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Hot
Rod/Comp Cams Drag Week - Tuesday Miles Covered: 600
Beam me up Scotty – Carl Scott is a legend in the making at the Hot Rod Drag Week and it’s only the second day. Scott’s nitrous-injected big block-powered 1967 Nova has run consistent 8.50s in the heat here at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis and has been stone cold reliable on the highway. There are a couple of racers within striking distance, specifically Phil Cooper and his Chevy Nova who is within a tenth of a second of Scott and Larry Larsen in yet another Chevy Nova who is off by a shade more than three tenths. Want to talk about rituals? When Scott and his buddy Troy pull into the race track, they have a few more chores than the average racer here at Drag Week. The most the majority of the racers have to worry about is filling a nitrous bottle, adjusting tire pressure and running a good number. Here is what we have spotted the pair doing: First they unhook the trailer (stop laughing - we’re serious), then they swap gear ratios and carburetors, bolt the Lexan windows back into the car, put the slicks on and let it rip. We may have missed a step or two in the middle, but needless to say, these fellows are the busiest guys in the pits at every track.
Do you take American Express? – Bill Fowler, a California native, is competing in this event with a gorgeous 1971 Mustang convertible. Unfortunately, he was bit by the mechanical bug and may not be able to make a pass today, thereby disqualifying him from competition. Roughly 40 miles out of KCIR we spotted Fowler on the side of I-70 in Missouri. We then noticed that every participant in the Drag Week event that passed by stopped and offered any assistance they could. “What started out as a light tapping had turned into a noticeable rapping noise by the time we stopped,” Fowler said. “We suspected that it was a lifter and were debating on what to do. We opened up the oil filter and saw lots of metal in there so we knew we could not drive the car.” That’s when things got expensive. “Luckily we found a nice truck driver who was able to tow us to St. Louis for just $952.00,” Fowler said with a wry smile. Since Fowler was towed by a tow truck and not a support vehicle or crew member he was still eligible for competition if he could get the car repaired by the end of the day’s racing. Fowler thrashed on the car all day, and got some advice from the tech people from Comp Cams, but unfortunately his trip is over because he did not get the car to the line before the lanes were closed. a
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A change in scenery – Gateway International Raceway certainly provides a different backdrop than quaint KCIR did yesterday. That’s not to say one is better than the other, but this giant national event facility does not have the charm that the smaller track did. The event schedule seems to have us alternating between large and small venues, as we will be in historic Bowling Green, Kentucky tomorrow. Many of the racers are looking forward to seeing the covered bleachers and running at the home of the Hot Rod Reunion. There are some racers and crew people on the tour who have personal history at Gateway International. Lloyd Harland is riding out the week with his best friend, 69 year-old Bob Lash. Harland was at Gateway the first day it opened. Back then it was an eighth-mile strip and ran in the opposite direction to what it does now. “I came up from Texas and ran my B/Fuel Altered up here when this place first opened,” Harland said. “It was not paved much past the eighth-mile, so there was a pretty serious drop off. I had a solid mounted rear end in the car so I felt it every time.” Harland brought a very neat trophy with him as well. He won it on June 6, 1954, at Great Bend, Kansas, racing C/Stock. We’re not sure exactly how old Harland is, but if he was 16 in 1954, that would ball park him at 67. All you big tough guys and girls that were afraid to come out should think about this - you’re being laughed at by a pair of nearly 70-year-old men.
Only in America – We said it in the preview story and we’ll say it again, this event could only happen in America. It accentuates our love for the automobile as much as it showcases the rebellious nature of drag racing and hot rodding in general. Does it make a lot of sense to drive half way across the country, knocking down 10 mpg on super ultra premium, in a car with little or no exhaust, no air conditioning or power steering and a jungle gym roll cage to wedge into? Heck no, but it presents a challenge that these people could not resist. Steve Atwell’s factory original 1968 Super Stock Hemi Dart still has the stamped disclaimer plate on the door that specifically states the car is not for highway use. This guy is a drag racer and here’s how we know that. He was able to register the car by creatively reading the state DMV guidelines. Apparently the only thing he had to present to get a title was a bill of sale. He “bought” the car and the state titled it. There is a lot of positive energy present when talking to the group of racers on the trip. Despite the fact that many of these cars are bone rattlers on the highway, and we have used up more dead dinosaurs in one day of driving than most people will in a month, everyone is still smiling. It is all for one and one for all as evidenced by their response when Bill Fowler ran into his troubles yesterday. “The intent of this event is to put yourself in the situation that you’re cruising with your buddies,” David Frieburger said yesterday. “If you break down in the middle of nowhere you have to rely on each other. That’s what this is all about.”
Hey, what’s that sound? – Dustin Hasse, a racer entered into the big block class, is averaging 11.43 seconds per run with his blue 1972 Plymouth Barracuda. After leaving Gateway International and going through the checkpoint in Illinois, he made an emergency stop about 10 miles down the road. We stopped and inquired what happened. “The torque converter bolts came loose,” Hasse said. Roughly two minutes later three other participating cars had stopped to lend a hand in the repair. As we left the scene the car was on the jack stands and the bolts were being tightened. Wednesday morning at Beech Bend Raceway will be the litmus test to see if the repair held up. Another Mopar that met an early end was the 1964 Sport Fury of David Korth. He and his buddy had driven the car down from Colorado and it performed flawlessly at KCIR. The word from race officials was that the transmission on the 440 powered Mopar had quit, ending their event. Tom Hogshead also added his name to the attrition list after a burned-out fuel pump killed his turbocharged, small block-powered 1977 Chevy Nova. The number of competitors still in action is now 36. If the first ride was any indication, that number will rise tomorrow.
Cars are fast, but wagons haul – John Cunningham has a strangle hold on the small block power adder class. Cunningham’s 1966 Nova (surprise, surprise) wagon runs a GM straight six (the same motor found in the Trailblazer SUV) with a giant Garrett turbo attached. Cunningham is currently averaging 9.06 at better than 151 mph in this little rocket and more than likely is leading the fuel economy ranks as well. There are several competitors averaging sub-10 mpg on this ride so far. We’re not sure if this is a benefit or a hindrance but Cunningham is friendly with drag racing announcer Al Tucci. The jury is still out on that one. A vehicle that brings a smile to everyone who sees it is the well-seasoned 1956 Chevrolet wagon of Chad Reynolds. The car sports some serious patina, but under it lies a fuel injected LT1 small block Chevy. Riding on air bags, Reynolds can slam it to the ground while it is parked in the pits. With the modern underpinnings and the well-worn wagon body, this is the ultimate daily driver. Reynolds has been averaging 15.6 seconds per pass, but it sure seems like he is having the best time of anyone on the trip. The third and final wagon that began this adventure was the 1993 Caprice
of Steve Morris. He was running a supercharged big block Chevrolet in
that behemoth, but he blew it up on Monday.
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