Funny Cars II
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Funny Cars II |
"Ron
Potter Stakes His Claim: 'Golden Nugget' goes prospecting in Funny Car
Eliminator" started a Drag Racing USA, Oct 72, article on this car. Potter, from
Cleveland, Ohio, raced a series of T/F cars before stepping up and turning full
time pro with this F/C. An NHRA WCS regular, Potter also ran selected AHRA and
IHRA events. Potter's biggest win with the car came at the Fall 72 National
Dragster Open at Columbus, OH., over Bob Durban aboard Jeg Coughlin's Camaro
flopper. Based on a Don Hardy chassis with Ed Pink power, this car was one
sanitary F/C! (JW Last Photo)
New
Jersey's "Slammin Sammy" Miller's Buttera built 72 Mustang. Car was preceded by
an identically painted Duster that carried Miller to his only NHRA National
event victory at the inaugural (71) Grandnationals in Canada. Pictured car
caught fire at the 72 NHRA Nationals and left Miller with serious burns. In 74
Miller returned with a Mustang II bodied F/C but following a pass in the
Pollution Packer rocket, he sold the flopper and went to work building his own
rocket F/C. According to SS&DI, Feb 76, Miller envisioned rocket floppers as a
way for "... professional funny car racers... to ply their trade in a safer
manner, much less expensively... There's no breakage, no fire, no explosions."
Although the R/FC craze didn't catch on save for a handful of nitro converts,
Miller continued to run rocket powered cars through the remainder of the 70s,
perhaps the best known being his "Vanishing Point" entries. (JW Last photo)
"Mr.
Ford" Tommy Grove's last Mustang bodied flopper circa 1973. From the mid-60s
through this car, Grove exclusively ran Mustang F/Cs, all but this one Ford SOHC
powered. Grove jumped into the Barry Setzer Vega in late 74, continued to
campaign the pictured car simultaneously for a short period into 75 before
concentrating on the Setzer car full time through approx 77. Although an NHRA
national event victory eluded him, Grove did win several AHRA races with the
Fords. In fact Grove won the first flopper show of the 70s at the 70 AHRA
Winternationals. In a strange irony, Grove won Beeline Dragway's "Mr Chevrolet"
title in 75 with the Setzer car. (Photo by John Shanks, used with permission)
From
Texas, circa 1970 comes Bob Veselka and the "Going Texas" Mustang. Car was
ex-Dick Loehr "Stampede" car from the 69 season; car was purchased when Loehr
gave up nitro floppers, eventually to go Pro Stock racing. Bob reports "... car
came with all the contracts and sponsorship from Ford. We went straight to
Orange County and started there. That was an experience - my first time with a
Cammer... it was a really great engine, however it required a lot more
education on its mechanics and operation then I had at the time and to just jump
in was not smart looking back" Bob's previous funny car experience had been
"... with a Mercury Cougar in 1967. I had a 392 blown Chrysler. in it and built
the chassis myself. We started local area racing... for us local was within 400
miles. With the Mustang Bob reports "... I was just getting the Cammer to run
when Ford pulled the plug -- no more sponsorships. We got the news at Bristol
AHRA Springnationals where we had just set low F/C et for the meet. I loaded it
up and turned my disappointment into doing something else and retired from drag
racing." (Info and photo courtesy of Bob Veselka)
