, Simon Maurice)
The band of supporters gradually grew and along with cash donations, the sales of items like special ACAG T-shirts, Polo shirts and limited edition prints helped swell the funds. By the end of 2009 they had raised enough money to place an order for a replacement 354 Chrysler Hemi V8.
Prints of a painting by Paul Whitehouse helped raise funds (source ACAG)
However, they don’t make 354 cubic inch Chrysler Hemi’s any more and it was obvious that the USA was the place to source the parts and the expertise. Getting American suppliers and fans on board was an important aspect of keeping costs under control – much easier to do with a direct American involvement in the project. ACAG American support was strengthened when Project 1320 Chairman Traci Hrudka agreed to be ACAG Co-Patron. Project 1320 is a Trust supported by the top names of American drag racing, formed to plot the history of drag racing in film. At the same time legendary drag racing personality Linda Vaughn became an Honorary Member of the ACAG.
After some research the ACAG chose Michigan based engine builders and nostalgia specialists Booth-Arons. A complete and accurate replication was not possible due to some parts manufacturers not being around anymore and other original details missing from the available information. Booth-Arons recommended that the new engine be built to take high nitro loads (90%) for the best ‘cackling’ performance. This would also toughen up the engine, making it less likely to fail. But aesthetically it would be exactly the same as that built back in 1960/61.
They located a 1956 354 Chrysler Hemi engine with original paint and decals on the valve covers – a truly unmolested and perfect starting point having originally been an industrial engine.
The 354 Chrysler Hemi heart of the car at Booth-Arons in Michigan before work commenced (source Sam Eidy)
This was completely disassembled and, thankfully, it was discovered that it had a standard bore and crank. The thick walls and webs on these older, untouched, blocks don’t require a torque plate. It was baked and blasted prior to honing.
The head surfaces were then decked and made parallel so that everything was equaled out and the bore honed to a perfectly round 4.060 inches diameter with a 3.625 inch stroke taking it out to 375 cubic inches. This unshrouds the valves (normal practice for race engines) and facilitates a louder more fiery sound when the engine is fired up plus more flames from the exhaust headers – providing the right cam is used of course.
Taking it out to 375 cubic inches also enables the use of Big Block Chevrolet rods, pins and journals; often easier (and cheaper) to obtain than Chrysler. Racetec Pistons designed and donated the pistons – 10 billet slugs to provide spares. The main bearings are standard Chrysler Hemi size.
Custom made Racetec pistons (source Sam Eidy)
Beaulieu had a blower, blower manifold and Potvin adapter, from a part-restoration carried out in the 1980s by Brian Golder. These were sent to Booth-Arons and the blower forwarded to Littlefield Blowers in California who re-tuned it for the front-mounted Potvin set up that characterises the car.
Meanwhile, back at Booth-Arons, the bright work was tumbled and polished – including a rare set of valve covers that were sent to the chrome shop after some metal work had been carried out by Al Bergler. Because the engine was so pristine, with little run time, the crank was simply checked that it was straight, then polished and nitrided for surface hardening. Other parts were machined and made ready for assembly. Everything was weighed and balanced on an individual component basis before the piston/crankshaft assembly was balanced.
Steve Sanchez of Total Flow Products, Michigan did all the headwork. New Manley valves, valve guides and seats were fitted. Trip Manley is Vice President of Manley Performance Products Inc, a company with a relationship with Booth Arons that goes back to Trip’s father Hank and engine builder Denny Hummel. When Trip heard about the Allard Chrysler dragster restoration he was keen to become involved.
He said, “After talking about it with Denny we decided to utilize our very best “Severe Duty” stainless steel, 3/8” diameter, Pro-Flo design intake valve blanks and our “Extreme Duty”, 3/8” diameter exhaust valve blanks…..precisely machined for this 354 Hemi application. These are the exact same exhaust blanks we utilize for all of our Top Fuel and Funny Car competitors”.
Crower donated custom-ground cams and springs. Trend Performance supplied the pushrods (and piston pins). The block and heads were registered and receiver grooves machined when the heads were returned to Booth-Arons and assembly of the short-block commenced.
Heads now on and blower manifold in position for measuring spacers. Crank had been taken out for shortening. (source Sam Eidy)
Three legends. Custom car designer George Barris, drag racing personality and Honorary ACAG member Linda Vaughn besides the blown and injected 354 Chrysler Hemi being readied for the Allard Chrysler. (Rocker covers are slaves.)
Hilborn supplied a 2-port injection system and fuel pump. Edris Snipes is Vice President Hilborn Fuel Injection and she said,
“Hilborn Fuel Injection is pleased to acknowledge the importance of the Allard Chrysler dragster in UK drag racing history and is proud to celebrate its legacy through participation in its resurrection! This restoration project will most certainly help to commemorate and perpetuate vintage drag racing heritage”.
But prior to mounting the blower it was discovered that the crank snout had to be shortened before it could be mated with the blower adapter. And there have been other problems along the way such as the length of pushrods and the need for spacers between the heads and the blower adapter (both probably the result of decking the head). Availability of parts (difficult enough with an engine of this vintage) has gradually become more of an issue as the economic recession has forced suppliers to reduce their stock holdings.
A Taylor Vertex Magneto was assembled in the USA – exactly the same as the Scintilla unit fitted to the original engine back in 1961. And at the time of going to press the engine was getting very close to final assembly ready for dyno-testing before dispatch to the UK in November.
The engine painted red. Rocker covers are not as being used. The car will have the rare plain covers as fitted to the original. (source Sam Eidy)
Stuart Bradbury of U S Automotive of Bedford has been handling the USA-UK logistics and technical liaison and they will organise the completed engine’s return to Beaulieu. Work can then start on finishing the restoration of the rolling chassis and components.
2011 marks the car’s 50th birthday and plans are being made for it to visit the USA. The Project 1320 team in the USA is working with the ACAG to achieve this with the possibility that the Mooneyes dragster will appear in the UK at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu during the same period. At the beginning and end of the swap period there will be opportunities for these two iconic cars to appear side-by-side for the first time since 1963.
The ACAG now has its own website www.allardchrysler.org and the dragster has its own Facebook Page. The group has been very disappointed with corporate response to the project and apart from insurance company Performance Direct, so far the ACAG has raised all the funding for the restoration themselves – with the welcomed product support from American suppliers. If you would like to help fund or sponsor this unique and exciting project, or purchase ACAG merchandise, then contact brian@allardchrysler.org or visit the website.
The full story of Sydney Allard and his Allard Chrysler is included in Brian’s book Crazy Horses – The History of British Drag Racing published by Haynes. A visit to www.amazon.com or www.amazon.co.uk will give you suppliers.
Wind Tunnel Testing: Is it just blowing smoke?
October 14, 2010 by pikesan · 2 Comments
Race Tech in a Wind Tunnel: Horsepower and Aerodynamics
Story by Dave Salazar of A2 Wind Tunnel:
Bonneville is the Mecca of speed and every year land speed race teams journey to the historic site to see if they can go faster than the year before. Top speed records can be so close that sometimes the difference from being a hero to being a zero can be 1 mph or less. Whether it’s a production based car, roadster, lakester, streamliner, motorcycle, or some other rodders creation, there are some major obstacles to overcome in order to reach each vehicles maximum potential (SPEED!). The two major hurdles in land speed racing that I am going to discuss are horsepower and aerodynamics. How do they relate and why something that you cannot see such as air can be your biggest competitor on the salt.
Horsepower is something that any gear head can relate to and we all can’t seem to ever get enough… But as we all know, it costs money for each pony, and the more you need the more it will cost because as an engine starts to reach its limits it will start to cost more dollars per horsepower ($/HP). For Bonneville, the size of your wallet is “typically” going to dictate the speed range you can run because the faster the speeds the more horsepower (money) and technology you’ll need to achieve higher and higher speeds.
We’ve all heard about the top NASCAR & F1 race teams’ wind tunnel testing, but what do they learn and how do they apply this technology to the race track? A wind tunnel is simply a testing laboratory with a controlled environment that really only has to do two things, but it must do these two things very well:
- Have a balance (scale) that is very precise in order to measure the smallest of changes
- The wind tunnel must characterize the air flow around the object (in this case a racecar) very well
All wind tunnels are simulations and they each have their own limitations. There are entire books dedicated to wind tunnel design, so I am not going to get into wind tunnel design as much as I will about basic wind tunnel testing and the benefits aero testing can have on a race program.
Everyone has driven down the road with their hand out the window and felt the different forces of the air when you have your palm to the oncoming air or facing down toward the road. This is the same principle as a wind tunnel, but with the race car connected to a precision balance, the change can be measured in some cases down to ounces that can help engineers determine if the change is “good or bad” for the application.
Most wind tunnel balances can measure in 6-components meaning that it will measure forces forward, backward, up, down, left, and right. The terminology for this is broken down into Drag, Lift (- lift = downforce), and Side Force. Every one of these forces is studied in order to gain knowledge of what is happening aerodynamically to a race car. Despite what most people believe, smoke is rarely utilized during testing, but can be used as a visual aid for separation and stagnation areas of a car. It’s also a great aid for pictures since we can’t actually see the air.
Drag reduction is always associated with wind tunnel testing and although very important, the over all balance of the car can be just as significant. There’s no ideal template when it comes to race car aerodynamics because there are various applications and style of race cars. The bottom line in any form of racing is performance and speed, but some things need to be defined in order to set a race car up to achieve that speed.
First question is what type of racing will the car be set up for? A NASCAR Sprint Cup car racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway is going to have a different aero package than a Cup car running at Daytona Speedway. Charlotte will have the teams looking for maximum downforce and balance front to rear for high corner speed and will be an entirely different aero package than a Cup car running at Daytona where limited horsepower due to engine restrictor plates makes drag reduction more important and aero balance might be compromised in order to reduce the drag.
Landspeed racing is similar to Daytona, but doesn’t mean the main focus is exclusively on drag because most production based cars will create lift and can become very unstable at high speeds. This becomes important because if you can’t get the horsepower into the salt you are just spinning your wheels… (pun intended) and adding ballast (weight) to correct an aerodynamic instability can lead to some major problems.
Aero forces are affected by a velocity squared function (v^2)meaning that every time you double your speed the forces increase by a factor of 4. (2 squared equals 4) Using some simple numbers, let’s say a racecar has 200 lbs of drag and 100 lbs of lift at 100 mph. This would mean that at 200 mph there would be 800 lbs of drag and 400 lbs of lift. Just when you get over that fact, the next one will really grab your attention. Horsepower is a velocity cubed function (v^3) meaning that every time you double your speed the horsepower required going that speed goes up by a factor of 8! (2 x 2 x 2 = 2 cubed = 8) So, if it takes 75 HP to run 100 mph then it would take 600 HP to run 200 mph and 2000 HP to reach 300 mph!! Every ones eyes should be really big right now and this is where wind tunnels have been beneficial for race teams looking for more speed and performance.
When you either run at a high speed or with a limited horsepower application it can cost less money to reduce the drag by improving aerodynamics. Reducing drag, thereby reducing the horsepower, can be more effective for running at higher speeds than trying to squeeze more horsepower from the engine.
Say this again…
The question then becomes how much would your engine builder charge for an extra 50 HP? Or, how much would it cost to reduce the horsepower required by 50 HP in a wind tunnel? Due to rules or restrictions, some engines can be at their max performance. In that case, no amount of money (or maybe severely ridiculous amounts) will add more horsepower. Your only option is to attack from the aero direction with the help of a wind tunnel. (Click to see images full-size)
We all know, in close competition even the smallest of improvements can be the difference between winning and losing or setting a record. In the 2010 Daytona 500, 1.7 second separated 43 qualifiers. The payout difference was $1,508,450 for the winner and $261,424 for the last. That’s over a 1.2 million dollar difference in payout, and in the close competition of NASCAR, every 0.1 second can count.
Stay tuned for part 2 of A2 Wind Tunnel’s details of wind tunnel testing. Just how much improvement is possible? And how many horsepower would that equate to? Thanks for a great story Dave!
