U.S. MALE RETURNS?
Tue, 2007-07-17 14:18
"Nitro Nick" Boninfante, who last campaigned a nitro Funny Car in 1991,
announced that he, along with his sons Nicky Jr. and Rob, are putting together a
replica of his 1977 Mustang II Funny Car that will race at select nostalgia
Funny Car races in 2008.
Boninfante Sr. started racing his series of U.S.
Male Funny Cars in 1971. He originally campaigned an alcohol Funny Car car
until he switched to nitro in 1983 and he continued racing until 1991 when he
took a step back to concentrate on his clutch business. Since then Boninfante
Performance Clutch Parts has grown into a multi-million dollar business that
supplies the majority of Top Fuel and nitro Funny Car teams with discs,
floaters, flywheels and pressure plates.
"Since I quit racing it's always been the back of
my mind that I'd like to get back out there," Boninfante Sr. said. "But with
the enormous costs of racing a car in the "big show" and with the increasing
popularity of the nostalgia Funny Cars it was a easy decision for me to
make. Although we did run a lot of national events back then we did a lot more
match racing which is a lot more fun and a lot less pressure so this is the
direction we decided to go."
"Nitro Nick" Boninfante, who last campaigned a nitro Funny Car in 1991,
announced that he, along with his sons Nicky Jr. and Rob, are putting together a
replica of his 1977 Mustang II Funny Car that will race at select nostalgia
Funny Car races in 2008.
Boninfante Sr. started racing his series of U.S.
Male Funny Cars in 1971. He originally campaigned an alcohol Funny Car car
until he switched to nitro in 1983 and he continued racing until 1991 when he
took a step back to concentrate on his clutch business. Since then Boninfante
Performance Clutch Parts has grown into a multi-million dollar business that
supplies the majority of Top Fuel and nitro Funny Car teams with discs,
floaters, flywheels and pressure plates.
"Since I quit racing it's always been the back of
my mind that I'd like to get back out there," Boninfante Sr. said. "But with
the enormous costs of racing a car in the "big show" and with the increasing
popularity of the nostalgia Funny Cars it was a easy decision for me to
make. Although we did run a lot of national events back then we did a lot more
match racing which is a lot more fun and a lot less pressure so this is the
direction we decided to go."
Boninfante's car is being built with the help of
many of his friends and fellow racers who's contributions should make this car
one of the best out there. The chassis is an ex-Don Schumacher car obtained
from Ed "Ace" McCulloch and the vintage body was pulled out from the rafters at
Bob Rosetty's "Funny Farm" in Pennsylvania. Nick Jr. called his good friend Del
Worsham and asked him to help with the engine combination. Del and his father
Chuck offered to build a clone of the engine that has run many 5-second passes
in their "Blue Max" Mustang.
"I am real excited to have the Worsham's help me
with this whole deal," Boninfante Jr. said. "We have been buddys for many years
and I just can't wait to get this thing to the track and see the look on my
dad's face when we make the first pass."
Putting the car together and who will also drive
the car is Boninfante's driver when he started out, Pat "The Hippie" Walsh.
Walsh, who drove the U.S. Male from 1972 until 1987, has already started
assembling the car and he's looking to having the car ready for testing later
this year. If all goes according to plan Pat will upgrade his license and the
car will make it's public debut at the 2008 March Meet in Bakersfield,
Calif. There's also plans to run some match races at local east coast tracks
like Englishtown, Maple Grove, Atco and Cecil County.
For more information go to: www.boninfanteracing.com
Categories: