Another vote for Don Prudhomme. I liked "TV Tommy" Ivo too with the 4 engine (Buick Nailheads)4 wheel drive contraption.
-- Edited by 57 Pathfinder on Tuesday 3rd of March 2015 10:48:15 PM
I remember that mind boggling four motor exhibition car from when i was a kid reading HOT ROD and some of the other car magazines from back then. Who could forget Tommy Ivo, who flew the BUICK banner most of his life and dating back to the 1950's. Ivo was always an amazing driver because those short wheelbase, four wheel drive, four motor cars were not for the faint of heart, to say the least.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
GARY BECK in Top Fuel, GORDIE BONIN in Funny Car, BARRIE POOLE in Super Stock and Pro Stock, JOHN PETRIE in Super Stock, Pro Stock and Funny Car, SCOTT WILSON in Top fuel, BERT STRAUS in Gasser and Pro Stock, PETE FEDUN in Stock and Super Stock. Are some of Canada's better known and talented drag racers from the past. We can not forget Canada's own.
-- Edited by long stroke on Tuesday 3rd of March 2015 11:35:42 PM
-- Edited by long stroke on Wednesday 4th of March 2015 07:47:18 AM
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
The Surfers team- Mike Sorokin driving from Santa Monica and The Beebe and Mulligan- with John "Zookeeper" Mulligan ties for first place in top fuel. Bill Jenkins is the coolest Superstock/Pro Stock driver, Jungle Jim wins hands down for Funny Car. Ohio George Montgomery's 33 Willys wins for the Gasser category. There were so many great cars and drivers it is really hard to pick one from each class that's for sure! I think we need to each pick 5 or 10 from each!
The Surfers team- Mike Sorokin driving from Santa Monica and The Beebe and Mulligan- with John "Zookeeper" Mulligan ties for first place in top fuel. Bill Jenkins is the coolest Superstock/Pro Stock driver, Jungle Jim wins hands down for Funny Car. Ohio George Montgomery's 33 Willys wins for the Gasser category. There were so many great cars and drivers it is really hard to pick one from each class that's for sure! I think we need to each pick 5 or 10 from each!
Adam, all real excellent choices. In GASSER George Montgomery (OHIO GEORGE) for sure and i would also add John Mazmanian (BIG JOHN) in gasser class. Those two were always battling it out.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
The Surfers team- Mike Sorokin driving from Santa Monica and The Beebe and Mulligan- with John "Zookeeper" Mulligan ties for first place in top fuel. Bill Jenkins is the coolest Superstock/Pro Stock driver, Jungle Jim wins hands down for Funny Car. Ohio George Montgomery's 33 Willys wins for the Gasser category. There were so many great cars and drivers it is really hard to pick one from each class that's for sure! I think we need to each pick 5 or 10 from each!
Adam, all real excellent choices. In GASSER George Montgomery (OHIO GEORGE) for sure and i would also add John Mazmanian (BIG JOHN) in gasser class. Those two were always battling it out.
Stone Woods Cook.......Pitman Edwards. As a kid of 15 in 1961 my dad took me to Niagara...later that day I helped the Pitman Edwards crew push their Willys on to the flat bed trailer......holy cow, I was hooked for life.
Earlier in the fall of 1959 my brother won B/SA at Deseronto with dad's 59 Olds (I still have the trophy from Mohawk Drag Strip) and that was it for me - been a drag racing gearhead ever since.
It was at Deseronto where I first saw a S/S 60 Catalina 389 tri-power, 4 speed from NY state running low 14's,
in 1960 at a local strip that was a stout time.
-- Edited by bjburnout on Wednesday 4th of March 2015 06:40:13 PM
-- Edited by bjburnout on Wednesday 4th of March 2015 06:41:29 PM
-- Edited by bjburnout on Friday 4th of October 2019 08:12:34 PM
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......big block, 4 speed, bench seat, it doesn't get much better
.......well someB.........sure thought GB was a Canuck .......the drag news of the day always referred to him as such.......I was there when he won Indy - we thought WOW!...........still got my Gary Beck hat tho......
The Surfers team- Mike Sorokin driving from Santa Monica and The Beebe and Mulligan- with John "Zookeeper" Mulligan ties for first place in top fuel. Bill Jenkins is the coolest Superstock/Pro Stock driver, Jungle Jim wins hands down for Funny Car. Ohio George Montgomery's 33 Willys wins for the Gasser category. There were so many great cars and drivers it is really hard to pick one from each class that's for sure! I think we need to each pick 5 or 10 from each!
Adam, all real excellent choices. In GASSER George Montgomery (OHIO GEORGE) for sure and i would also add John Mazmanian (BIG JOHN) in gasser class. Those two were always battling it out.
I agree for sure about Big John. John Mazmanian's cars were always first class. It sure is tough to pick just one- KS Pittman, Bones Balough-could have spelling wrong here, Doug "Cookie" Cook from Stone Woods and Cook Fame. There were so many great cars and drivers-especially in the Gasser class! Ohio George kicked some serious but with his poked and stroked 327 before he put in the "Cammer".
The Surfers team- Mike Sorokin driving from Santa Monica and The Beebe and Mulligan- with John "Zookeeper" Mulligan ties for first place in top fuel. Bill Jenkins is the coolest Superstock/Pro Stock driver, Jungle Jim wins hands down for Funny Car. Ohio George Montgomery's 33 Willys wins for the Gasser category. There were so many great cars and drivers it is really hard to pick one from each class that's for sure! I think we need to each pick 5 or 10 from each!
Adam, all real excellent choices. In GASSER George Montgomery (OHIO GEORGE) for sure and i would also add John Mazmanian (BIG JOHN) in gasser class. Those two were always battling it out.
........Stone Woods Cook.......Pitman Edwards........as a kid of 15 in 1961 my dad took me to Niagara...
later that day I helped the Pitman Edwards crew push their Willys on to the flat bed trailer......holy cow, I was hooked for life
earlier in 1960 my brother won B/SA at Deseronto with dad's 59 Olds and that was it for me - been a drag racing gerahead
ever since........it was at Deseronto where I first saw a S/S.......60 Catalina 389 tri-power, 4 speed from NY running low 14's,
in 1960 at a local strip that was a stout time........
-- Edited by bjburnout on Wednesday 4th of March 2015 06:40:13 PM
-- Edited by bjburnout on Wednesday 4th of March 2015 06:41:29 PM
Wow I am envious! I only can wish I had been born about 30 years earlier! If only someone could make a time machine! I always appreciate hearing stories from the guys like yourself who were actually lucky enough to be there. Right on!
-- Edited by mr409 on Wednesday 4th of March 2015 06:53:30 PM
We can't forget the late great Dale Armstrong who recently passed away who drove his 62 Impala 409 from Alberta in the mid 60's and carved out a great career in drag racing and tuning. Here he is in the "Canuck" after a violent driveline explosion punched a big hole in the roof so he just cut it off!
We can't forget the late great Dale Armstrong who recently passed away who drove his 62 Impala 409 from Alberta in the mid 60's and carved out a great career in drag racing and tuning. Here he is in the "Canuck" after a violent driveline explosion punched a big hole in the roof so he just cut it off!
Dale, of course was far better known for being one of the best crew chiefs in drag racing. He was half if not more of the Kenny Bernstein success story. I always admired Kenny for always mentioning Dale's amazing wrenching abilities and how Dale was a key factor in the "Budweiser King" Funny Car dynasty.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
I always liked Frank Hawley, born in London, Ont and has done a great deal for the sport...Frank Hawley Drag Racing School.etc. I was at Indy, mid 90s.....Ernie Bestwick was there doing exhibition runs....hell of a show
I was at US Nationals in 1973 with 2 friends. We drove my 55 Pontiac with a 350 4 speed with a 12 bolt camaro rear with 4:56 gears all the way from Timmins to Indy and back. A trip of a lifetime with my first credit card and two weeks off from work.
The highlight of the trip was Gary Beck winning top fuel with an unsponsored car. The only sponsor was Reliable Engine Services from Edmonton Alberta. At that time you could wander the pits and actually talk to the drivers and pit crews. The next year in 1974 Gary was sponsored by Export A tobacco and he won top fuel again.
I think Don is the king of all drag racers. I have been to his museum twice in Ocala Florida and talked to him for a couple of minutes and he is a true gentleman. It was there I learned about the Canadian Mercury flat head V8 engines that he used in his early years of racing.
I love drag racing and take in the Muscle Car Nationals opening event every winter at Bradenton Florida , hundreds of early factory muscle cars in attendance . Of course I cheer for any Canadian that is racing there.
I was at US Nationals in 1973 with 2 friends. We drove my 55 Pontiac with a 350 4 speed with a 12 bolt camaro rear with 4:56 gears all the way from Timmins to Indy and back. A trip of a lifetime with my first credit card and two weeks off from work.
The highlight of the trip was Gary Beck winning top fuel with an unsponsored car. The only sponsor was Reliable Engine Services from Edmonton Alberta. At that time you could wander the pits and actually talk to the drivers and pit crews. The next year in 1974 Gary was sponsored by Export A tobacco and he won top fuel again.
I think Don is the king of all drag racers. I have been to his museum twice in Ocala Florida and talked to him for a couple of minutes and he is a true gentleman. It was there I learned about the Canadian Mercury flat head V8 engines that he used in his early years of racing.
I love drag racing and take in the Muscle Car Nationals opening event every winter at Bradenton Florida , hundreds of early factory muscle cars in attendance . Of course I cheer for any Canadian that is racing there.
Al
Al, thanks for sharing that. As a young teen in the 70's i remember seeing Gary Beck in many car magazines and all his many victory's. I have always been a fan of Don Garlits dating back to when i was a kid. I am sad to say that i have never been to his drag racing museum because of my fear of flying. Interesting to hear that Don used a Canadian Merc flat head but i wonder why he did. Any thoughts on that. Cheers.
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1957 Pontiac Pathfinder Deluxe sedan restored 261 six
1974 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon low mileage original 400 V-8
-- Edited by 2drpost on Friday 4th of October 2019 11:34:08 AM
Da Grump was at Cayuga about 1979, I was wandering around the pits. I guess I was in the way, as the Grump yelled out....."Get outa the F****** way".........I was impressed....lol
If I remember correctly the bore and stroke of the mercury were larger for more cubic inches. The block was cast stronger and had more material for more increased oversize. The crankshaft was also stronger. There was one of the stock mercury engines on display went a went a few years ago.
