All great shots of early Willys racers! Although mine is a Glass' car I'm trying to build an Ole' Time look... Another labor of love!
jay t looked at his program from the nationals in 1955 but unfortunately it didn't have a list of racers like the 1956 program.
I don't believe this car was Al Tschida's. Recall an earlier thread which stated that this car had an early demise and included a photo of the remains stuffed into a pickup bed. The paint treatment and color are however, close to the Triad/Antelope Speed Shop car.[/QUOTE] Delray57 I never said that was a Al Tschida car. The person who posted the picture said he didn't have any info on it and I stated that kewikev would know some. Also I've stated in other threads the TRIAD land co. car was owned by Al's brother in law NOT Al Tschida. Al had a lot to do with it before and during Bill Mitchell owning it. Also they both drove it. When Al was driving, it had #331 on the Windows. When Bill "Mitch " Mitchell was driving, it had #332 in the windows. There will be a story coming out soon in Gasser Wars magazine about Al and the Triad car history soon. That's why it was in the Gasser Wars magazine booth at the meltdown drags a few weeks ago.
33_willys_77, Thanks for keeping me straight on the facts on the Antilope Valley car. I edited my post. It looks like the paint job might have been inspired by the Antilope Valley car. Too bad that the Brown Nitsche and Dyer car was destroyed
33_ Delray57 I never said that was a Al Tschida car. The person who posted the picture said he didn't have any info on it and I stated that kewikev would know some. Also I've stated in other threads the TRIAD land co. car was owned by Al's brother in law NOT Al Tschida. Al had a lot to do with it before and during Bill Mitchell owning it. Also they both drove it. When Al was driving, it had #331 on the Windows. When Bill "Mitch " Mitchell was driving, it had #332 in the windows. There will be a story coming out soon in Gasser Wars magazine about Al and the Triad car history soon. That's why it was in the Gasser Wars magazine booth at the meltdown drags a few weeks ago.[/QUOTE] Sorry, I meant no offense in my post. I have been very interested in this thread because Al Tschida was a hero for me in the 60's as he could handle a 4-speed in a drag car like no one else I knew. As important to me, Bill Mitchell was a personal friend. We grew up in adjacent small towns in Minnesota and partnered (along with another friend) on the 55 Chevy D/Gasser in my avatar. A little earlier in this thread, I related the story about borrowing the helmet from Al at MN Dragway. The person who borrowed it was Bill Mitchell who as you related later married Al's sister. I subsequently moved to the east coast and Bill moved to the west coast so we lost touch. This thread has taken me back to great times of the 60's. Thanks for the heads up on the upcoming Gasser Wars magazine article on the Triad car. I just subscribed for a year so I don't miss it!
Bert Lollar from Tulsa Oklahoma. I heard that he made a West Coast Swing and did very well. I think that he ran a big bored and stroked olds.
Ollie Olsen from West Palm Beach Florida, Wil-A-Meener ,first ran in 1960 http://eastcoastdragtimeshalloffame...ollie-olsens-will-a-meaner-remains-a-mystery/
I believe that this is Ken Dondero that went on to drive the Panella Brothers Anglia. He frequently beat automatic cars shifting a 4 speed. Correction this is John Dondero
This '36 sedan underwent many changes in the 60's. It belonged to a couple of my friends, John Anderson and Chet Thomas, out of Portland, Oregon. The first pic is from '60-'61 when it had and injected Pontiac under the hood. Mid-60's the change to a glass '33 front end and SBC engine. In the later 60's the duo teamed up with AA/FD racer Jim Barnard, installing his early Chrysler, and moving up to AA/FA. Chet did the driving, In the 7's @ 190 ! The "Assassin" had quite a career.
That was very fast. Thanks for posting Marty, I had never seen that one before. Do you know anything about the Smeds' Willys? It was from the Pacific Northwest. It also says Jack Frost on it.
Jack Frost, owned and drove the car, John Smeds (pronounced Smeeds), was a partner in the building and tuning. They ran both small and big block Chevys, even match raced on Fuel ! Jack was a real "Showman" and a fun guy to be around.
I believe that all of these pictures were of the same car. Owned by Elverne Pfeifer from Kenosha Wisconsin. He bought it in 1960 and it was chosen as best engineered in 1965. It's a very nice Willys that still exists today. Also you can see the Al Tschida's Willys Coupe in the bottom picture. here it is today http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/elverne-pfeifer-1941-willys-1965-nhra-best-engineered-anyone- have-more-information.457035/ Current pictures
That Willys belonged to Ed Smith from Vancouver, John Smeds was involved with it as well. It was Pontiac powered and the main A/G competition for the "Assassin" early on. It was sold to Chuck Tiller from Portland around 1964, and Chuck ran a high RPM SBC, along with the Exhaust Specialties sponsorship .Here is a shot from later in the 60's of Chuck racing my old friend Larry Kalsch in his Cammer powered T-Bird. Chuck always ran it on the edge !
Jack Coonrod and Wayne Harry joined forces in 1964, racing Wayne's '36 pickup with Jack's Chrysler engine. They built and started racing the coupe around 1965. Jack went back east to tour in 66 & 67, or that's what I remember. In 1986 at the Fremont "Nostalgia Nationals", he made his return to racing with the same car. The coupe had been through about 4 owners, raced by Twig Ziegler, Chuck Byrd, and Bob Smith.
Marty, Thanks for the information on Coonrod and Harry. I will tell my dad, he talks about that car and used to follow it in the magazines in the 60s. Are there any more early Willys that you can tell us about?
I hadn't seen this old NW favorite, the Homeyer Cleaners Willys. Flathead powered and a lot of fun to watch. - EM
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