Don Prudhomme's Pepsi Challenger

Thirty Years Ago on May 29, 1982 at the NHRA Cajun Nationals Don “The Snake” Prudhomme in his Pepsi Challenger Funny Automobile set a new NHRA record throughout qualifying by being the primary Funny Car to succeed in 250 MPH in the Quarter Mile! This historic qualifying pass was created against Raymond Beadle who was in the opposite lane in his Blue Max funny automobile.

Later that year on September four, 1982 at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis Don Prudhomme ran the Challenger in what has been considered by fans and therefore the NHRA the greatest Funny Car Pass in History! Don Prudhomme pushed his Funny Car to the boundaries and ran an E/T of 5.63 which was a pair of/10 of a second quicker than any alternative pass at the time! However throughout this run as a result of Don pushed his automotive to the limit the engine’s internals suffered huge harm. After this pass he said on TV “If I hadn’t of been there myself to work out it, done it myself. I don’t know if I would of believed it!”

Through it’s years of racing the Pepsi Challenger remained very dominate, but like several different funny automotive it wasn't with out its issues. Break downs happened, engines had there issues however overall the Funny Automotive was terribly dominate especially in its early years.

What created the car therefore Dominate? Well per “The Snake” himself reason was because the funny car’s body was based off of the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am. The Trans Am had a terribly sleek body vogue, it was a very Aerodynamic style which helped the car run quicker and fast times in the quarter mile.

While developing the body of the automobile Prudhomme and his team where factory backed by Pontiac, so that they had access to Pontiac’s Wind tunnel that really helped them out.Due to the testing in the wind tunnel Prudhomme and his team got all of the bumps out of the front finish and made certain the Automobile was sleek all around. According to Don “Aero wise, the automobile was the best package out in drag racing at the time.”

The other major factor that contributed to the Pepsi Challenger’s dominance was it’s monster power plant. The funny automotive was powered by 484 Cubic Inch, All-Aluminum Hemi Engine one amongst the first All Aluminum engines drag racing. The engine was engineered by the legendary and famed engine builder Keith Black. The Hemi was connected to 2 speed drag racing transmission. The engine, transmission and body are all mounted on to a Hand Made chrome-molly tubular chassis.

On May 19, 2012 nearly 30 years to day of Don Prudhomme’s historic pass at the Cajun Nationals the Pepsi Challenger sold for $250,00zero to a lucky drag racing fan at the Mecum Auction. Hopefully this piece of drag racing history remains in smart hands, thus generations of drag racing fans to come back can see an incredible part of its past.

1963 Nova Surf Rod

This may be a 1963 Nova Surf Rod owned by Dennis Marshall and Jonna Marshall in Xenia,OH.

I bought the automobile at a swap meet back in Might of 201one, whereas looking I was told that the automobile had been sitting in a old barn for the past 12 years. I ended buying the automotive because I loved the wagon look and thought it would be neat to try to to a wagon in the rat rod vogue.

Once I started tearing into the automotive I had to put in all of the new floor pans. The Nova was originally a 3 speed on the column however I moved it and bought a replacement Mr.Gasket floor shifter. The founded is now 3 on the ground! The motor powering the Nova is the first factory 194 Inline half-dozen that has been overhauled.

When I initial got the wagon there was hardly any interior left in within! Since then I have had all of the seats re-padded and recovered. I am still working on some things in the interior like the door panels and obtaining the carpet but I am getting to them slowly however surely.

For paint I invariably wished to try and do a flat paint job on the automobile to grant the automotive that rat rod look. What I did was use Hot Rod Flats-Aqua with a white shiny high.The automobile was painted by my father Gary Stollings. The wheels are sandblasted and painted to match that automobile. The Nova has thirteen inch tires that are wide white walls.I needed to administer the car a unique surf rod look, so I found a surfboard to set it off,(that I would possibly add surfboards are terribly arduous to find in Ohio).

The Nova has been lowered 3 inches and every one the chrome has been powder coated to a chrome end. All the work has been done by my father Gary Stollings, my son Ty Marshall and myself.  This has been one of many cars i've got restored/engineered. There’s nothing sort of a previous Hot Rod!!!!

Mickey Thompson's Big Red

In honor of  the 2012 Baja five hundred I am going to travel a very little off topic by doing an article concerning Mickey Thompson’s legendary Baja truck Big Red! Mickey Thompson Chevy C20 Big Red  could be a kind of a special automobile for Mickey since it was the truck he had his best finish in the Baja 500 (2nd place) and was the sole truck that he raced for additional than one season!

Originally Mickey’s 1st truck was a 1972 Chevy C10 that he used for Off Road racing.  However, the C10 couldn’t take the punishment that M/T put it through so he set on a bigger truck for next season. The truck he selected: a 1973 Chevy C20 Truck which became Huge Red.

Huge Red is powered by a 454 Massive Block Chevy which was estimated to have over 60zero horsepower! The 454 was attached to a changed Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission which was changed by B&M. The transmission was fitted with two transmission coolers, which was done do to the extra weight and the high power to stay the transmission from overheating in the desert.

Huge Red encompasses a fifty five Gallon fuel cell that is mounted in the bed (One amongst the first off road trucks to do this I believe). The fifty five gallon tank had a fill on each sides to make in-race refilling a lot of faster. For further strength within the desert M/T created the roll cage and the front bumper of the truck out of titanium. However this did increase the weight of the truck that ended up being 5600 pounds!

Throughout his past few racing Experiences in the desert Mickey encountered many issues. This included ignition not working, alternators breaking, and a few other issues. With the help of his son Danny, Mickey fixed this issues by creating the positive the truck had two of everything! 2 alternators, two separate and independent brake master cylinders and a dual ignition system that would be switched by the motive force and therefore the co driver whereas the truck was driving!

The suspension and rear end of the truck was completely customized and fabricated similarly. All of the brakes on the truck were converted to disc brakes, there have been also three shocks for every wheel on the truck.  The rear end had a custom designed full-floating rear axle, the rear finish itself was designed to carry additional fluid and had a replacement innovative system to help keep the fluid cool throughout an extended race.

Another plan M/T came up with was to use aircraft hoses for all of the hoses on the truck. This was done to stop oil from leaking in case of a roll over.

Using its 60zero and horsepower Massive Red had a prime speed of around 165 MPH whereas Off Road. During the Baja 500 and therefore the Mexican 1000 Mickey averaged a race speed of 109 MPH!

Mickey’s first race using Big Red was in November of 1972, he raced in the Mexican a thousand. During the Mexican one thousand Huge Red was robust for the primary few legs of the race, sadly M/T had some problems together with losing the hood and Huge Red broke down and needed to be towed a manner. Mickey ended up with a DNF for the Mexican a thousand. He later went on to race the Baja 500 where Mickey earned his best end in the five hundred with a  Second place! The truck would race Baja yet one more time in 1974 that once more would result in a DNF.

I have to mention I am really impressed with Massive Red. I have continuously been a friend of Mickey Thompson and his innovative hot rods and trucks but I have to say Big Red is one among the simplest. It very shows off the innovative talent Mickey had. Coming up with a number of the systems that I mentioned above that are still utilized in the Trophy Trucks today! Massive Red could be a one of a form truck that's currently sitting in an exceedingly look in Eugene, Oregon fully untouched since it’s last race.