We sure hope everyone enjoyed the HAMB Nationals as much as we did, especially Friday night. Thanks to everyone for all the beers and the brats. They were good. Give it up for Ryan, BobK and all those hard workers involved in setting all this up. Great job guys. The GizzleHopper was happy to sound off for you at the hotel and she sure hopes you enjoyed it. The manager of the hotel told us she loved it all except maybe the part where people couldn't breath in the lobby from the nitro fumes, but not to worry. We were welcome back for next year. Good times for all.............
Thanks so much for doing that! It certainly was one of the highlights of the weekend. Let me know if you need to get in touch with Steve Harwood for any more nitro....
The thing I don't understand is why you hauled it all the way there just to fire it up in the parking lot and NOT make a pass on the track? r
Why not make a pass? Have you ever tried to find,,,or buy,,,extremely hard to find MEL performance parts such as usable Isky roller lifters, or an Isky 5 Cycle camshaft, valve springs, Isky 1.5 rocker arms, push rods, stainless steel valves, a blower manifold, vertex magneto and many many other parts? They are rare indeed and I don't plan on hurting the ones I did find. The whole purpose of re-creating this car was to show todays younger group of HAMBers and/or racers "how it was" back in the late 50's and early 60's. I want to display the actal car as it was back then, not to race it. However, if you were watching we did do a small 200 foot burn out. A very careful one at about 10% throttle on straight alky (no nitro). Besides guys, I have plenty of burn scars, broken bones, arthritis, bad hearing and more from those days of "back in the day" to last me a life time. Look real close at the car guys. Everything is 1958 cast iron (no forged or billet aluminum blocks, heads, etc), no titanium, no heat teated chassis, no blower blanket, no pan diaper, no billet valve covers and no fire suit. In other words, not a lot of safety stuff. In 1960 through 1962, when this car ran,we didn't have all that stuff and people got hurt. We had fun though by God, but once was enough. As you likely noticed, my daughter is now the driver and I plan on bringing her along real slow like. She has started it up three times now at rest and has now pushed started it twice. Plus she made that now famous start stop, start stop, start stop practice on the track and then the short burn out. She needs to learn how an AA/Fuel Coupe operates before stomping the shit out of the throttle. She is my baby ya know. Sorry if I am being touchy,,,LOL,,,and I still hoped you liked it.
The GizzleHopper is truly a piece of racing history. Thanks for bringing it along. Truth be told I kinda thought whats the point myself. But I would rather see and hear these cars cackle in a parking lot than not ever see them at all. Thanks again
I still liked it. And if this is the guy who I hassled with questions as the nitro was being mixed, thanks again. There's some video of your startup in the pits floating around here somewhere. It sounded great.
The GizzleHopper is awesome and the fuel show experience ruled, thanks! I must say I enjoyed talking with you and just listening to you reminisce more though. Thanks a TON for sharing with us young guys who missed it!
A BIG thumbs up tp Beep and his daughter! Thanks for letting me be in the middle of the fire up. Totally enjoyed the nitro fumes! Hoping the connection for the nitro for Famosa works out. Props for doing the right thing with your daughter. Wouldn't want to see anything bad happen to her. That was one of the highlights of the weekend for me! jerry
I loved it when that sucker fired up right in front of the hotel doors. My wife and I walked right by just after it fired up and into the lobby to check in. Behind 2 sets of closed doors, we still had to shout across the counter to the desk clerk to be heard! It was awesome! It was also pretty funny as the guy behind the counter was clowning a bit, and said this is the kind of noise that you would talk about someone, perhaps saying they are a mother.... then the sound died and we heard "fucker" loud and clear! It was awesome! Thanks for bringing it to the drags and sharing that wonderful sound!
Beep, Was good to see you again this weekend. Your car is SUPER BAD!!! Man that thing HAMMERS!!!! Brian
Brian......... Put some nitro in the itty bitty sbc and she will hammer a little too We are taking her to Ardmore, OK this Saturday to join the Scorpion VI and a funny car to cacklefest some. Come one, come all if ya can. Brian
Brian, I am in love with that thing.......it smells awesome. And thanks so much for the cackle at the hotel parking lot. I thought it was incredible when I took my dad over to see it, and he actually RECONGNIZED that car from the 1961 Nationals at Indy. That gave me goose-bumps. I think he will be back, and enjoyed the hell out of the weekend. Thanks Brian.
BigKen, yeah, we ran the 61 NHRA Nationals and the 61 AHRA Nationals that year. We came close at Indy (NHRA), but no cigar. However we won at Green Valley (AHRA). Glad your dad remembered and liked it. She was fun to re-create. And by-the-way, my daughter absolutely loves getting in it and wants to make a pass. Maybe later on..................
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mOF_zKeEwls&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mOF_zKeEwls&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Push start at Bowling Green http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlP27YEPH7I&feature=related Cacklefest at Bowling Green http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK69OO8J1G8
That was one of my favorite rails there... thanks for bringing it... thanks for fireing it up!!! Tuck
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