JIM ROCKSTAD REMEMBERS: SEATTLE'S 64 FUNNY CARS, PT 4
Mon, 2010-12-27 15:00
There would be nothing like the perfect race final to cap off this evening-all live on the giant rock and roll station WKJR. Compare this scene to a handful of 
hydros sputtering around Lake Washington the next day….no contest, folks!!
To set the scene Bill Doner had “worked” the huge Seattle audience into a near frenzy with his hyped announcing efforts. As the two racers rolled forward in the staging lanes everyone stood up in anticipation of a great final. As late as it was on that Saturday night not a soul had left … or even considered leaving until the answer was clear. They had watched the team of Whipple & McCulloch for years at SIR and tonight they both were going nose to nose, so to speak … no blinking anywhere.
The motors for this final affair were lit simultaneously leading to lengthy burnouts, side-by-side nearly to the eighth mile mark. The fans were all standing, barely enduring the tension in the air as the two “floppers” pulled closer to the starting line.
hydros sputtering around Lake Washington the next day….no contest, folks!!
To set the scene Bill Doner had “worked” the huge Seattle audience into a near frenzy with his hyped announcing efforts. As the two racers rolled forward in the staging lanes everyone stood up in anticipation of a great final. As late as it was on that Saturday night not a soul had left … or even considered leaving until the answer was clear. They had watched the team of Whipple & McCulloch for years at SIR and tonight they both were going nose to nose, so to speak … no blinking anywhere.
The motors for this final affair were lit simultaneously leading to lengthy burnouts, side-by-side nearly to the eighth mile mark. The fans were all standing, barely enduring the tension in the air as the two “floppers” pulled closer to the starting line.
The two cars left the starting line together, in nearly lock-step combat, with huge flames spewing from their headers over 20 feet into the night air. The race was dead close from one end to the other with “Ace” McCulloch winning by just a scant few feet, far less than a car length. The huge crowd went wild over this breath-taking experience. McCulloch’s 6.60 at 223.32 mph ousting Beebe in the Whipple-tuned machine at 6.62, 223.88 mph…it could not have been any closer.
A dense fog of tire smoke and nitro fumes hung over the picturesque raceway that night as the noise from the two behemoths echoed through the trees and deep into the valley below. As they began to slow after the battle, some quiet was finally approaching the scene as the parachutes unfurled in the cooling night air. The often-trembling ground finally returned to some sort of stillness.
The Whipple dominance had finally come to a close on SIR soil as there would be no number 25 in his amazing stretch. There must have been a little chuckle on the face of McCulloch as he made the long tow down the return road in his winning Revellution Dodge Demon, after that final run. It must have been quite satisfying for the Ace.
Without a doubt, it was the perfect final in establishing an expansion of this event to 64 funny cars in 1973, the next year. It was certainly a door-opening for what would end up being a 15-year run of this iconic event which had been brought about by the vision and wizardly of Doner. This part of his legacy will be etched in Seattle forever.
Those in attendance could hardly wait as Doner reminded them over and over of the bigger event coming the next year. Once again, “YOU gotta be here for the Big One next year.” His personal invitation was well supported by one of the best final rounds ever held at SIR … and there certainly has been a lot of them over the years.
Some time later, Beebe, who took time off of his Service Manager position in Anaheim
to drive for Whipple, had promised to call his wife from the SIR tower. He said, “we lost
in the final … it was very close but McCulloch nosed us out. I wanted so bad to win this thing.” He certainly knew and understood the importance of this whole evening for the future of funny cars. Huge crowd, fabulous racing - it was perfect!
Meanwhile, the News got back to the motel around 4 a.m. after waiting hours and hours to get out of the race track. Too much traffic, but certainly enough learned, for the funny
car event which would be coming to Firebird Raceway in the next month. It must have been really satisfying to know that their event would meet up with the same popularity. The smaller market required a slightly lesser scale than the one at SIR. They could plainly see that funny cars were red hot! Nitro madness was well established.
Later that same day, the News headed back to Idaho after witnessing the beginning of a time that would to be so special in the Northwest. The huge crowd jammed into SIR saw an exciting side-by-side nitro final and the groundwork was set in motion for years and years of fabulous funny car racing.
The race track that stumbled for its financial identity had, in one exciting evening, established itself as the center of big-time drag racing in the Northwest. SIR and the up and coming 64 funny car event would be the talk of the sport all across the country as the 1973 race date got closer and closer.
Nothing impacted the sport of drag racing during this time like this up and coming event did.
Scott New got the inside feel of the sport at the young age of 12. Hanging with Richard
Tharp was a special time in itself. The school report was presented back in Idaho outlining the whole story including the mountains and scenery that he had seen for the very first time. It must have been a little tough to explain what took place at SIR but that
single experience during that trip to Seattle was a very important part of his own future today.
To be a sixth grader spending quality time with your father must have been really special and it, no doubt, provided a life-long memory. It was the beginning of the passion he has for the sport, and still has today, some 38 years later as he and his family operates Firebird Raceway, just outside of Boise, Idaho
64 FUNNY CARS, Part #5. “Hey, Doner, Where are you going to get 64 funny cars?”
hydros sputtering around Lake Washington the next day….no contest, folks!!To set the scene Bill Doner had “worked” the huge Seattle audience into a near frenzy with his hyped announcing efforts. As the two racers rolled forward in the staging lanes everyone stood up in anticipation of a great final. As late as it was on that Saturday night not a soul had left … or even considered leaving until the answer was clear. They had watched the team of Whipple & McCulloch for years at SIR and tonight they both were going nose to nose, so to speak … no blinking anywhere.
The motors for this final affair were lit simultaneously leading to lengthy burnouts, side-by-side nearly to the eighth mile mark. The fans were all standing, barely enduring the tension in the air as the two “floppers” pulled closer to the starting line.
Now is the time for an on-the-edge-of-your-seat final.
There would be nothing like the perfect race final to cap off this evening-all live on the giant rock and roll station WKJR. Compare this scene to a handful of
Once all of the motors were lit in unison as the traditional start of 64 funny cars, the funny car drivers would attempt to return to the pit area under their own power ... it was "mass-mania" and "gridlock" worse than downtown Seattle on Friday night ... certainly a lot more noise also. (Photo credit Russ Griffith of dragfotos.com)
To set the scene Bill Doner had “worked” the huge Seattle audience into a near frenzy with his hyped announcing efforts. As the two racers rolled forward in the staging lanes everyone stood up in anticipation of a great final. As late as it was on that Saturday night not a soul had left … or even considered leaving until the answer was clear. They had watched the team of Whipple & McCulloch for years at SIR and tonight they both were going nose to nose, so to speak … no blinking anywhere.
The motors for this final affair were lit simultaneously leading to lengthy burnouts, side-by-side nearly to the eighth mile mark. The fans were all standing, barely enduring the tension in the air as the two “floppers” pulled closer to the starting line.
The two cars left the starting line together, in nearly lock-step combat, with huge flames spewing from their headers over 20 feet into the night air. The race was dead close from one end to the other with “Ace” McCulloch winning by just a scant few feet, far less than a car length. The huge crowd went wild over this breath-taking experience. McCulloch’s 6.60 at 223.32 mph ousting Beebe in the Whipple-tuned machine at 6.62, 223.88 mph…it could not have been any closer.
A dense fog of tire smoke and nitro fumes hung over the picturesque raceway that night as the noise from the two behemoths echoed through the trees and deep into the valley below. As they began to slow after the battle, some quiet was finally approaching the scene as the parachutes unfurled in the cooling night air. The often-trembling ground finally returned to some sort of stillness.
The Whipple dominance had finally come to a close on SIR soil as there would be no number 25 in his amazing stretch. There must have been a little chuckle on the face of McCulloch as he made the long tow down the return road in his winning Revellution Dodge Demon, after that final run. It must have been quite satisfying for the Ace.
Without a doubt, it was the perfect final in establishing an expansion of this event to 64 funny cars in 1973, the next year. It was certainly a door-opening for what would end up being a 15-year run of this iconic event which had been brought about by the vision and wizardly of Doner. This part of his legacy will be etched in Seattle forever.
The 1971 Interstate-5 fire accident of the Whipple-McCulloch funny car allowed Twig Zeigler to rebuild that car and debut into funny car racing in 1972 with a 3rd place qualifying position at SIR. To finance the needed Keith Black power-plant, Twig and Barb sold their home.
Some time later, Beebe, who took time off of his Service Manager position in Anaheim
to drive for Whipple, had promised to call his wife from the SIR tower. He said, “we lost
in the final … it was very close but McCulloch nosed us out. I wanted so bad to win this thing.” He certainly knew and understood the importance of this whole evening for the future of funny cars. Huge crowd, fabulous racing - it was perfect!
Meanwhile, the News got back to the motel around 4 a.m. after waiting hours and hours to get out of the race track. Too much traffic, but certainly enough learned, for the funny
car event which would be coming to Firebird Raceway in the next month. It must have been really satisfying to know that their event would meet up with the same popularity. The smaller market required a slightly lesser scale than the one at SIR. They could plainly see that funny cars were red hot! Nitro madness was well established.
Later that same day, the News headed back to Idaho after witnessing the beginning of a time that would to be so special in the Northwest. The huge crowd jammed into SIR saw an exciting side-by-side nitro final and the groundwork was set in motion for years and years of fabulous funny car racing.
The race track that stumbled for its financial identity had, in one exciting evening, established itself as the center of big-time drag racing in the Northwest. SIR and the up and coming 64 funny car event would be the talk of the sport all across the country as the 1973 race date got closer and closer.
Nothing impacted the sport of drag racing during this time like this up and coming event did.
Scott New got the inside feel of the sport at the young age of 12. Hanging with Richard
Tharp was a special time in itself. The school report was presented back in Idaho outlining the whole story including the mountains and scenery that he had seen for the very first time. It must have been a little tough to explain what took place at SIR but that
single experience during that trip to Seattle was a very important part of his own future today.
To be a sixth grader spending quality time with your father must have been really special and it, no doubt, provided a life-long memory. It was the beginning of the passion he has for the sport, and still has today, some 38 years later as he and his family operates Firebird Raceway, just outside of Boise, Idaho
64 FUNNY CARS, Part #5. “Hey, Doner, Where are you going to get 64 funny cars?”
The always popular Blue Max funny car with Richard Tharp driving would often make the long tow from Texas. The quality of the cars would be unprecedented as the 1973 event expanded in size with cars attending the Seattle event from throughout the country.
Showmanship was what the late Richard Schroeders' wheelstander was all about. "Wall-to-Wall" Richard
would always add to the excitement with quarter-mile wheelstands.
would always add to the excitement with quarter-mile wheelstands.
Showmanship was always part of the Seattle event. The more "smoked-in" or the longer the burnout would always bring a huge cheer from the massive audience. (Photo credit Russ Griffith of dragfotos.com)
PART 1 - JIM ROCKSTAD REMEMBERS SEATTLE'S 64 FUNNY CARS
PART 2 - JIM ROCKSTAD REMEMBERS SEATTLE'S 64 FUNNY CARS
PART 3 - JIM ROCKSTAD REMEMBERS SEATTLE'S 64 FUNNY CARS
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