Also "happening" during that period of time, an "outlaw" sport became recognized by the major Detroit automakers, and with their help the sport of drag racing grew up. NHRA billed it as the "sport of the seventies," and it turned the corner and gained legitimacy as major corporations such as Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors lent their prestige and marketing expertise. All of a sudden we began to become legit, more than hot rod hoodlums being seen in the same light as dope addicts and pickpockets.

One of the most overlooked aspects of this same history is the contribution made by tiny American Motors Corporation, of Kenosha, Wisconsin. Although relatively short lived, AMC race cars and racers made a tremendous impact during the time in which the company was involved, coming full circle from a laughed-at "grandpa’s car" to a Pro Stock World Championship in less than a decade.

As late as 1964, American Motors was vehemently anti-motorsports, even running advertisements in publications such as Popular Mechanics chastising the "Big Three" for their involvement. These ads took direct aim at the then burgeoning "horsepower race" being waged between Ford, Chrysler, and GM, and proudly announced that the only race AMC cared about was the "human race." The ad went on to point out, rightly, the Rambler’s exemplary record for safety and reliability.

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However, as that same "Big Three" continued to increase their base and sales due to the exposure gained by the tried and true "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" philosophy, someone in the hierarchy in Kenosha decided that a paradigm shift was in order. What resulted were some of the quickest, most exciting and most unique muscle cars and drag racing machinery ever seen in the sport.

By the early seventies, the factories had shifted their focus from hybrid funny cars to race cars more in tune with what they were actually selling. Pro Stock was the showcase for these gasoline-burning, carbureted "factory hot rods." and young buyers were flocking to the showrooms to see the latest offerings from Detroit. AMC decided to jump into this arena with both feet, and decided to offer some of the sharper minds the opportunity to see if a genuine American Motors product would be competitive with the Hemis, Cleveland Fords, and big Chevies on carburetors and gasoline. NHRA had changed its Pro Stock program from a heads-up format to a formula consisting of different weigh breaks for different engine combinations. AMC figured that under this format an AMC program might just be competitive, so they offered three teams factory support to take short wheelbase Gremlins and go play.

Three cars were built for Wally Booth, the team of Dick Maskin and Dave Kanners, and Rich LaMont. LaMont, a Philly area Ford Super Stock ace, was sponsored by WIBG, which was owned by entrepreneur Rick Buckley. Buckley was very close to the famed Roger Penske, who was knee deep in the AMC Trans Am effort driven by the late Mark Donahue. When AMC asked Penske for input on who might want a factory ride, LaMont’s name came to the top. His Gremlin featured here is the only remaining known survivor.

Picked out by LaMont himself in Kenosha as a body in white, right off of the assembly line, it was then acid dipped and shipped to the shops of Holman and Moody. The famous NASCAR shops located in South Carolina were home to some of the most successful Ford race cars in history. They constructed the chassis and set the car up for the rigors of NHRA Pro Stock racing.

To show its seriousness, AMC brass gave the teams the green light to begin a full-fledged Pro Stock R&D program. The result was probably the first custom built Pro Stock cylinder head, and catapulted the AMC program to the NHRA World Championship in 1974. Kieth Penatzer, a well-known AMC engine builder from Pennsylvania, remembers the cylinder head well. "Maskin, I believe came up with this deal," stated Penatzer. "What they did was to cut two 401 AMC heads, number 3196291C, in half lengthwise, about two thirds of the way from the bottom, and then another one about two thirds of the way from the top. Then, they put the two large halves together, which created an AMC head with a huge chamber. They flowed absolutely fabulous." Furnished with these new heads, all of a sudden the little Ramblers became major players. A couple of years later, when the AMC factory racers switched to the more aerodynamic Hornets, they were all but unbeatable.

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Unfortunately, these hybrid heads were exclusively a Wally Booth package, at least in the beginning. "We never got those heads," said LaMont, "I wish we could have." The "Wibbage" Gremlin originally had its engines supplied by Traco Engineering of California, who were very involved in round track and road racing.

"Traco built a good, reliable engine," remembers Lamont of the original 366 cubic-inch AMC powerplants. "But with their background, their focus was more on reliability rather than pure power. Eventually, we wound up building our own, and they did run better. However, the breakage also increased as well." The engines were all based on the 401 inch AMC offering, and the motor was backed up with a Borg Warner four speed transmission. Eventually, with his own engine and rowing that old B-W four speed, the car went a best of 9.39

LaMont kept his Gremlin and raced it until around 1974, and then kept it in the corner of his Philadelphia area shop for another ten years or so. It was sold, went through a variety of owners, before its current owner, Bill Kepplinger, decided to go looking for it. Kepplinger, a close friend of LaMont’s, tracked it down in Florida. It had a Spirit body on it, but had not been finished. However, the original Gremlin body was still in the owner’s possession, and a deal was struck to bring the historic race car back to Philly. "It turned out to be some real negotiating involved in getting it back here," remembers Kepplinger. "We wound up building a new chassis for the guy to put his Spirit on, as well as some other stuff. But, it was worth it." In 1992, the "Wibbage" car arrived home, albeit in pieces, and the meticulous restoration was begun by the original owner himself, Rich LaMont at his 422 Motorsports shop. The results speak for themselves.

These days, the car is still powered by an AMC engine, as it was then. The 421 inch motor was built by AMC Super Stock guru A.H. Adkins and in place of the B-W four speed, a Tom Goldman Powerglide feeds a 422 Motorsports-prepped 9-inch Ford rear with a 4.86 final drive. The original chassis has been updated to meet current safety specs, although the original Holman-Moody piece remains in place.

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Don Bangs, another Pennsylvania racer who also runs a genuine AMC-powered dragster, handles the driving chores, and since returning to the quarter mile wars has carded a best of 8.96 at 147.42 mph.