War Horse
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War Horse |
Ex-AA/FA
shoe Roger Garten was the owner/driver of the Warhorse Mustang (which started
life as the Garten driven Bishop, Buehl & Tucco Warhorse) in SoCal from 73-76.
Chassis was built by M&S Welding, cloaked in a J&E fiberglass shell and powered
by a rare (for funny cars) Donovan 417. Garten confined his racing activities to
the southwest and won several major flopper shows at OCIR; furthest east venture
was a points race at Salt Lake City. Pictured car was later reshelled as a
Mustang II, won the ultra competitive Div 7 F/C title in 75 over 2nd place Jake
Johnston, 3rd place John Lombardo. Last race for the Warhorse was in Jan 76
after which Garten retired. (Photo and info courtesy of Roger Garten)
From
a mid-70s Amalie handout comes the Mustang of Div 1's Jim Wemett. Wemett started
his flopper career with an ex-Tasca Ford "Mystery 7" car which burned to the
ground on licensing runs in NY in late 71. Things rapidly improved as Wemett
went on to campaign the ex-Hurri-Cain Cuda, this Mustang, several Mustang IIs
with which he shared the driving chores with George Johnson and an exclusively
George Johnson driven "Wombat" Corvette to close out the decade. From the
mid-70s on Wemett's cars were some of the strongest running cars in Northeast;
was #2 qualifier at 78 Grandnationals, won title Div 1 title in 79. (Handout
courtesy of David Hapgood)
From
Lions Last Drag Race comes the popular LA Hooker of the Beaver Bros and Dave
Condit. Team got their flopper start in 1970 with an ex-Nelson Carter Super
Chief Charger, upgraded to a Maverick in 71, then this Coke Cavalcade overall
points winning Mustang in 72. For the 73 season team called it quits; Condit
went to drive the Plueger & Gyger Mustang, the Beavers toured with Goose's #2
car and Kenny Bernstein campaigned the LA Hooker name in Texas. Team reemerged
at the end of the 74 season with a Vega. Mustang II followed in 75. Hooker
remained a funny car mainstay throughout the 70s, was one of the cars that
seemed to always spend the winters touring "down under" in Australia. In the
late 70s, the Condit Bros struck out on their own with an Arrow flopper, while
the LA Hooker name was applied to a Pat Johnson owned, Gene Beaver tuned, Henry
Harrison driven Corvette. (Photo courtesy of Dave Milcarek)
In
1973 Harlan Thompson, who got his start shoeing floppers in the NW and later of
Fireball Vega/Monza and shoeing funny cars in England fame, wheeled the Tom and
Jerry Mustang out of Dragsters, Inc from Richmond VA. Car was named for owners
Tom Woodbridge and Jerry Bates; hence the name Tom and Jerry. In 74 the team
added the Nitemayer Duster wheeled by Bob Mayer to the Tom and Jerry stable.
East Coast T/F veteran Fred Forkner took over the reins of the Tom and Jerry
flopper in late 75 and ran the car in conjunction with his Wilmington, De.,
Atlantic Speed Center and CB radio store. Cars were middle of the pack
performers; almost certain to qualify but only last a couple rounds. (Photo from
Amalie Handout courtesy of Gary Osborn)
