Where is Al Gibbs? <O A lot of the folks on this thread are from the New York/New Jersey area, and I am wondering if anyone might know the whereabouts of an old drag race buddy from the early sixties. Al first raced a new 63 Falcon Sprint stocker, I dont recall the class. A bunch of us routinely went to Island Dragway each Sunday morning (and often limped home Sunday afternoon nursing broken parts). <OIn 1965, many of us got called by Uncle Sam. Al took over a D-Stock 283/283 57 Chevy black 210 two-door sedan from one of the guys, and raced it extensively in late 1965/1966. I dont recall that he ever set a record, but he always ran hard on and was right on the record. I have never been there, but Englishtown was opening around this time and Al ran there frequently as well. I think that he felt that the 210 model was just a bit heavy to be really competitive in D/S, and later converted the car to a six-cylinder junior gasser. When I visited Al in New Jersey in 1975, he was running a 1956 Corvette in Modified Eliminator often at Englishtown. That was the last time I saw him. Does anybody know of Al? I had heard that he ended up in a rural part of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<ST1Pennsylvania</st1:State>, but I cant locate him on any of the traditional people-search tools.
From ... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=615899&d=1236618851 Looks like yet another lucky beneficiary of the 'Freebie Fenton' program!
Low Buck$ ... lots of fun ... And two more former Jr. Stock racers, after making a little transition!
That would be Bill Izykowski, him and Paul swapped driving chores back and fourth between the nomad and the vette when both cars were campained.
another one of Bob Lambeck's 57's. I thought I had read elsewhere that this car was wrecked? anyone know? Larry Davis Photo
Yes...It was Bill Drevo. I did the heads for this car and he set the NHRA record with it at Rockingham, N.C. when it was an NHRA track.
Here are a few pictures that were posted by Pete on the Yahoo Stk/SS group from the Raceway News papers.
Here are a few more pictures that were posted by Pete on the Yahoo Stk/SS group from the Raceway News papers.
And a few more pictures that were posted by Pete on the Yahoo Stk/SS group from the Raceway News papers.
The Stokes & Ferrara P.C. Richard sponsored '57 sedan delivery, Speed & Supercar magazine, August 1969.
I don't remember for sure but dose the name Joe Gardner ring a bell? The car was a Impala, it was black and the car was from somewhere around Phila. I can't remember because I have a case of CRS (can't remember shit). I'm hopeing it dosen't turn into RCRS! Jim
Different owner by this time I believe. I notice in the first color photo the name Joe Tryson appears on the 1/4 but its doesn't in the b/w shot. Joe Tryson also spent some time behind the wheel of the Northwind. Joe Tryson gained fame as one of Bill Jenkins crew members. Joe left Jenkins Competition a few years back to go work for Moroso. Its a shame what became of this car.
I guess my CRS is not helping my brain! I was wrong about the name Gardner. I know about Northwind and thats not the car. Night Train or it might have been spelled Nightrain was a local car. Mabye someone will remember! Jim
Here's another shot. Notice the H/FX designation on the 1/4 panel. This would have been 1965? maybe '66?
Funny how we digressed from Night Train to a Northwind run on. Sorry I can help either Jim but good luck.
Speaking of Ladies in Drag Racing. Here's a shot from the mid 60's. No clue as to whose photo. Left to right we've got; Shay Nichols, the second lady, I have no clue, anyone? next, Della Woods, Linda Vaughn, Bunny Burkett, Judy Lilly, Paula Murphy and Hurst girl Nikki Phillips. The names are all familar and the face of the second one is, the name escapes me though.
jake here ! thanks for the picture of JACKS wagon. it brings back this memory of ISLAND DRAGWAY . he told me about late in the fall of the year that some time you had to dodge DEER at the top end and that since he was only going about 80 mph it was not a big deal. JAKE
Today (IHRA Pure Stockers) as "back in the day" the cams had to check on duration, lift, AND overlap spec's along with OEM spring pressures.. IHRA's Pure Stok is a take off on the old Jr. Stockers. They have some 57 Chebbies (220 HP) running in the class. Most are newer (UGH !) FI cars. The run with the current day stockers for the overall eliminator. I used to work for NHRA Div. 1 under Greg X. in 1974-5 and he tought me how to check a cam. After that I spent 22 years working for IHRA as the chief stock and Super Stock tech man.
How about guys like Joe Perzan-60 Pontiac SD wagon, Sam Samuels-60 Pontiac starchief SD, Gene Collins-66 271 HP Mustang with an automatic, Dick Hill-60 Pontiac SD, Randy Smith (smith Brothers) 56 Chevy wagon 225 HP.
I hope that I have not told this before, CRS can be a real pain. Back in 1969 Brad Watkins had purchased a new Z-28 and took it to Tony Pizzi to get the engine built and help with the overall setup. Brad's girlfriend did not know what to buy Brad for a Christmas gift so she called on a mutual friend and gave him a blank check. To her surprise, and Brad's, Jim bought a truck to haul the new race car. Here is a photo of the truck & car as they were leaving MD for the 1970 Winternationals.
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