Michael, do you have any pictures and information on Dad's Firebird? I can't find squat on the web. If you would, maybe e-mail me at home...redicls@gmail.com and/or my work...dgouldman@cnkmachinemfg.com. My boss is friends with Stan Anderson who now has the car, and we would like to learn more of the history on this car.
Jackie, Woody has turned you on to much more than I can help with. I have very little, and what I do have has already been posted on my page. I am trying to gather some pics myself. All of this is quite interesting and I intend to contact more folks to see what I can turn up. I still have a fewacquaintances that may be able to contribute something. Excuse me....I'm gonna make a call now before it gets too late.
Yes, Jimmy migrated to oval track, and yes, 180 degree headers. Everyone knew the car as "Bumblebee". He finally gave up and built a Chevelle with a small block. Ted Hairfield came out of retirement to drive the car in the "Va 300" and won with it. Jimmy was a so-so driver on the round-the-round, but a hell of aninnovator with motors and suspension.
Jimmy raced the '58 Chevy for several years. He competed in national events at Bristol and other places. He ran below the national record on occasion, but never backed it up to go on the record books. He later built a Chevy Nova that ran modified or gas...don't recall. He, of course, ran a 348, motor set back, and a fabricated tunnel ram that he adapted from an AMC motor. He used 396/427 connecting rods, drilled the block for spark plugs below the heads, and many other wild and innovative things. (remember the combustion chamber was in the cylinder on the W motors)
I am at a loss on the Mathews & Bender car, but do remember Monty Cline and Pete Bryant racing. And yeah, we went from Gas to Bracket racing because we didn't have a roll bar and other requirements adapted for Gas class.
Okay, I have no clue how to add a picture to a reply. I replied with a pic!! It would be great if you could pull some pics from a DVD, but don't ask me how!! I can't remember if we ever ran Suffolk. I believe it was Colonial Beach that we would runoccasionally. That, I believe, was the track that had a concrete launch pad. We could run 10:98 and 10:99 there. Never bettered a 11:41 at Richmond.
Woody, thanks for the pic. I had forgotten about the "Outlaw". Yellow '55 as I recall. Strong contender. Remember the "Canadian Special" Studebaker? Can't recall guy's name now to save my ass. Did you know who Jimmy Scott was? He ran a black '58 chevy 348 D/Stock car. Ran right on the national record, but never officially held the record I am told. I can't recall many of the weekly contenders, but would remember if they were mentioned. There WAS a guy with a Nova, "Sparky" that I believe ran out of Colonial Heights. He ran a full half second faster E.T. than our '56, but we would dust him at the tree most times. Our wheel man was strong on the lights and launch. Broke a lot of rear ends, but we finally replaced the Spicer with a Dana and solved that. Car would catch a little air with the left front wheel when it hooked up good.
Don, I believe the Ultra-stock car is the one that I recall. Yeah, we ran a goldenrod yellow '56 Chevy with a lot of fiberglass... fenders, hood, trunk, rear bumper, and cut the car down to 3,000 lbs. We never had the money to be real competitive, but had a ton of fun. Street raced until the heat became too much.
I remember and have a picture of somebody's '61 or '62 Corvette at Richmond. I found a picture on-line of Gene Holt in a very similar '58-59 Corvette. I personally don't remember Gene driving that car. I can only recall the "Orange Crate" Anglia, but I know Gene piloted a lot of different cars through the years. He has fixed several of my appliances through the years too. Ha!
I can't recall Wayne Walker running a corvette either, but he was "Mr. Zip" in a Chevy wagon and it seems to me he ran something else, but I'm not sure what Corvette you might be referring to. (Wayne is the Corvette guru in this area)
Did you ever compete at Louisa Dragway back in the day? That's where I remember Earl Rowe competing in his '61 Pontiac, Sonny Mallory ran a '34 Ford coupe, ahhh, everything else is now a blank.....and I really didn't do weed....much.
Don, thank you for your response. My memory is probably not very accurate, but wasn't there a "Big Red" mopar that ran out of Poquoson Va, probably mid '60's? I checked here on Drag Racers reunion for pics, but don't see that car. It was a S/S car or something close. Weekly competitor at Richmond when I was running a street car in stock class.
Again, my memory may be a bit distorted, but I recall one Sunday when that competitor ran a bye for a class win, and went on to take top eliminator for the day. The track paid the top eliminator money, but didn't want to give him the $1.98 trophy for the class win. Dan Weis came close to getting jerked off of the timing tower I was told. Ha!
Yes, I remember Earl Rowe at Petersburg also. He ran a B/Gas Oldsmobile there. Earl's son Linwood inherited that car and drove it to school when we attended high school together.
I haven't been to Richmond Dragway in years. All of my experiences date to 60's and 70's. I housed a car and wrenched on it with friends for awhile. A '56 big block Chevy that started out in Gas....C/Gas I believe. Had a lot of fun with it and it was always popular in the pits just because it was a classic '56. Car became a bracket racer. 11:40's usual E.T.
I live in the Richmond Va area and used to compete a little at Richmond Dragway many years ago, mostly stock class, although we did run C/Gas for awhile with a '56 Chevy powered by a Stuart Matthews big block.
I have not found a great deal of pictures or info here relative to local racers, some of
whom held both local and national records as I recall. Anyone out there that may have pictures, please share them. Earl Rowecampaigned a S/S tri-power '61 Pontiac in earlier years with much success. Somewhere around the house I have a Hot Rod magazine with a write-up on Earl and his Pontiac.
Jimmy Scott ran a '58 Chevy, D/Stock record holder I believe, with a strong 348 c.i motor that Jimmy did his special tweaks on. He was the guru on 348 Chevies around here.
Page Campbell had a very successful '62 Chevy 409 that ran S/S or A/Stock (can't recall) and he also ran a modified class with the car, equipped with an aluminum front end. Page later ran a slant-window '62 Bel-Aire (I think) 409 car also.
Then, there was Joe Weis, who's family owns Richmond Dragway. Joe ran everything from stock class where I competed against him, to a sling-shot dragster. Joe's nephew is Scott Weis, a name most of you would know.
There is Arthur Morris that now lives around Charlottesville area I believe. Arthur may still be competing at various eastern tracks. He ran a very strong Chevelle in a stock class and I believe went to an even stronger Firebird. Arthur and I worked together years back.
Morris Johnson Jr is another name that competed here and went on to professional racing in the Pro-Stocks I believe. I can remember his house was decorated with racing tires, wheels, and car parts, little to no furniture. (a bachelor at the time of course)
....and the white stuff has been falling for two days. UNCLE already!!
I'll take you at your word that you're a young feller, but I did peruse your pictures on your RR page. It would appear that you are acquainted with a number of elderly folks.
Sounds like you reside in a more compatible climate. You got a spare bedroom?
