|
Round 35: Featuring
more Southern California funny cars, including Don Johnson, the Burkholder Bros, John Collins, Leroy Chadderton, Ron Sutherland's "Desert Rat,"
Gervase O’Neill's "King Rat," Gary Hazen’s "Panic" Vega, the "Nutcracker" Javelin, and Sherm Gunn.
Don Johnson was very
successful in the 1960s as a AA/Fuel Dragster team owner. His cars won
many races with drivers such as Tom McEwen and Bob Muravez. Johnson added
a funny car in 1970 and drove the car himself. The Cuda was seldom raced
and was sold with the dragster in 1971. Don built a new Chevrolet Vega in
1972. The cast iron Hemi powered machine mainly ran match races for the
next couple of years. Johnson was not as successful in funny cars as he
had been in dragsters. Don ran a 6.80 with the Vega after he crashed a new
Monza. This car also was seldom raced. Johnson quit by 1977. (Photo
provided by Gary Hojnacki, info from Dennis Doubleday and Draglist files)
The
"Brotherhood" funny car team was a partnership between two
racing families. The Burkholder Bros. -- Harry and Pete -- had previously
raced AA/Fuel Altereds, while the Spiegel Bros. -- John, Dick, and Steve
-- had AA/GS experience. The two teams formed one team to run the
"Brotherhood" Cuda. A 392 Chrysler Hemi powered the bright
yellow Plymouth. The Northern California based team were regulars at
Fremont and Sacramento. Harry Burkholder drove the car to known best times
of 6.93 at 223 in 1975. The "Brotherhood" split up and retired
from racing. The car’s body is now used on Jeff Gaynor’s nostalgia
funny car. (Photo by Dave Esqueda; info Draglist files and Jeff Gaynor)
John Collins’ 1971
Mustang was the first funny car he owned. Collins had previously been a
hired driver in both Top Fuel and AA/Funny Cars. John was hired first to
drive for John Bateman in 1970 in the "Atlas Oil Tool Spl."
Maverick. In 1971, Collins was replaced when Bateman built a new Mustang.
By the middle of the year, Collins was driving the car again. Bateman sold
the car to John when he decided to retire. Collins raced the car on the
West Coast for the next couple of years, recording a best of 6.90 at 211.
In 1974, Collins took over the second car of Tom McEwen. He went on to
gain fame at the wheel of that car and his own later "Audio
Express" backed cars. (Photo provided by Drag Racing Memories; info
from Draglist files)
Leroy Chadderton was
most famous for driving the "Magnificent 7" AA/Fuel Altereds
from 1966 to 1971. Chadderton toured the United States with California
Fuel Altered Tour for a couple of years. In 1971, Leroy debuted a new low
riding AA/Fuel Altered. Chadderton set the AA/Fuel Altered world on fire
with the first legitimate six-second pass by an AA/Fuel Altered. The new
car finally ran a 6.77 at Lions in 1971. Chadderton was offered the seat
in Roland Leong’s "Hawaiian" in 1972. The "Hawaiian"
ride lasted for the next couple of years. In 1974, Leroy teamed with
fellow ex-fuel altered Glen Okasaki to build a new Chevrolet Vega. Okasaki
worked for Keith Black during the day. The team laid down one of the best
runs of the season with a 6.31 at 221.22 at Pomona. The team was
short-lived tough. Chadderton & Okasaki sold the car in 1975 to Roy
Phelps, the owner of Santa Pod Dragway in England. Phelps hired Chadderton
drive a couple of times along with Dale Emery. Chadderton retired from
driving in 1975. The Vega became the "Gladiator," driven by
Allen Herridge. The car raced under several different names until the mid
1980s. (Photo courtesy of Alan Currans; info from Draglist files)
The "Desert
Rat" series of funny cars was one of Arizona’s best. Ron and Val
Sutherland from Scottsdale owned the "Desert Rat." Ron
Sutherland’s job as a hockey referee paid for the cars. The first
"Desert Rat" was a scary homebuilt Camaro powered by a cast-iron
Chevy. Larry Christopherson’s polished Nova replaced the Camaro in 1970.
The new "Desert Rat" was a solid mid-sevens performer with a
7.66 known best. Sutherland shared the seat with Chris Lane in the Nova.
By 1972, the pictured Nova was outdated and Sutherland built a new Vega.
The new "Desert Rat" ran a best of 7.02 according to Ben
Brown’s great Car Craft article series. Sutherland stepped out of the
driver’s seat in 1972 and Bob Booker took over the driving. The
Sutherlands gave up racing in 1975 only to return in 1984. Ron Sutherland
returned to driving, replacing Chris Lane at the wheel. The last
"Desert Rat" raced in 1995. (L&M photo courtesy of Drag Race
Memories; info from Dennis Doubleday, Bill Duke, and
Draglist files)
Gervase
O’Neill
was originally from Canada before moving to California. Gervase moved
with his brother Johnny. In California, the O’Neills began to race
Chevrolets. Gervase drove an A/FX Chevelle that became his first funny
car. Gervase’s brother Johnny, who opened up Johnny's Tune Up in
Gardena, California, became his tuner. The O’Neill Brothers
next built the "King Rat" Corvette that raced until 1970. A new
Camaro was built in 1972, complete with Chevrolet cast iron Rat Power. The
"King Rat" Camaro was a regular at Southern California match
races until 1977. The popular team ran best of 6.72 with
pure Chevy power. Only a couple of racers went faster with a Chevy. Gervase
O’Neill might not have been a big winner or as well known as
other Chevy racers, but he goes down in history as one of the quickest
fuel Chevy racers ever. (Photo courtesy of Drag Race Memories, info from
Michael O’Neill and Draglist files)
Gary Hazen’s
"Panic" Chevrolet Vega funny car is not remembered as much as
his AA/Fuel Altered or his Top Fuel dragster. Hazen joined the funny cars
at a time when many other AA/Fuel Altered drivers were switching as well.
The weekly local AA/Fuel Altered shows were drying up in Southern
California as the cost of drag racing skyrocketed in the early ‘70s.
Hazen and Vehehil’s "Panic" AA/Fuel Altered was one of
quickest Fuel Altereds in Southern California. The known best time by the
"Panic" AA/Fuel Altered was a 7.10, although he did receive a
disputed 6.71, 210-mph time slip in 1971. The "Panic" team
switched to AA/FC in 1972, but they did not enjoy the same level of
success they had with the altered. The "Panic" Vega was raced
for only two years, 1972 and 1973. Draglist files show that Hazen ran a 6.73,
214.74 best with the red Vega. Gary left the AA/FC wars for a Top Fuel
dragster ride to finish out his driving career. The Donovan powered
"Panic" dragster ran times of 6.13 at 231. Hazen has since
passed away, but he is not forgotten. (Photo from Drag Racing Memories;
info from Draglist files)
The
"Nutcracker" Javelin was one of the rare AMC Javelin funny cars,
joining Bob Pickett’s "Mr. Pickett," Gary Crane’s
"Travelin’ Javelin," the " Genuine Suspension
AMX-1," Doug Thorley’s "Javelin 1," and a few others. The
"Nutcracker" was raced by former fuel altered ace Gary Read. A
Chrysler 392 powered the "Nutcracker." The car is better
remembered for its hellacious burnouts then for its elapsed times. Read
later traded the funny car seat to drive the "Genuine
Suspensions" and "Dago Red" Top Fuelers. Gary currently
drives the Haight and Sullivan AA/Fuel Altered. (Photo courtesy of Drag
Race Memories; info from Bob Duke, Dennis Doubleday, and Draglist files)
Chassis builder Sherm
Gunn made his nitro funny car debut in 1979. Sherm had previously raced
blown gassers, blown gas altereds, blown alcohol altereds, and blown
alcohol funny cars. In the Lawce & Gunn blown gas AA/Altered, he
became the first to run a seven-second time in the class. Gunn had average
success racing the AA/A and BB/FC in the Pro Comp class. In 1979, Sherm
stepped up to AA/Funny Car with this super sanitary Challenger. Gunn built
the car in his M&S Chassis Shop in Azusa, California. The car had the
standard setup for the time with a Keith Black Hemi for power. Gunn did
not have success right away -- he raced until 1983 with mediocre results,
including a best time of 6.35. Success came with the next car Gunn raced,
as he won the 1984 World Finals at Pomona. Gunn never won another national
event round of racing after that weekend. He retired from racing in 1988.
(Photo courtesy of Mike Ditty, info from Draglist files)
[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Next ]
|
