FEEDBACK ARTICLE -   LEGEND OF THE TRIPLE NICKEL 

I read with enjoyment your story of the Triple Nickel Mopar but I feel obliged
to let you know that the legend of the Triple Nickel goes back another decade
prior to the one you have featured.

The "Original" Triple Nickel drag car
debuted in the mid-50's.  If you take a quick review of the December, 1956 issue
of Rod and Custom you will find the cover car and feature article concerns the
Walters and Murray 1929 Ford Roadster, 555.

(Bottom left magazine in this
picture http://i10.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/80/3c/7ae2_1_b.JPG )

Mooneyham
and Sharp's coupe was 554, this roadster was next in the Southern California dry
lake numbering scheme...555.

After a short stay in Wichita, Kansas the
Triple Nickel moved to Amarillo, Texas.

Under the ownership of Don
Morgan and Bob Johnson The 555 roadster won Middle Eliminator at the very first
race contested at Amarillo Dragway.

The Triple Nickel roadster was the
cover car on the 1961 NHRA South Central Division Drag Strip Guide.
http://www.goyda.com/images/product/misc55_big.jpg

The January, 1963
issue of Hot Rod magazine carried a multi-page article titled "Triple Nickel"
with photos by Dale Ham (yes, the NHRA Division Director who was best man at the
Triple Nickel's owner's wedding).

Fast foward a year or so and the
Triple Nickel had moved to Kansas City, Missouri and became the AHRA A/Altered
National Record Holder while being campaigned by Arrow Speed Shop.

From
there the vehicle moved into the hands of my father. For the past 40+ years the
Triple Nickel has sat in his garage with a 409 Chevrolet and B&M Hydrostick
between the frame rails.

In the early 1990's Rod and Custom covered the
car again as part of a pair of "where are they now?" type articles.

A
slightly cartoonish version of the car (complete with the 555 numbering)
appeared as the t-shirt design of a late 1990's Goodguys race event shirt held
at Indianapolis.

With all that said, yes, the Mopar from your article was
numbered 555 but the "Original" Triple Nickel had a decade long championship
drag racing history before your featured cars ever rolled down the race track. 
- Wayne Darlington, Akron, Ohio
 

FEEDBACK ARTICLE -   LEGEND OF THE TRIPLE NICKEL 

I've have been fortunate to know Ken Montgomery since My high school days. It
was always Cool to see all the muscle cars that came to him for his expert
abilities. This is a great story of racing history living ON. - Harrison Hall, Glenside, PA.

FEEDBACK ARTICLE - CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS by Roger Richards  

I know Roger and Rodney.  I say way to go to both of them.  Roger has always
been a class act and an especially good person.  Kepp up the good work.  I have
crewed on several teams and he is a staple item at the track.  He has even
hauled an engine block for me to the crew when I could not get to the track. 
Roger is a blessing in many ways to many people. 

As far as Rodney goes
he is also a staple item since if you see him Roger is around lurking somewhere
to take your picture. - Stacy Curtis, Laurens, SC

FEEDBACK ARTICLE - CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS by Roger Richards  

At the 2006 California Hot Rod Reunion, Al(Mousie)Marcellus told me the 1968
D200 3/4 Ton pickup he tows the Winged Express AA/FA with has 700,389 on it that
day. He bought it new for $2,800.
I drove my bought new 95 Jeep Grand
Cherokee out there. It had 174,00 on it when I left home. It got 21.3 miles per
gallon for the 3,868 mile trip.

You keep them up, they keep going. - Al Booton, Carlisle, Iowa 

FEEDBACK ARTICLE - SUSAN WADE'S 3RD ANNUAL NAUGHTY AND NICE LIST

The Schumacher incident, in my opinion, made for a dirty championship. A major
infraction that should have cost points. Arrogance and wealth should not have
been "allowed" to win a championship.  Miller Lite has said goodbye to team
Snake, so therefore they too have said goodbye to my dollars. What can you say
about Whit's blabber mouth baby tactics. Unbelievable that he has a job at all. 
Cancer not only eats you up physically but it will eat you up mentally too. I
was tested this past year due to spots on my spine, but thank God I was clean.
Our heros, regardless of how they have passed on, will always remain our heros. 
Desperate people fighting for stuffed animals makes me think of those idiot
shoppers that stand in line and then fight over sales merchandise. They have no
class but tons of rudeness.  Only two things worse is the news media televising
such an embarrassment and that stupid cops blame the store managers instead of
the idiot people that are pushing and fighting. The flag thing was great. I soon
will have my own flag after 20 years of service.  The wrecks were plentiful this
year, too plentiful. I never like to see a "shoe" go through that, but it is a
part of it, we can only pray.  Evan Knoll is a fantastic person to be so
generous to drag racing. I wish I was in a situation where I could attract some
of that financial attention for my own racing efforts.  And finally I must say I
am proud to have Larry Morgan's t-shirt. "Can't Fix Stupid", hey, if the shoe
fits, wear it. - Mark Elms, Kingsburg, CA

FEEDBACK ARTICLE - SUSAN WADE'S 3RD ANNUAL NAUGHTY AND NICE LIST

Loved the article, but you missed a BIG nice. At the Jeg's All-Stars, Greg
Boutte' came all the way from California to Chicago and blew up the engine in
his S/C Dragster. Ron Erks offered up an engine, and then Anthony Bertozzi went
him one better and loaned a complete car for Greg to run. Niether of these guys
had ever met or even heard of Greg, but they weren't going to let him miss out
on a shot at the All-Stars. They both deserve a candy cane. - Alan
Reinhart, Tucson, AZ. 

...or is this an episode from "As the Drag Slick Turns" or maybe "As My
Stomach
Turns"

http://www.nhra.com/content/news.asp?articleid=17708
http://www.nitromater.com/nhra/4150-ee-offs-sponsor.html

Well,
it's a brand new year - but the same old BS from NHRA. What a load
they've
put Erica Enders up to shovelling. "No - we just loooove NHRA soooo
much -
we returned the checks." Right.

Can you imagine NHRA allowing anyone
EXCEPT Bernstein from running a
competing energy drink sponsor like Monster.
KB sells tickets and they know
it. Bob Gilbertson would simply be asked to
leave the premises with his new
black & green livery. A long as they
have 16 cars per pro class NHRA's big
boys (drunks and Nazi's) are happy -
even if they're ALL owned by 3 team
owners.

Just imagine how cool it
would be if somehow Bruton did buy NHRA? Guess that
can be a new-years wish
for all of us. - Dale Epp

FEEDBACK ARTICLE - STRAIGHT AHEAD by Jeff Wolf

I too am NOT in favor of NHRA's new points system and a lot of other policies,
actions and trends. I have often felt that NHRA is not receptive to the needs of
the members, racers and fans for some time. There seems to be a "Big Brother"
Imperialist attitude at NHRA that pervades all it does when it ignores the
"little guy" that NHRA was founded upon. For a non-profit organization to not
include input from the membership it represents only amplifies the Imperialist
Attitude of an organization that had long ago followed the allure of corporate
greed.

A major change in the points system is a prime example. Whom is it
designed to benefit? Surely not Joe Member, but the corporations that really
control NHRA.

Another example is the Nostalgia Movement that has gained
momentum in the last few years. Why? Because it represents all that NHRA isn't.
A return to the simplicity that drag racing used to be and to cars that are not
corporate tools and billboards. When was the last time someone could build and
race a competitive Funny Car, Top Fuel, Gasser or anything else without a
corporate sponsor and all the trappings? Try about thirty or forty years ago.
This is the exact era that Nostalgia Racing captures and reflects. Has NHRA
shown any interest in this movement other than the Hot Rod Reunions? No is the
answer. There are enough cars, fans and interest to support a complete nostalgia
series right now. The former series the Goodguys organization provided for
Nostalgia Racing is proof. If NHRA were truly interested in the little guys, the
fans and the racers, they would be jumping through hoops to keep this series
alive. The Goodguys have left the building and they left the door wide open. Are
you listening NHRA? Again the answer is no because chasing the corporate teat is
the goal of Big Brother, not satisfying the wants and needs the little guys that
were once important to NHRA.

The time is indeed ripe for a revolution and the
nostalgia movement is proof that the good old days were just that and many of us
are yearning to go back. Sign me up.

How does the Nostalgia Hot Rod
Association sound?

We will call it NHRA for short. - Steve Cody, Lakeside, CA.
 

FEEDBACK ARTICLE - STRAIGHT AHEAD by Jeff Wolf

I have to agree with Jeff.  If it isn't broke don't try to fix it. Drag
Racing is NOT stockcars for TV.(nascar). We need the TV time but NOT this
way.Like Jeff has said look at the last two years, GOOD for the Racers &
FANS. - Jim, Beaufort, SC

FEEDBACK ARTICLE - STRAIGHT AHEAD by Jeff Wolf

Amen, I agree totally with what was said in the article. The only thing that
neeeds to be changed in the NHRA is the powers that be. They have completely
lost touch with the fans of professional drag racing. I really do not care for
the suites that would cost you an arm and leg. I am the fan that saves to get
the tickets and cost of hotel, eats (not at the track, thats for sure)and fuel
to and from track to home. The only organization that has not forgot the fans of
drag racing is the IHRA. - Daron Roberts, San Marcos, TX