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The spacing between topic and description causes confusion. It appears the description is for topic located close below, instead of other way with topic just above description.
Jeff, you might want to find way to let current members know they have to reset their password to gain access and how to do it. I spent along time and several attempts and always got invalid ID or password message. I finally gave up and selected forgot them and found out how to reset password. This was a by accident method because I knew I hadn’t forgotten them.
I just learned of passing Tom Smoker Smith. Those that didnt know him, He drove early funny cars but was better known as promoter of funny car circuit on east coast. Many knew and raced with his East Coast Fuel Funny Car Circuit (ECFFCC).
RIP Smoker Some day I will joint you and race your circuit again.
http://www.brinsfieldecholsfuneral.com/obituaries/dsp_files/dsp_viewobit.cfm?obit_ID=5823
Sorry to say I read on CFCB that Scott Weney of S&W race cars, a featured guest here a few weeks ago, passed away today after a heart attack.
Sad news, got word Butch Kernodle passed away yesterday. Among many classes he ran several funny cars named All American in Tom (Smoker) Smiths ECFFCC and later with Nick Boninfantes continuation of that circuit. He will be missed and my heart goes out to his family. RIP Butch
Attached is a release by Don Garlits concerning Arts passing:
Dear Friends,
My long life buddy, partner and friend died at home this morning at 6 AM. This was the final result of an Airboat accident several years ago, Art was injured severely and never fully recovered. I talked to him on March 27th and he was in good spirits, thought he had lost a lot of weight. The brute of a man was down to 175 pounds, my weight! His wife Sandra was at his side.
It grieves me to write this, but I must as Art and I go a long way back, in 1942 we rode the Twin Lakes School bus together, became friends and never had a quarrel. Art was younger than I, but a tall boy and timid at that young age. I once beat up a bully that was picking on him and we have been very close ever since. Art initially started racing round track cars and I once borrowed a flathead Ford engine out of his stock car to run an event while my engine was being repaired, I won with Arts engine, but he continued to race the round tracks. Then in 1959, I was burned severely and Art and his wonderful late wife Lorraine came to the hospital and he offered to drive the Swamp Rat I car while I recuperated. Art took to Drag Racing like a Duck to Water, setting the new Drag News 1320 Record at his first outing in Sanford Maine, 183,66 MPH, breaking my old record set at Houston TX the week before the Chester fire. Art continued to raise the 1320 record several times and in 1960 built his own car at Al Williams shop in Kansas. He won the US Fuel and Gas Championships held in Bakersfield CA in 1963 with his own home-built car, Ed Iskenderian was his Crew Chief! He set the oval track record of 181.561 MPH at the Daytona Speedway on August 28th 1961, receiving the $10,000.00 prize posted by Bill France of NASCAR fame for the first person over 180 on a closed course, driving the Mad Dog a winged version of an Indy car, built by the late Bob Osiecki from Chester SC. The Mad Dog now rests in the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing as a tribute to this mans many accomplishments. We teamed up again in 1984 putting Garlits and Malone on Swamp Rat 26, a car removed from the museum and refitted with modern parts purchased by Art to be able to run the 1984 NHRA US Nationals, we won the race, the competitors were calling us Dinosaurs, we then proceeded to the NHRA World Finals, winning again! Art and I then won the NHRA World Championships two years in a row, 1985 and 1986. Art was inducted into the Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1997 and he supported the Museum from the very beginning. This is just a brief summary of Arts life, as it would take an entire book to list it all, he was a mans man and will be missed by all racing fans and competitors.
Please circulate widely.
Thanks,
Don Garlits
CEO
Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing Inc.
13700 SW 16th Ave.
Ocala, FL 34473
352-245-8661 Office
352-245-6895 FAX
don@garlits.com
Richard, the drag strip you are talking about sounds like one that was located in Creeds, VA. It was located south of Virginia Beach between there and NC boarder. It had several names during the years it was in operation. I cant recall all the names as I always remembered tracks by their location and not track name. The dodge youre talking about was probably Bounty Hunters owned and driven by Tom Sneden, who later drove most of the Bob Banning Dodge cars.
In all my years of racing, when it comes to engine sound, the one that first hits my mine is THE OUTLAW small block 55 Chevy. That thing always sounded like the perfection of engine tuning of gasoline engines.
Richard, cant comment on your memory since mine is terrible. But you are correct there was up to three Big Red cars running out of Newport News VA, not out of Poquoson, in mid 60s. All of which ran at Richmond on several occasions, couple of which won top eliminator. Ill claim complete memory lost on any tower issues! Attached is Bob Plumer photos of two of the Big Red cars, one of which was taken at Richmond. One was S/SA and other was Ultra Stock.
My experience at Richmond was same time frame as yours. I also ran B/Gas there, which was actually the car that did the rear bumper drag not an altered, another brain issue! May have even run you guys 56 Chevy, since I had to spot almost all gas and modified classes. I do remember a modified early Corvette that was hard to beat because we both ran right on our records.
Richard, I remember Earl Rowe, but mostly from old Petersburg drag strip. I ran Richmond Dragway with several different cars. Even ran about half track on rear bumper with an altered, which was basically a converted flopper funny car that had no wheelie bars at the time. The back of that fiberglass body didnt fair to well and quicklyadded wheelie bars after that one. Ran with Joe Weis on funny car circuit and some match races. Liked Richmond Dragway, except when running at night with no lighting in shut down area and in funny car or altered with no lights.
