Drag Racer May2014

8/10/2019 Drag Racer May2014

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CALL 800.884.NHRAOR GO TO NHRATIX.COM

2014 RACING SCHEDULE

CHEVROLET CAMARO


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BY PETE WARDOVER CENTER

VOL18

NUMBER3

MAY2014

DRAG RACER (ISSN_1094-5547) Volume 18, Number 3 is abimonthly publication published January, March, May, July, Septem-ber and November by Beckett Media LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway,#200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. POSTMASTER Send address changesto: DRAG RACER c/o BECKETT MEDIA, 4635 Mc Ewen Road, Dallas, TX75244. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Drag Racer c/oPitney Bowes, Inc., PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B#855050365RT001. 2014 by Beckett Media, LLC. All rightsreserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or inpart is strictly prohibited.

This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that informationpresented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibilityby Beckett Media, LLC as to the legality, completeness or technical accuracy.

Kevin Wilson - Editorial DirectorPete Ward - Editor

Michelle Salcedo - Group Managing EditorEugene Pineda - Art DirectorJohn Cabral - Cover Design

EDITORIAL

OPERATIONSGus Alonzo - Newsstand Marketing & Sales ManagerCelia Merriday - Newsstand AnalystAmit Sharma - Business Analytics ManagerMohit Patel - Newsstand & Production AnalystAlberto Chavez - Senior Logistics & Facilities ManagerShailesh Khandelwal - Subscription ManagerVeronica Bedoya - Associate Marketing Manager

DIRECT MARKETING GROUP

John Bartulin - 866) 866-5146 ext. 2746Paul Caca - (866) 866-5146 ext. 4961Ryan Lauro - (866) 866-5146 ext. 2756Mary Ann Jaca - (866) 866-5146 ext 2716

BECKETT MEDIA LLC

Nick Singh - Executive DirectorErin Masercola - Business Unit Editorial Director

ADVERTISINGGabe Frimmel - Ad Sales Director - (714) 200-1930,[email protected] The Mongoo$e McEwen - Motorsports Director -(714) 200-1936Brandon Lillie - Senior Account Executive - (714) 276-5279Bill Middaugh - Senior Account Executive (714) 200-1937Chris Crispell - Account Executive - (714) 200-1935Bob Hulsy - Account Executive - (714) 200-1940Gennifer Merriday - Ad Traffic Coordinator

Contributing EditorsJeff Burk, Bill Holland, Tom The Mongoo$e McEwen, Bob Mc-Clurg, Rod Short, Ian Tocher, Dave Wallace

EDITORIAL, PRODUCTION & SALES OFFICE22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887(800) 332-3330, Fax - (800) 249-7761www.dragracermag.comwww.facebook.com/dragracermagazinewww.facebook.com/eembybecket t

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SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $17.95/1 year, $27.95 2 years.Foreign $35.95/1 year, $63.95/2 years, payable in US funds.Single copy price is $5.99. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for newsubscriptions to begin.

WHAT THE FLIPARE THEYTHINKING?

Iwhizzed away several hours of my life yesterday watching the Super

Bowl and as many say, the best partthe commercialswhich brings

me to my little rant: four freakin million dollars for 30 seconds of

advertising?! Are they insane?!

I did a bit of research and came up with this quote from the Feb. 3 web edition

of the International Business Times: In January, Advertising Age reported on a

study by the research firm Communicas that called into question whether the ticket

price of a Super Bowl commercial is money well spent: In 2014, a 30-second spot

is reportedly going for $4 million, up from $3.8 million in 2013. The study found that

only one in five Super Bowl commercials leads to a sale, or intent to purchase

these guys arent lightweights! They know of what they speak.

It never fails to amaze me how totally devoid of clear thinking most major com-

panies are, or by default, the agencies who handle their advertising/marketing. In

the late 70s my wife and I had a company, Nothing Ventured-Nothing Gained, Inc.,

which attempted to acquire sponsorships for drag racing teams. The same prob-

lem exists now as then: companies and their agencies just dont get it! If a promo-

tional concept is a bit out of their comfort zone (stick and ball sports, electronic or

print media) they just cant seem to get their heads wrapped around it. For ad agen-

cies it gets more complicated. Its harder for them to make a buck on a race deal

rather than on conventional ad placement. Of course theyre supposed to be good

shepherds of their clients money.

Now, $4 mill may not be Force, Shoe, Johnson or Kalitta territory, but it sure would

be a real nice hit for a competitive one-car pro team. Who knows what that kindof money might do for say, Tim Wilkerson, Clay Millican or Larry Morgan?

Drag race fans vote with their pocketbooks. Theyre very brand loyal. Bud, Miller

and Coors got a ton of irate Ill never drink your bleepin beer again, because you

dropped Kenny, Snake, Goo$e

letters. We buy stuff advertised

on the side of race cars. Shotgun

blast advertising, the idea of lets

spend a ton of money on this one

round on ammunition, shoot a

wide pattern and hope one of the

pellets might wing someone who

could be vaguely interested in our

product, doesnt really make any

sense. Aaaarrrggghh! It drives me

freakin crazy. In the grand-

scheme of things, drag racing is

such a cheap buy for companies,

compared with other forms of

advertising/marketing. Especially when you bear in mind how faithful we are to

those who support our sport. Thankfully there are companies out there who do get

it, and we see their product/company logos on race cars. To those companies,

thank you!

Ill get off my soapbox now, but just one more thing before I go: All of you out

there, if you have a friend or family member whos in a decision-making position for

a company who could benefit from a connection to drag racing, put a bug intheir ear!

/ABOUT JIM WHITES PHOTO: Goo$e and Snakebrought the corporate world to motorsports and

John Force has done a masterful job of maximizing

drag racings marketing potential.

MAY.20144


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ntent

sMAY2014V

OL.

18NO.

03

Visit Drag Racer online: Dragracermag.com | Follow us on Facebook: Facebook/Drag Racer Magazine

ON THE COVER SNAKE AND GOO$E HIGHLIGHT THE BARRETT-JACKSON AUCTION Photo by

4 Over Center

76 Behind the Scenes

82 Collectible Keepers

86 Carb Class

88 The Mongoo$e Journals

8 Quarter-Mile Updates

12 Power Brokers

13 Strange Engineering Quiz

14 Bells and Whistles

90 Parting Shot

The Snake, in

conjunction with Brett

Hajek, is restoring the

fabled Shelbys Super

Snake T/F. Thelegendary Don Long is in

charge of the chassis

and the Old Master Ed

Pink, who built its

original Ford Cammer, is

again the engine builder.

PHOTOGRAPHERUNKNOWN

COLUMNS

DEPARTMENTS


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White

DRAG RACER (ISSN_1094-5547) Volume 18, Number 3 is a bimonthly publication published January, March, May, July, September and November by Beckett Media

LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: DRAG RACER c/o BECKETT MEDIA, 4635 McEwen Rd.,

Dallas, TX 75244. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Drag Racer c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc., PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B #855050365RT001.

2014 by Beckett Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

PANDEMONIUM!Return With Us to the Roots of Funny Car Racing24

LS1 POWER TRIP, PART 2LS1 Engines: Reasonably Priced, Easy to Find,Eager to Respond32

WAR PONY EXPRESSFRONT LINESFixing the Front End58

THE IVO FILES, ACT IIIFor Love Not Money18

THE PERFECTDISTRACTIONEd Leaboughs Chevy IITakes Him AwayQuickly!

70WHEN TIMEWAITS FORNO ONEJim Oddy is Resurrectingthe Golden Days

48EUROBOOSTEDTero Laukkanen IsBlowin Big Power44

BACK TO THEFUTURE WITH

YET ANOTHERNEW IHRANew Faces, Big Plans

42MILLIONDOLLARBABIESBarrett-JacksonHighlights

64

DRIVER PROFILES AND FEATURED PERFORMERS

SPECIAL FEATURES

TECH


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The Great Wall of Fontana

The American Auto Racing

Writers and BroadcastersAssociation announced Force as

a member of the All-America

First Team for the sixteenth time.

Force is also the Jerry Titus Memorial Tro-

phy winner for the driver having the most over-

all votes. This is the fifth such award for Force.

No other motorsports professional has won

more than three times.

MAY.20148

QUARTER-MILE UPDATE

Ace race photog Roger Rohrdanz recently

visited the long quiet Fontana, California,

Auto Club Dragway located at the Auto

Club Speedway. Shuttered due to noise

issues, its now scheduled to reopen this season,

thanks to the newly constructed sound barrier wall.

SoCal racers and fans, rejoice, and give a big thanks

to the Automobile Club of Southern California. Stay

posted for the race schedule.

Yet Another Big-Time Award(Actually Two) for John Force


9/100

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10/100MAY.201410

QUARTER-MILE UPDATE

You Can AlmostHear the Thunder

and Smell the Nitro!

Remember the bitchin

muscle car stamps the

U.S. Postal Service issued

last year? Tom Fritz, the

artist who created them, also does

drag race images. Be sure to check

out his website, Fritzart.com.

Taking Artistic LicenseOil on canvas; 27 x 48 inches Tom Fritz 2003

Automotive Fine Arts Society Best In Show,Pebble Beach Concours dElegance, 2003.Prints are available.

//My depiction of Don Prudhomme in the Greer BlackPrudhomme dragster. Besides capturing the gut-twisting drama

of the moment, my real challenge in this painting was describing

the sparkle of spinning spokes without relying on visual clichs.//TOM FRITZ

Steve Gibbs, friend to racers during his 25-year tenure as NHRAs Director of

Competition, now Vice President-Director of the NHRA Motorsports

Museum and key player in the Museums Hot Rod Reunions and wildly

popular Cacklefests also possesses serious artistic skills. Fortunately for

us, Steve elected to pursue drag racing instead of art. He recently came upon some of

his early works and was kind enough to share with us.

TheArt Worlds LossDrag Racings Gain


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SEND YOUR ENTRIES TO:Drag Racer Magazine Quiz

22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, Suite 200Yorba Linda, CA 92887

Drag RacerMarch 2014

Who is the driver?

Who are the car owners?

QUIZ ANSWER

Owner/driver:

Gary DenshamName of car:

Teachers Pet

333 West 48th Avenue

Denver CO. 80216

Phone: (303) 935-7565

www.grpconrods.com

Designed in House CNC Machined Radial Serration Caps

TECH TIP

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER

ROD BOLT STRETCH

The clamp force holding a rod together needs to

be greater than the tension load pulling it apart.

To obtain the correct amount of clamping force a

fastener should actually be stretched a measured

amount. This is done with a stretch gauge not a

torque wrench.


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The adapters are also available in Earls Ano-Tuff

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Strange Engineerings heavy-duty lines of S-series transmission and pinion yokes

were designed by Strange and are manufactured from USA-made, high tensile

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Strange Yokes are No Joke

When running a late-model engine with

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cation, youre faced with the challenge

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nately, Earls Performance Plumbing has the solutionwith its new quick connect adapter fittings.

The adapters connect to popular GM, Ford or

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To ensure a secure connec-

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Earls DisconnectsQuickly

QA1's Ultimate ball joints are now available in

bolt-in, press-in and screw-in styles. The ball

joints come preassembled with standard and

up to 1-inch longer studs. These longer length

ball joints can help to improve the overall geometry of

the car by increasing straight line stability and improving

roll center and can also help to free up bind, allowing the

suspension to operate smoothly through the entire rangeof travel.

Designed to provide infinite preload adjustment, break-

away torque on these ball joints can be as low as 0 ft-lbs,

enabling completely smooth, bind-free operation. Engi-

neered to withstand years of use, QA1's ball joints feature

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assembly, these ball joints can easily be owner rebuilt,

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All features are standard with no

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Consistent closed loop fuel control

4GB internal data-logging

Intuitive software

Integrated wideband oxygen sensors(HP=1, Dominator=2)

3 Integrated rev limiters & user

programmable safeties

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User programmable inputs/outputs

(HP=8, Dominator=86)

24 injector capability (Dominator), 16 injector

capability (HP) - High or low impedance

Multiple power management tuning options

Fully featured time, speed or gear based

boost control

4 stage wet/dry progressive nitrous control

Traction control via external Davis Technologies box

Integrated water or water/meth injection

Dominator - electronic trans control, dualdrive-by-wire capability

All trademarks listed are property of their respective owners.

in the laneswith optionaltouch screen!

www.holley.com | 270-781-9741

NO-COSTSOFTWARE & FIRMWARE

UPDATES AT HOLLEY.COM!


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If you need a better automotive or industrial parts washer, a

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azine readers discount 800.698.0440.

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BELLSAND WHISTLES

RevolutionaryStepper ThrottleStop FromDedenbear

Got Dirty Parts?

The Original Dougs Headers

announces the D336 long tube race

header. Engineered to fit 265-400

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block engines. They offer excellent fit and

maximum ground clearance.

These headers are built with 3/8-inch

thick flanges at the cylinder head and three-

bolt outlet flanges. The long tube tuner

under-chassis exit is made from 16-gauge

tubing for durability with 1 -inch primaries

and 3-inch collectors for increased horse-

power and torque throughout the power-

band. They are designed to work with both

automatic and manual transmission cars

equipped with power brakes, power steer-

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They come standard

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For more info, call

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Totally Long Tubular Doug

This system combines the consistency of an electric stopwith the adjustability of an air stop for unprecedented

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ent movements per run and the ability to adjust the

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matically improved starting

line control and complete adjustability from the drivers seat

while belted in the car in the staging lanes round out this

advanced feature set. For more info, call 866.518.0939 or visit

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FILMS

2013 Snake and Mongoose Productions, LLC All Rights Reserved.

SMOKING

THROUGHOUT AND

SOME LANGUAGE

AvailableOn Demandand DigitalDownload

MARCH4TH& on

Blu-rayand DVD

APRIL8TH!

www.snakeandmongoosemovie.com Donate today at www.lls.org

The incredible true story of the most amazing drag racers in history.


18/100MAY.201418

Text by Alan Paradise

Photos courtesy of Tommy Ivo

By the winter of 1965, the landscape of drag racing was changing. Tommy Ivo

had established himself as one of the sports primary architects. However,

he could feel the sand shifting beneath his feet as the activity was rapidly

evolving from a garage mentality to a full-blown professional sport.

Ivo had long been the teacher, but now the students were challenging him for the status of

head of the Top Fuel class. To stay at the pinnacle, he needed to push the limits, and not just

in horsepower. Decisions, often difficult ones, were becoming more and more frequent. The

game had changed from simple tire pressure and nitro mixture to factors no one dreamed

would come into play. Added to the situation was the growth of the NHRA as well as smaller,

sometimes more aggressive competitors. These factors allowed drag racing to rapidly become

the fastest growing participation sport. For Ivo, this was both a blessing and a curse.

THE TRIALS OF ERROR

When Ivo and Don Prudhomme hooked up for the first side-by-side, seven-second pass, it

was clear that the ability to change, adapt and (most importantly) innovate would need to

become a constant companion. For the upper echelon, it was time to lead into new levels of

discovery. Aerodynamics was an idea that looked like it held promise.

During NHRAs England Tour a year earlier, Ivo met Steve Swaja, a talented young man who

was crewing for Top Fuel driver/builder Tony Nancy. During the Atlantic crossing, Swaja, a stu-

dent at the Pasadena School of Design, sketched sleek-looking dragster bodies using aerody-

namic principles seen on land speed-style cars of the day. The bodies were stunning. They were

narrow in the front and wide in the rearlike a reverse teardropwith graceful, flowing lines. We

had no idea if any of these principles would do anything, but they looked so good I had to give

one a try, Ivo said. He thought that even if it didnt go any faster, the look would surely result in

/The Videoliner looked better than it handled. Theproject was scrapped before any damage was done.

/Not all the lessons of the Videoliner were invain. The Red Wing benefited from small

aerodynamic wings on the tail.


19/10019

more packed grandstands. Using one of the

sketches, the Videoliner with a swoopy alu-

minum body, was built. On the first test run

Ivo discovered the wind currents made the

car handle like he was wrestling a raging bull.

The second run was no better. But Ivo and

team kept trying to fine-tune the concept in

hopes of discovering the secret.

Meanwhile, other builders were also

experimenting with aerodynamic, stream-

line designs. One night at Lions the answers

were tragically revealed. I was heading

down the fire-up lane toward the staging

area. Another driver in a streamliner was in

mid-run when he lost control and slammed

at full speed into a telephone pole. The car

was heavily damaged and the driver killed. I

got out of my streamliner right then and

there. Ivo concluded. That event, along with

a near fatal crash by Tony Nancy in his

experimental slipstream dragster, put a

quick end to the idea.

The quest to harness the wind was not

completely lost to the ill-fated, full-bodied

/ABCs Wide World ofSports followed the

construction and progress

of the chartreuse car in 66.

On his first run, Ivo pulled a

major wheelstand at 160-

mph as the cameras rolled.

streamliners. It took Ivo and team only a few weeks to recycle some of

the ideas to build the next generation of a TV Tom beauty. The Red

Wing was a more conventional dragster that could double as a piece

of art. The stars, however, would not align for the car as it met with a

comedy of errors. Ivo recalled its rocky beginning. Before my first run,

my over-excited push car driver slammed into the rear of it, sending me

and the car up onto the hood of my Cadillac. The heavily damaged

aluminum deck was hastily repaired, but couldnt hold up to the strains

of touring. A fiberglass replacement unit was made in mid-summer and

used for the remainder of the season.

SHOW AND GO

During the mid-60s, drag racing had a clear-cut pecking order: there

was Top Fuel and then everything else. Prudhomme, Ivos former side-

kick, had established himself as one of frontrunners of the sport along

with Don Garlits and Tom McEwen. It was a colorful time in the sport.

There was a Snake, a Mongoose, Big Daddy and TV Tom, said Roland

Leong, known for his Hawaiian dragsters and his tuning abilities. All of

them could be the fastest at any time. But, it was Ivo who knew how

to put on a show, he added.

For 1966, Ivo constructed a new and improved dragster using the

fiberglass tail of the Red Wing. In true TV Tom style, he one-upped

everyone when he arranged forABCs Wide World of Sports to follow

the building process. It brought unprecedented exposure, not only to Ivo,

but the entire sport as well. Adding to the impression, Ivo painted the

car green. We called it chartreuse because it was bad luck to paint a

race car green, remarked Ivo. While the new 150-inch wheelbase drag-

ster was drop-dead gorgeous, Ivo added another showmans touch, a

glass trailer. It was a simple yet effective idea. Make the rig like a rolling

storefront. Man, did that cause some highway excitement, he added.

In 67 Ivo went from chartreuse to psychedelic. It was the age of

incense and peppermints and there was no one more ready to be

more far out than Ivo. As he put it, I told custom painter George Cerny

about drawing amoeba shapes on my school notebooks a decade ago.

So he did up the body in white pearl with candy apple red blobs. Man,

that car was a real crowd-pleaser. In 68, Ivo moved the process for-

ward by building a second rail and a trailer capable of hauling both.

By this time the NHRA and AHRA were competing for the top driv-

ers and tracks. Both sanctioning bodies also increased the number of


20/100MAY.201420

shows. The second car minus rear bodywork was lighter and

quicker, thus it was his choice at national events or during match

races with the heavy-hitters of the day.

Time on the road takes its toll, especially after a decade. It

was important to stay loose and try to have fun. Otherwise the

rigors of living out of a suitcase nine months a year would drive

a person to the edge. While Ivo was as famous as a drag racer

could be in the 60s, he was also infamous for his practical

(and often elaborate) jokes.

One night, while at a national event, he and a crew member

were leaving the hotel parking lot. At the time, nearly every

team had a Chevy truck. There were dozens of them in the park-

ing lot, so I decided everyone needed a new hood, he recalled.

Ivo and team removed all of the Chevy hoods and swapped

them around. The next morning, red hoods were on white

trucks, white were on blue and black on red. It was a slight to

see. I think it took three months for everyone to get the original

hoods back in place, he said with a chuckle.

Ivo was the biggest prankster there was back then. I remem-

ber the hood gag. The only ones that got off that one were Prud-

homme and I because he was running a Ford and I had a Dodge,

said Tom McEwen. Ivo wasnt immune to retaliation and often

found himself blockaded in his hotel room by a vending machine

or with a lump of Limburger cheese hidden in his rooms air vent.

McEwen summed in up this way, It was all in good fun and was

part of the camaraderie of the sport.

THE TIMES OF CHANGE

The next two years were filled with massive transition. In one

genius move major sponsorships were brought into the sport

via the growing popularity of Funny Cars. Suddenly, Top Fuel

was no longer the top draw. McEwen and Prudhomme opened

the floodgates with their Hot Wheels deal. Coupled with Gar-

lits tragic clutch explosion and subsequent invention of the

rear-engine dragster, it seemed the entire sport was being

turned upside-down. TV Tommy, always on the leading edge

of innovation, was suddenly seen as a man in the past. He

had two conventional front-engine dragsters, no plan to get

into a Funny Car, and was only able to land small sponsorship

deals with Fram Oil Filters and AMT. Drag racing, as he knew it,

was over. Funny Cars were the touring draw and he knew he

would have to adapt or die. He would not only adapt, be once

again lead the charge.

Change for Ivo came in 1972 when he arrived with a new

rear-engine dragster. Style and attention to detail were just as

important as performance. Rear-engine design became a

standard cookie-cutter look. I wanted to stand out, not only by

being faster, but to have a distinctive style, said Ivo. To achieve

this, Ivo ran body panels connecting the front and rear of the

car. The wing supports were also unique at the time. When it

came to performance, Ivo quickly set the bar. On his first offi-

national events and developed a points sys-

tem. In the face of mounting pressure to run

quicker, engines were being pushed to the

limit. Sponsorship was still a dicey situation

and never enough to fund the building and

campaigning for a full season, not even for

drivers as successful as Ivo.

THE POINT OF TOURING

The final season of the 60s proved to be a

tale of two extremes. First, the two Top

Fuelers from 68 were repainted and carried

over for 69. The cars were in a rainbow

scheme. Once again Ivo was a top con-

tender at every national event. But, it was

running on the touring circuit that paid the

bills. It had become a question of ego or

economics. Ivo explained. I knew I could

make more money touring than earning

points. But it cost me when it came to being

part of the history books, he added.

It was during this time that Ivo pulled off

one of the most iconic off-track tricks in rac-

ing history. He convinced Dodge to supply

him with a cab-over truck on flatbed rails.

He commissioned Swaja to design a glass-

sided truck to haul both dragsters plus all

necessary parts, equipment and nitro. The

kicker was it also would carry a tow car on

top. I bought a Corvette to use as the push

car. When the Dodge people saw that, they

were very upset. They wanted me to use a

Dart. I told them the only American car low

enough to clear the interstate bridges while

on top of the rig was a Corvette. The truth

was there was no way I was going to use an

old mans car as a pusher. The Corvette was

more my style, recalled Ivo. The rig had a

celebrity status of its own, being made into

model kits and featured in magazines.

The desire for a double life of racing was

tempered by a decade of being the most

popular driver in the sport. Fans from coast

to coast looked forward to Ivo coming to a

track near them. His warm personality, Hol-

lywood good looks, and beautiful dragsters,

trailers and tow cars had made him a big

attraction. It was here where the two-car

system paid major dividends. The full-bod-

ied dragster was used for the majority of his

touring appearances and at custom car

//As in yearspast, Ivo the

showman took

over the class and

became a fan

favorite. Duringnon-national

events, Ivo was

known for his

long, near

quarter-mile

smoky burnouts.//

/The intro of Ivos first rear-engine dragster was historic.

On his first pass, he recorded arecord-shattering 5:9. He was

the first in the fives.

/ Ivo debuted a new car at the 74 Winternationals. The resultwas a spectacular crash. He escaped with minor injuries.


21/10021

cial run in the car, he recorded a 5.97the

first time anyone had ever traveled the

quarter-mile in less than six seconds. In just

a few weeks, Mike Snively and Don Moody

joined the five-second club. In contrast, 16

years passed before, Eddie Hill broke the

four-second barrier.

In his never-ending quest for discovery,

Ivo added front wheel covers in 1973. He

would have an entirely new car built in 1974

that resulted in the ride of his life. At the

NHRA Winternationals, Ivo debuted his new

dragster. It had all of the flair of previous

models, but offered a rear wing that was

lower and pushed further back on the chas-

sis. It look great but was unproven. On his

fourth pass, all would be revealed. As he

reached the 1,200-foot mark, the engine

exploded in a ball of flames. The heat

instantly destroyed the lower rear wing. At

the same time the rods blew out of the

block sending oil onto the rear slicks. Now

Ivo was on fire, with no down-force and

traveling 240-mph sideways. In a blink of an

eye, the dragster flipped and rolled. Id been

in many a bad situation before, but this one

was different. I knew I wasnt going to walk

away from this one. I just surrendered to the

terror and closed my eyes. I was dead, he

recalled. Slamming the guardrail, the

engine separated from the chassis. That

sent Ivo, strapped in the cockpit, into flight.

At that moment, I was calm and opened

my eyes to see the timing tower upside

down. I felt death was at hand, so I just

decided to enjoy the ride, he added. Then,

as quickly as it started it was over. Ivo,

wrapped in a mangled heap of aluminum

and steel, regained his hearing and pres-

ence. He was alive, or so it seemed. As he

freed himself from the wreckage, he ripped

open his leg on a jagged piece of aluminum.

That was the extent of his injuries. Hed sur-

vived one of the most spectacular crashes in

NHRA history and in the process was the

first to travel 240 mph through the traps

backwards, upside down and on fire. A true

Ivo moment if there ever was one.

GAINING SPONSORSHIP,

LOSING FREEDOM

Since the advent of big money sponsorships,

Ivo had resisted the temptation. He preferred

to remain pure to the roots of the sport. In

1975, the lure of funding became too great. I

signed on with The Rod Shop. I liked the

instant cash but soon found the restrictions

suffocating, Ivo lamented. Unlike those who

secured non-automotive sponsors, such as

Wonder Bread and Bubble Up, at least the

Rod Shop was a company that was about

the sport. However, this relationship thrust

him deeper into contractual obligations.

Sponsors want you to run all the big events,

which meant sacrificing a great deal of paid

appearances. In the end it was more like

trading dollars, he recalled.

By the end of 1975, though Top Fuel was

still considered the premier class, Funny Car

had long surpassed it in popularity. Every-

one had switched over to Funny Cars. I was

ready for a new set of thrills and decided to

make the move as well, he said. This meant

that he was behind the engine again and

reunited in battle with his old Southern Cal-

ifornia rivals Don Prudhomme and Tom

McEwen. Rod Shops remained his primary

sponsor. It was decided to build a Dodge

Dart-bodied car. Unfortunately Darts

werent being molded, so a Plymouth

Duster body was used and disguised as a

Dart that rode on a Jamie Sarte chassis.

The car debuted at a Fremont Funny Car

meet. The day before the event, while

preparing to test the car for the first time, an

ignition malfunction forced Ivo and crew to

abandon any shakedowns. It was not the

first time Ivo would go into battle in an

untested ride. But never had the field been so

formidable. It was trial by fire. Unlike my Top

Fuel dragsters, this Funny Car had to be man-

handled down the track. Ivo said. Each round

Ivo learned more about the handling of his

new ride. One by one, the competition fell un-

til only he and the Mongoose remained.

We talked between each round. It was

clear that Ivo was getting the hang of how to

get the most out of his car. I knew then

another big time contender had entered the

class, said McEwen. The Mongoose bested

Ivo in the finals. But for the next three years

the Funny Car field had to contend with a

rejuvenated, smiling Ivo.

As in years past, Ivo the showman took

over the class and became a fan favorite.

During non-national events, Ivo was known

for his long, near quarter-mile smoky

burnouts. He would then return to the line in

reverse at speeds far beyond anyone else in

the game. One of the other drivers once

said I owned the record for traveling the

quarter-mile in reverse, Ivo joked. Indeed,

he ran backwards so fast some wondered

how the transmission gears held together.

The jump to Funny Cars rejuvenated the

once-weary Ivo. The only downside to the

accompanying sponsorship was being told

where and when to be. It was odd switch-

ing from being the captain of my own ship

to having a commander. I knew it wouldnt

last, Ivo recalled. In 1978, Ivo would once

again be the author of his own fate. This

freedom wasnt a deterrent, as he reached

the Winternationals finals before falling to

Prudhomme. But the sport was now so

money driven that an unsponsored car

even in the hands of Ivowas a losing

proposition. I had to back off from running

the car as hard as needed. That cost me a

lot of championship opportunities, he said.

That year Ivo was involved in another near

fatal crash. In the shutdown area at the New

England Dragway, Tim Kushi slammed his

Yankee Sizzler into the back of Ivos Arrow.

The two cars and drivers ended up in the

nearby brush and trees. Both cars were sal-

vaged but at great expense. Although Ivo

regrouped, the mental, physical and finan-

cial toll of the sport forced him to face a

new reality. His long love affair with drag

racing and its fans was coming to a conclu-

sion. And, it deserved to end with all the

flash and in style it had started with.

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

In the early-70s, racing pioneer Art Arfons

gave Ivo a ride in his two-seat, jet-powered

/ Ivo was known for his glass showroom onwheels. The glass-sided Dodge cab-over

sported living quarters, housing for two

dragsters and penthouse parking for his

Corvette support vehicle.

/The 73 T/F sported a new nose and frontwheel fairings. Ivos fiery burnouts became one

of his signatures during the 70s.

/ Ivo made the switch to Funny Car in 76. TheRod Shop remained his major sponsor. Wanting

to remain loyal to Dodge, since Dart bodies were

nonexistent, a Plymouth Duster in disguise was

used. His signature fiery burnouts continued.


22/100MAY.201422

Cyclops. Ivo was thrilled by the ride and always kept the idea of driv-

ing a jet car in his thoughts. All the fun of touring was gone. The way

the sport had developed, there was no longer match racing and lit-

tle time for anything other than work. I wanted to do something fun

again; perhaps a new exhibition car was the ticket. But, instead of

four Buick engines, something a little more modern, like a Jet engine,

Ivo explained.

Jet cars werent new, just unrefined. In true Ivo style, he changed all

that. Jet-powered cars were not much more than a basic frame with

an engine attached. I designed a body that looked like a Can-Am

racer, he said. At the time, jet engines could be had for less than a

hundred dollars. Ivo traveled to Arizona and plunked down a couple

of Franklins for a pair of 8,000-hp engines. With old friend Ron

Attebury crafting the chassis, Ivo was like a kid again. I loved com-

ing to the line and hitting the afterburners. That would throw out a

huge fireball. The crowd loved it.

Like hed done so many times before, Ivo set up a coast-to-coast

tour. With his reputation and fan following, it was an easy sell. The

car accelerated like a Super Stocker off the line. But, as the air mass

increased into the engine, it accelerated to 300-mph in a heartbeat.

It was the most exciting car I ever drove, he said.

The Jet Car excitement took on a new meaning in Thompson,

Ohio. On a Saturday, post-rainstorm, Ivo did a 250-plus-mph pass.

Unlike most tracks where the shutdown area featured an incline, this

tracks shutdown area was downhill. When I hit the shut-down area,

the jet engine was still making enough significant power to send the

entire car airborne. It lifted over eight feet into the air. The crosswind

sent me to the side before crashing into a muddy shoulder, said Ivo.

The landing didnt cause injury to car or driver, however the thick mud

from the rain caused the car to dig in. This resulted in instant resist-

ance and slammed the car from 200 to zero in about 6 feet. It was

the same type of negative force that killed Dale Earnhardt at Daytona

in 2001, he added. The force sent Ivos head forward, crushing three

neck vertebrae. He was in great pain but drove the car the next day at

Englishtown, New Jersey. Ivo was fiercely loyal to the track owners that

promoted him throughout the years as well as his fan base. Despite

injury and pain he fulfilled his remaining commitments. He sold the Jet

Car at the end of the year and took 1981 off to heal from his injuries.

During his recovery, a jet-powered Funny Car was built and tested but

Ivo felt it wasnt capable of touring and abandoned the idea.

What Ivo really longed for was the fun days of touring. By a twist

of fate, he was able to live the clich, it was the best of times, it was

the worst of times. With 30 years of racing under his belt, he wanted

to make one last farewell tour. Hed grown weary of cutthroat com-

petition and had no interest in fielding a Top Fuel or Funny Car. By

chance, he drove by the old speed shop in Glendale. In back was a

familiar long lost friend. It was the old enclosed trailer that once

housed the four-engine dragster. After some inquires, he discovered

the car was still inside. Itd been there for more than a decade after

one of its old Nailhead engines had blown apart. It didnt take but a

moment for Ivo to have the answer to his farewell tour dilemma.

Within a few hours he was able to purchase the car and trailer. In his

Burbank garage, the same one where he built the four-engine car allthose years ago, he brought the past back to life.

The previous owner had fitted the rig with a body resembling a

Buick station wagon. Ivo liked the idea of the WagonMaster and

called every old track owner to replicate the tour of years past. Over

the final months of 1981, the four-engine car was restored beyond its

earlier glory. With the signature Ivo glass-sided trailer, he was on the

road one final time.

It was early spring and Ivo was crisscrossing the map. He recalls a

time in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, when his good time tour turned

sour. A harsh winter can do awful things to a racing surface. To a

packed house, Ivo gave the crowd what they came to see, a full chat,

four-wheel drive burnout from line to line. In the barrage of smoke and

noise, Ivo didnt see the remains of a frost heave leftover from the sub-

zero winter. The car bottomed out, delivering a severe thud to the still

healing Ivo. Near blackout pain followed, but in showmans style, Ivo

pulled it together, exited the car and waved to the adoring fans.

The next morning Ivo flew home to get checked out. The news

wasnt good. While his spinal cord wasnt damaged, three vertebrae

below the shoulders had been crushed. I was put into a body brace

and told to make a choice, drive a race car or walk. I chose to walk,

he said. And so, the man who had innovated the sport, survived mul-

tiple high-speed crashes, traveled across the country and overseas

to promote the sport he loved, was faced with forced retirement.

Again, Ivo was concerned more with his fans than himself. He

hired Rick Johnson to drive the four-engine car for the remainder of

the tour dates. He accompanied Johnson and the car, but it wasnt

the same. He was thankful when it was over.

In the years that followed, Tommy Ivo received numerous honors.

TheHot RodMagazine Lifetime Achievement, NHRA Lifetime Achieve-

ment, named to the Car Craft Magazine All-Time All-Star Drag Rac-

ing Team, and he was enshrined in the American Motorsports Hall of

Fame. To me, being inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame was

better than winning an Academy Award, Ivo proclaimed.

Today, with the resurgence of nostalgic drag racing, Ivos as big a

draw as ever. His T-bucket, two engine, four engine and Barnstormer

dragsters live on at events from coast to coast and at the Wally

Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California. And as for

the man himself, hes still smiling and forever in love with the sport

he helped build and the millions of fans he thrilled. DR

/The Rod Shop and Ivo parted ways in 78. It was also the year he switchedto the more aerodynamic Plymouth Arrow body.

/For two years Ivo returned toexhibition runs with the most

advanced jet-powered dragster. In

Ohio, a crosswind pushed the car

into a muddy area where it suddenly

went from 200-0 in fewer than 10feet. He was severely injured by the

negative G-force.

/ Ivo 3-V: In 1982, Ivo made hisfarewell tour using the same vehicle

that made him the most famous

driver in drag racing history.

/New England Dragway inEpping, NH, Ivo was hit at 240

mph after defeating The Yankee

Sizzler. Ivo rebuilt the car and

completed the season, but the

crash and more than 20 years of

racing had taken its toll. His final

competitive season was 1978.


23/100


24/100

PANDEMRETURN WITH US TO THE ROOTSOF FUNNY CAR RACING

MAY.201424

/Thanks to Greg Sullivan and allinvolved, Pandemonium V is alive and

well, once again rattling the troops.


25/100

NIUM!

25

Text by Pete WardPhotos by Jim White and Courtesy of Greg Sullivan

In the late 50s through the 60s, drag racing was in many ways a regional sport.

From the mid/southwest roared the Top Fuelers of Bob Creitz, Jimmy Nix,

Bobby Langley, Vance Hunt, Lou Cangalose and from Kansas City, Kansas,

Bob Sullivan.

Bob, with wife Shirley by his side, terrorized the region and frequently beyond, especially

in AHRA competition, with a series of nitro diggers. All were beautifully constructed and

finished in gorgeous candy burgundy and gold leaf, featuring their little devil character and

aptly named Pandemonium.

By late 64, Sullivan crystal balled the sport and visualized a major shift, well ahead of

his Top Fuel brethren: Detroit factory-bodied race cars powered by blown and injected ni-

tro-burning engines. He purchased a stock 65 Plymouth Barracuda, and with the help of

friend Ralph Suman, and to some degree noted race car builder Rod Stuckey, modified it to

accept the 392 Chrysler Hemi from his Top Fueler. The stock 106-inch wheelbase, 3,700-

pound steel-bodied racer looked amazingly stock save for the Enderle injector hat bulging

from the hood and long traction bars. Reports of the day state the headlights, turn indica-

tors and windshield wipers were still functional. At Indy in 65, running as a B/FD on 100%

nitro and direct drive, it brought the fans to their feet, blazing the slicks for a full quarter mile.

/ Indy Nats 65, with F/C Eliminatorstill years away, Sullivan pairs off

against another B/FD!

By the end of the year, he was regularly reel-

ing off 9.70s at over 160 mph.

The stubby wheelbase was quite a

handful, so for 66 the car was length-

ened 18 inches and fitted with a fiberglass

front end and doors. The modifications

sliced the weight to 3,195 pounds and fit-

ted it with a TorqueFlite transmission,

elevated performance to a best of 9.43 at

177 mph. With no official Funny Car class,

Sullivan wreaked havoc on the run

whatcha brung match race circuit. But

with Funny Car technology advancing at

light speed, in 1967, the Sullivans built a

flip-top fiberglass Camaro roadster and

eventually the Barracuda went down the

road and into oblivion.


26/10026

In 2000, automobile aficionado Greg

Sullivan (no relation to Bob and Shirley)

stumbled upon a for sale ad in Hem-

mings Motor News for Pandemonium V.

As a kid, Greg formed an instant attach-

ment to the race car after seeing its pho-

tos in a drag race magazine. Of course the

shared surname welded the connection!

He contacted the seller and a deal was

quickly consummated.

MAY.2014

//With the Pandemonium up and running, a driver capable ofgetting this ill-handling beast down the track and returning in

one piece was needed.//

/The Rod Stuckey-installed straightaxle has been replaced with something

more appropriate for high speed runs.

/Bob Sullivan (with cigar) and friend/fabricatorRalph Suman during the Pandemonium V build.

/Bob and wife/crew chief Shirley prepare the392 nitro Hemi for another blast.

/Hansen Race Cars of Montclair, CA, handled the restoration, butupdated the suspension for safety and to accept the new infusion

of power.

Sullivan commissioned Hansen Race

Cars in Montclair, California, for the restora-

tion, but with a hitch. Being the hardcore

car guy he is, Sullivan frequents Englands

annual Goodwood Festival of Speed

where vintage race cars, some worth mil-

lions, are raced and occasionally wrecked.

He wanted Pandemonium V to return to

its roaring glory days, not collect dust as a

museum piece. To that goal, he saw to the

installation of a modern full roll cage and

the suspension was modified with safety in

mind, though the long ladder bars were

left in place, as a nod to the original con-

figuration. For performance and reliability,

fabled engine whiz Gene Adams recom-

mended a 572-ci TFX aluminum block

with Indy Hemi heads, a Kuhl blower and

MSD ignition; basically a snappy alcohol

motor that can take a nip of nitro upon

occasion. A Hughes two-speed Powerglide

replaced the Torqueflite. Hemi Under Glass

pilot Bob Riggle, whom Sullivan had

assisted on one of his trips to the Good-

wood Festival, helped complete the fin-

ishing touches and provided tuning advice.


27/100


28/100MAY.201428

With the Pandemonium up and running

a driver capable of getting this ill-handling

beast down the track and returning in one

piece was needed. Fortuitously through

mutual friends, Dave and Linda Adler,

owners of Pantera International, an organ-

ization for owners of De Tomoso Pantera

sports cars, he connected with Big Show

Funny Car shoe Cory Lee. Cory had estab-

lished a reputation as not only a first-rate

driver, his first ride coming with TomHoovers Pioneer-sponsored flopper, but

also a clutch artist and tuner. Prior to

piloting, hed plied his talents with the likes

of Ed McCulloch, John Force, Del Worsham

and Hoover just to name a few. Lee is the

perfect fit, not only does he have the skills

(and huevos) to pilot the beast, hes a true

student of drag racing, fully understanding

the historical significance of Pandemo-

nium V. With its high center of gravity and

short wheelbase, Lee describes the driving

experience as more like piloting a boat on

choppy seas. You sit high, in a big open

cockpit, not tight and low as in a modern

ride. Its quite an experience to be able to

step back in time and drive one of the first

Funny Cars.

From 2005, through 2007 Sullivan and

Lee with assistance from Jerry Gibson, Dan

Messner and Don McReynolds unleashed

Pandemonium at select events from coast to coast, thrilling fans at every stop. At the 07 Bak-

ersfield March Meet, the lads bumped the nitro load to over 10%, sending Cory on an epic ride

to the tune of 8.60/175 mphits final pass. You see, Greg Sullivan is a very busy guy in the aero-

space industry and unfortunately at times, business trumps racing, so for now the beast is at

rest. But hes always open to the possibility of once again unleashing PANDEMONIUM!

The history of the evolution of Funny Cars is murky, but those well-schooled in the subject all

agree that Bob and Shirley Sullivans Barracuda played a highly significant role in the develop-

ment of the class. All those who love drag racing owe Greg Sullivan a debt of gratitude for

returning Pandemonium V to life.

/The original 392 Hemi has been replaced by a572-ci TFX aluminum block and Indy Cylinder

Hemi heads.

/Big Show (now Nostalgia F/C) driver Cory Leeshabitat is a far cry from modern floppers. Major

changes were made for the sake of safety.

/Several years ago, the Cragar Wheel folks gavethought to a series of special race events to be

held in covered venues. Greg Sullivan had a

relationship with Cragar and did some preliminary

testing. This was at the Phoenix fairgrounds.

//Its quite an experience to be able to step backin time and drive one of the first Funny Cars.//


29/100


30/100

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POWER

TRIPLS1

MAY.201432

Last issues LS1 power trip began at 299 hp

and ended at 354 hp, a 55-hp increase lit-

erally achieved without removing the

valve covers. That was just the beginning.

Removing the valve covers opened the door to an

additional 100-hp increase.

One of the unique aspects of an LS-series engine is that

in spite of extremely mild cam timing, horsepower does-

nt fall off dramatically between 6,000 and 6,500 rpm.

Thats a tribute to the flow characteristics of the cylinder

heads. And its also an indication that power output canbe dramatically increased with more aggressive cam tim-

ing. Of course, the effect of more aggressive cam timing is

compromised if an engines cylinder heads cant provide

adequate air flow capacity.

In case you havent figured where this is going, its

directly to a cam/head package approach to power

enhancement. Even the most mild-mannered

LS-series engine has excellent cylinder heads. How-

ever, LS6 heads are a step above and are the most

popular option when upgrading an LS1 engine.

An even better option is a set of LS3 heads, but they can

only be installed on engines with a 4.00-inch or larger

bore. The LS1s 3.898-inch bore diameter is simply too

small to provide the clearance necessary to accommo-date the LS3s 2.165-inch intake and 1.590-inch exhaust

valves. So the best option for 5.7L and smaller LS-series

engines is a pair of cathedral port LS6 or equivalent

Text and Photos by Dave Emanuel

DIGGINGDEEPER

FORMOREPOWER

The LS1 in this 01Corvette respondedenthusiastically tothe cam and headsswap. It producedmore than 450 hp atthe wheels.


33/10033

aftermarket cylinder heads. The LS6 heads,

which are identical to LS2 castings, features

2.00-inch intake and 1.550-inch exhaust

valves. These are available through a variety

of sources and listed as P/N 12629049 for

bare castings, and P/N 88958622 for CNC-

ported, fully assembled heads, which include

hollow stem intake and sodium-filled

exhaust valves. Unfortunately, as assembled,

these heads will accommodate a maximum

valve lift of .570 inch, so different valve

springs and/or spring seat machining is

required if valve lift exceeds that figure.

The cylinder heads on LS-series engines

are held in place by torque-to-yield bolts.

These bolts are designed for a single tight-

ening sequence and once theyve been

tightened to the yield point, they shouldnt

be reused. Rather than using a set of stock

replacement head bolts, the preferred

alternative is a set of traditional (when

they yield they break) bolts from ARP.

Although there are a number of options

for high quality head gaskets, GMs stock

replacement LS6 gaskets are excellent

and usually available at a very reasonable

cost. Listed as P/N 12498544, these multi-

layer steel gaskets have a compressed

thickness of .056 inch.

If youve never swapped a cam in an

01The first step in performing a cam swap on an LS-series engine is to remove the vibration damper and front cover,providing access to the cam sprocket. The oil pump mounts in front of the crankshaft sprocket.

02The cam is held in place by a retaining plate that must be removed before the cam can be pulled out ofthe engine.


34/100MAY.201434

LS-series engine (also called a Gen 3 and

Gen4 small-block), youre in for an eye-

opening experience. You can remove the

cam without removing the lifters, which is

a good thing because you cant remove

the lifters unless you first remove the

cylinder heads. Unlike traditional GM

small- and big-blocks, with lifters acces-

sible when the intake manifold is

removed, the lifters in LS-series engines

are housed in separate chambers that lie

between the central valley and the cylin-

der walls. Those chambers are covered

by the cylinder heads.

Preparation for a cam swap involves

removing the front cover and timing chain

along with the valve covers and pushrods.

With those components out of the way,

when the camshaft is rotated a few revo-

lutions, it pushes all of the lifters up into

the plastic trays that keep them properly

positioned. After the lifters are retained by

the trays, theres nothing to prevent the

cam from being pulled out. If the thought

of 16 lifters hanging in the air makes you

nervous, you can use pencil magnets for

better retention.

There are a few caveats. If the engine

has many miles on it, its possible for a

lifter to slip down out of the plastic tray;

in which case, it might be necessary to

remove a cylinder head to retrieve it.

Another consideration is that the lifter

dynamics of a high-performance cam

are significantly different from those of a

stock cam and can put additional stress

hydraulic roller cam with 233 degrees of

intake and 237 degrees of exhaust duration,

along with a lobe separation of 114 degrees.

By current standards, those specifica-

tions are relatively mild, but as is apparent

from the accompanying dyno chart, they

provide a relatively flat torque curve and

maximum power at 6,600 rpm. Consider-

ing that 6,600-6,700 rpm is the maximum

advisable engine speed for an engine with

stock bottom end and hydraulic roller

lifters, longer camshaft duration would

bring a minimal increase in top end power

while reducing low speed and midrange

on the plastic retainers. If an engine has

more than 20,000 miles on it, its advis-

able to replace the plastic trays, which

requires removal of the cylinder heads.

As for an appropriate camshaft, there are

dozens of choices. The fuel and ignition con-

trol systems used on LS-series engines can

be tuned to provide very good drivability, so

camshafts that might create low speed and

idle problems with other engines can be eas-

ily tamed when installed in an LS. For this

particular engine a good selection would be

something along the lines of a Crower

04Since the camshaft was fairly aggressive, it wasappropriate to change valve springs. We used dual

springs with titanium retainers and a steel spring seat toprotect the spring seat areas of the heads.

03In addition to removing the camshaft retainingplate, the oil pump must also be removed if the

cam sprocket is to be changed.


35/100


36/100MAY.201436

torque. As the dyno

chart shows, a cam

with the above refer-

enced specs will result

in a loss of 15-22 lbs-ft

of torque between

2,200 and 3,500 rpm.

The payback for the

loss in torque is a horse-

power increase ranging

from 40 to 109 between5,000 and 6,300 rpm.

Obviously some of this

power increase is a result

of the ported heads,

however the basic

shape of the power

curve is determined by

the camshaft.

Following a head

and cam swap, the

first order of the day is

a tuning session. The

preferred system for

this operation is EFI-

Lives FlashScan. This

system includes a

cable to connect a

laptop computer to a

vehicle along with

scanning and tuning

software. Although fine-tuning cant be

done until after the engine is started,

some preliminary work can be done

before then. As an example, a perform-

ance-type camshaft typically requires an

increase in idle speed and idle air flow, and

more low speed spark advance. Addition-

ally, if the stock injectors have been

replaced, injector flow rate must be

changed accordingly. It may also be ad-

visable to alter the torque limiting and

torque control settings before the first

test drive.

In this case, the engine was already

equipped with headers, high-flow catalytic

converters, a ported throttle body and

Bosch Platinum Plus 4 spark plugs.

Although its not necessary to have these

types of modifications before a cam and

head swap is completed, they are essen-

tial to achieving maximum performance.

One of the benefits of electronic fuel

injection systems is that they allow a

modified engine to run smoothly across a

wide range of operating conditions. On the

street, the engine in our test car will oper-

ate smoothly at 1,000 rpm with the trans-

mission in sixth gear (5:1 ratio with a 3.42:

rear axle). And through the gears, it pulls

smoothly all the way to redline.

An interesting aside is that with the

stock engine and only bolt-on modifica-

tions, the engine would challenge the

traction control as soon as the throttle

was pushed to wide open. After the

cam/head modifications, there is no

wheel spin when the throttle is first

cracked, but when rpm hits approximately

3,000, the traction control system is seri-

ously challenged. At the strip, there are a

number of other tricks that the electronic

control system provides to limit wheel

spin without compromising 60-foot

times. That makes for a great power trip

no matter where you drive.

07This dynochart tells the

story. The cam andhead modificationspushed horsepowerover the 450 markand also producedan impressivetorque curve.

06LS6 exhaustports

obviously differ fromthose in an LS1 head.They feature a trueD shape and largercross-sectional area.

05In addition to having better-flowing ports, LS6 heads also have uniquely shaped combustion chambers. A modifiedLS6 head is shown below with a stock LS1 head above.


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42/100MAY.201442

Its been almost 45 years since Ten-

nessee mover and shaker LarryCarrier formed the International

Hot Rod Association (IHRA). In

1970, Carrier and Carl Moore elected to

launch their own drag racing sanction-

ing body after years of feuding with

both the NHRA and AHRA. Carrier over-

saw the operation of the IHRA for 17

seasons prior to selling it in 1987. The

IHRA has been innovative in its cars

and classes. It was the first to have a

true nitro Funny Car class and invented

both the mountain-motored Pro Stock

and Pro Modified classes.

Now 25 years after Mr. Carrier sold the

IHRA, there is yet another new owner

IRG Sports + Entertainmentand an-

other new presidentScott Gardnerand

yet one more reinvention of the IHRA.

In order to understand whats happen-

ing now you must look at the history of

the second oldest international drag rac-

ing sanctioning body. In 1987 Funny Car

racer and track owner Billy Meyer pur-

chased the IHRA from Carrier, moved the

headquarters to Texas and installed him-self as president. During his one-year

IHRA ONCE AGAIN HAS NEWOWNERS/MANAGEMENT ANDA PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

tenure the IHRA got credit for the first

sub-five-second V-8-powered pass in thehistory of the sport, thanks to Top Fuel

legend Eddie Hill. Meyer wanted to chal-

lenge the NHRA as Carrier had, but never

was able to do so, and after a disastrous

season (six races rained out), the IHRA

was sold again; this time to a group of

racers who made former Carrier right-

hand man Ted Jones the president.

Throughout the years the sanctioning

body added and subtracted various nitro

and doorslammer professional classes,

signed and lost R.J. Reynolds as its title

rights sponsor, and often didnt fare well

financially. After the initial sale of the

company a litany of unsuccessful owners

followed, and IHRA struggled to be a force

in big-time drag racing.

In 1998, Bill Bader Sr., the extremely

successful Norwalk, Ohio, track opera-

tor/promoter, bought the IHRA. He basi-

cally returned the IHRA to its original roots

by featuring Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock

and Pro Mod as the headliners for the

series. After a relatively shortand what

must have been financially successfulrunBader sold the IHRA to media and

entertainment giant Clear Channel Com-

munications but remained as presidentuntil 2004. His then vice-president, Aaron

Polburn, assumed the position of presi-

dent when Bader left and retained that

position even though the company con-

tinued to change hands. During his tenure,

the IHRA was bought and sold by Concert

Promoter Live Nation, then a spinoff of

Clear Channel Communications who sold

it to Feld Entertainment.

When Feld Entertainment, owner of

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Cir-

cus among other entities, took over the

IHRA it was once again reinvented under

the guidance of Polburn. This time there

were no traditional nitro classes, no Pro

Mod or Pro Stock, and no qualifying.

Costs were cut to the bone and the IHRA

was basically a booked-in Night of Fire-

type program designed to start and finish

in a few hours with stand-alone pro-

grams on two days. Race tracks lined up

to get the shows because the track and

the IHRA shared costs and profits. IHRA

management claimed the unique pro-

gram (for a national sanctioning body)was financially successful.

Text by Jeff BurkPhotos Courtesy IRG Sports + Entertainment


43/100

In 2013, the IHRA once again had new

owners, management and a change in its

program. It was acquired from Feld

Entertainment by IRG Sports + Entertain-

ment, who originally got into the drag rac-

ing business by acquiring what is now

Palm Beach International Raceway from

the Moroso family about three years ago.

The IRG group hired drag racing busi-

ness veteran Jason Rittenberry to run theFlorida track and serve the president and

CEO of IRG Sports + Entertainment, and

reinstate the IHRA as a force in profes-

sional drag racing. That group immedi-

ately started acquiring tracks as they

came up for sale.

Soon after the purchase of the Florida

track, Rittenberry announced that IRG

was looking to acquire more. They bought

the Memphis, Tennessee, race complex

formerly owned by Dover Intertainment

and signed a long term lease on the Tuc-

son, Arizona, track.

As soon as the IRG group closed on the

purchase of the IHRA Rittenberry made it

clear there would be drastic changes

ahead. The changes included the return

to a more traditional racing series with its

own professional nitro Funny Car, Harley-

Davidson motorcycle and Fuel Altered

classes. The series went back to a pro-

gram of qualified fields and eliminations

on Sunday. But he is adamant in saying

this newest iteration of the IHRA isnt try-

ing to compete with the National Hot RodAssociation (NHRA). That statement was

proven by the fact that it doesnt have

NHRA Top Fuel, Funny Cars or Pro Mods

as part of its race day lineup.

In an interview in Dragracingonline.com

he stated: Shortly after coming onboard

as president of PBIR, we started looking

for additional tracks to acquire. Our busi-

ness plan was also to own the content and

the venues. While the IHRA was not ini-

tially for sale, we were persistent with Feld

Entertainment. The idea is that the group

would both own tracks and a race series to

race at those tracks, so that the tracks and

the organization would be self-sustainable.

It actually took three years from the time

we started working on buying the IHRA

until we actually got the company bought

43

/ JASONRITTENBERRY,

president a nd CEO

of IRG Sports +

Entertain ment

/SCOTTGARDNER,

president of t he

International Hot

Rod Association

this year. Let me be clear: We are not going after the NHRAs pro-

fessional cars. We are not planning on going head to head with the

NHRA. Well have our own teams, rules and tracks. We are, however,

going to concentrate on our IHRA sportsman racers and servicing

the one hundred plus tracks that are IHRA-sanctioned.

In late 2013, Mr. Rittenberry made a decision that will have a

major impact on the future of the International Hot Rod Associ-

ation. He replaced Polburn, who had been president since 2004,

and was now experiencing health issues, with well-known Mid-

west track operator Scott Gardner. Rittenberry on behalf of the

IRG also entered into an agreement to buy (in the fall of 2014)

Gardners Cordova Dragway Park in Illinois, which annually hosts

the World Series of Drag Racing, the oldest continuous national

event in professional drag racing.Gardner brings a wealth of experience in this sport to the job.

Hes a racer, having owned a variety of cars, including a UDRA Pro

Stock in the late 80s. Hes worked extensively with track opera-

tors and series in management positions, and his tracks have

been sanctioned by both NHRA and IHRA. He currently owns

and oversees three successful tracks in the Midwest: Cordova,

Cedar Falls and Eddyville. He will be able to understand the

issues the 100-plus IHRA-sanctioned track owners and their rac-

ers face going forward.

So how is the new IHRA different from the previous versions?

The most significant difference is that this version owns two of its

tracks, holds a long term lease on a third (Tucson) and an agree-

ment is in place to buy a fourth. This gives the new IHRA a finan-

cial powerbase similar to the NHRAs, something none of the

previous iterations of the IHRA had. It also has wealthy and

aggressive owners whove proved they will spend money to sus-

tain and grow the business.

As we go to press Gardner has been president of the IHRA for

less than two months and Mr. Rittenberry the CEO for less than

a year. To date, the major changes are the return to a more tradi-

tional format using its own unique Nitro and Doorslammer

classes plus the return of the mountain-motored Pro Stock class,

traditional world championships and a well-funded point series

for all classes. Only time will tell if the new IHRA will be better

than the last, but with the IRG, Jason Rittenberry and Scott Gard-ner the IHRA faithful certainly have the right to be optimistic.

//...themajor changes

are the return

to a more

traditional

format using its

own unique

Nitro and

Doorslammer

classes plus the

return of the

mountain-

motored ProStock class,

traditional

world

championships

and a well-

funded point

series for all

classes.//


44/100MAY.201444

TERO LAUKKANEN IS BLOWIN AWAYHIS PRO MOD COMPETITION

/Smokin em up at Swedens Tierp Areena, on theway to setting a 400-kmh European speed record.


45/10045

For our geographically chal-

lenged readers, Finland is not

the final resting place of late-

60s, tail-finned American iron.

This lovely nation, tucked in the north-

ern most point in Europe is, however,

home to the Turbo Terror Tero Laukka-

nen.

Teros drag racing career began in 1997

with a single-turbo, near 700-hp 72 BMW02 coupe. The little four-banger was good

for 10-second, 130-mph laps. He massaged

the combination for the next five years, end-

Text and Photos by Heikki Malinen

/These are the people who make ithappen, from left to right: Sami Salminen,

Kettil Rautio, Tapio Haaksi, KristianNystrm, Mika Eloranta, Jari Soini and

finally Tero Laukkanen owner/driver.

ing up as the unofficial European E.T./mph

record holder (8.48 E.T./131 mph) for cars

with original chassis and body style. Travel-

ling throughout Europe, he thrashed the

competition, no matter the number of tur-

bos, blown, four- or six-cylinder or rotary,

they threw at him.

During this period, his ability to crank over

a thousand horsepower from a boosted 2.1L

BMW four-cylinder, without it becoming animprovised explosive device, got the atten-

tion of BMW Motorsports in Germany; not

just the M-Division, but also those at the true

Motorsport Division, who were responsible

for BMWs Formula 1 projects. A Finnish drag

racer in the hallowed halls of Germanys

BMW Formula 1 program? Impressive!

Lusting for more, Tero sent his 02 down

the road and began construction of an SFI-

spec chrome-moly-chassised BMW E46

330i coupe full-on racer, featuring all of the

best go-fast parts. Two years into the build,

the real world interrupted. His family con-

struction business, marriage and two lovely

daughters became priorities. Although

unable to compete personally, he assisted

longtime friends, the Eloranta Family Racing

Team. These Finns have been drag racing

turbocharged cars, mainly Toyotas, in North-

ern Europe for more than 30 years.

During his hiatus, the construction of Teros

E46 continued on at the top flight body, chas-

sis and paint shop Brander Race Cars in Fin-

land. Tami Brander, the owner, is one of the

most experienced racers and race car buildersin Finland, with years of success piloting both

Pro Stock and Pro Mod cars. Early in 2010,

Tero and his Bimmer were track-ready and

undergoing licensing passes, but Tami had

other ideas for Tero: Pro Modified!

Tami had constructed a Pro Mod chassis,

located a local Mustang body and a twin-

turbo 572-ci Chevy. Since Tero was a big

boost enthusiast, it was an easy sell. Of

course this meant hed have to step way

out of his single-turbo, four-cylinder comfort

zone. Tami gathered everything together for

the new project, painted the chassis and

body, and had the Mustang ready for the

track by April 2011. In the interim, Tero

assembled a new crew for this ambitious

project. Plans called for shakedown runs

and licensing during 2011, but parts avail-

ability issues from the U.S. and teething

problems with this radically different race

car and engine forced a change of plans.

The short race season in this part of the

world was also a complicating factor.

The year 2012 found Tero and crew

thrashing this new combination, competingin the ultra-competitive Finnish Super Pro


46/100MAY.201446

TEC

HI

NFO

Street category and getting licensed in Pro Mod. Tero traveled to Tierp

Arena in Sweden and attempted to qualify for the tough FIA European

Championship Pro Modified 16-car field, but failed to do so. Their

respectable 6.68/208 was more than satisfactory for Tero and team.

Though the big Chevy was strong, Tami, Tero and crew wanted more.

Before the season ended, an order was placed with Brad Anderson

Enterprises for two turbo-spec 520-ci engines. Post season, Tero andtwo of his crew members ventured to Andersons Southern California

facility, where Brad and Jeremy Evrist thoroughly schooled them on the

engines theyd soon be receiving. The flow of info back and forth con-

tinues between BAE and Team Tero.

The BAE engines arrived in Finland in early 2013, and the Mustang

was quickly prepared for the much different power plant. Just how

much different Tero and team were quick to find out upon their return

to Tierp in May for a test and tune weekend. The new combo was put-

ting out so much more power, their previous setup data was now use-

less; they were starting from scratch. Following two more test races,

they entered the FIA European Championship round in June at Tierp.

Here, Tero first experienced severe tire shake at near 200 mph. The

extreme vibration caused the ECU to malfunction, creating a massive

explosion in the engine intakethis run seriously got Teros attention!

At this point decisions had to be made as to which direction they

wanted to take the Mustang. Enter Finnish ex-Pro Mod racer Kristian

Nystrm, with strong contacts in the race community in the U.S.A.

friendship was quickly formed, and soon he and Tero were on a

plane headed west. Their first stop, courtesy of Brad Anderson, was

with Harry Hruska and Pete Barton at Precision Turbo. After collect-

ing their new Big Stuff ECU, a set of wastegates and a control unit,

they received a 10-hour tech and tune session during which their Big

Stuff ECU was set up according to Teros engine specs. The session

was so intensive the Finns only left the room for restroom breaks. The

six-day trip included stops at BAE, TF Clutches and Classix Graphixfor team gear, including T-s

Drag Racer May2014

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Transcript of Drag Racer May2014