Snidley Whiplash was Vic Morris, his folks owned a clothing store (the Broadway, I think) in Eugene. He and Corde Jensen (Bev's Steak house) ran around together back when Corde was racing his 57 Vette. About the same time Jerry Russell was running his altered. Tom and Jerry were the Weaver Bros name, Jerry is in the Frisco area and Tom passed a few years back. Knew all of them well, we were all Part of the KLAN Racing Team. Where was your Dads Richfield station? You also prob remember Dave Pruitts BBC 41 Willys running Gas class at those locations. Were you at Woodburn when he broke an axle and rolled it. His Son kirk has completely restored the Willys to Street use, Painted bright red. Dave puts on a big get together at Madras every year, his Kids are real active in the Drag Racing World around there.
Speaking of Corde Jensen and the Bev's Steak House car, I was at Woodburn when the car left the strip and was wrecked. Here it is at Woodburn in 1966 .
The Rodders Journal had a real nice pic of it a few issues back, they covered some of the early FEDs. Last time I raced at Woodburn it was still 1/8 mile, usually went to McMinville.
I remember Corde. At one point he had a dragster with a T-roadster body. I think it ran a small block Chevy? I might be wrong about the Weavers. I will need to ask Randy or Wayne Esak. The guys I knew had a T-roadster body rig with a flat head motor. It was all brand new and state of the art of the period (1964). They qualified number one and had the field covered by nearly a second. But they lost in the first round to a big hole shot. I don't remember that Willys. I do remember Mel Bryson's coupe and I am related through a family member's marriage to Wayne Harry's wife. Wayne also raced a Willys but was a member of the Slo-Poks
Here's a color shot of Bevs. That's no burn out kids! Slipper clutches were just coming in, fuelers still smoked the tires and were push started! Those were glorious days!
Weavers had a flat head power T altered as I remember, about 63/64. I was drafted to the Army and left for Ft Ord in jun 63 so missed alot after that. Randy would prob remember. He is working on a Deuce 3W with history out of Portland area. Paul Smith can tell you alot too!! And Bob White of Graffiti Alley 541 689 7334.
I did a search. Didnt see anybody mention Buzz Peck(altered and funny car).First NW in the 5's with blown alcohol funny car. And Bruce Russel.60's ProStock Mopar Brandon
Buzz is a good friend of mine, I do some fab work, headers, steering, sheet metal, etc for him, but this thread is for Oregon racers. Buzz and Lenny Frost used to put on quite a show!
I'd almost forgotten about Guy Mitchell. I met him as a customer at my Dad's tavern, 'The Vintage Press' on SE 92nd & Woodstock. In 1972, I had a tri-power GTO with a worn out engine. Guy picked up the car at my house in Clackamas. Rebuilt it or something? (I was a kid) added a lumpy cam and who knows what else but said "It'll run lots better". Charged me $150 and installed it. The ol' Goat was much quicker. If I remember right, Guy and a couple of his friends had a rented shop (big residental garage) behind a house on Oatfield Rd. near Lake Rd. in Oak Grove. He'd stopped by my dad's house a couple times driving his BBC powered 60's Nova, or was that his wife's? That Nova turned my nut! Anybody remember this Ron Tonkin sponsered car?
I saw the names of many people I knew. I was never really much good at drag racing but I did get a perfect light at Woodburn in my 1940 Chevrolet. Alex Merwin was the track announcer that day. Danny Kilcup had an Austin Healy painted gold with a Chevrolet 292 inline six. He was still racing up into his 80's and was active to the end, still winning most of the time. I was in the staging lanes at Woodburn when I met Doc Lavinder. I was talking to him as the cars moved forward and did not realize he was handicapped. The driver's seat in his 1936 Nash Lafayette was actually a wheel chair. He did race me and he won. He really raced, I didn't feel sorry for him and let him win. I too saw his car in the museum in Pomona. The Scotty's Drive In at 12th and Burnside was known for 19 cent hamburgers. The cool guys went to the Tik Tok drive in on the other side of the intersection.. I suspect that Hugh Wedikinds "Little Annie Fanny" is the same car that is now owned by Walt Scotchless and now has a Chevrolet 292 instead of a Ford Six. Walt doesn't think it is the same car but I do.
Wow! Thanks for posting! I haven't seen that car since 1967! If I remember right it was bright orange!
That Ron Tonkin car is Richard Schroeders, the same one I posted earlier. It later was rebodied as a 69 for Art Whipple. I never saw the car run! I Know it ran in SoCal. Do you remember when Oatfield Road was marked with painted stripes for a quarter mile? The cops took a dim view of that one!
I guess I'm not totally senile yet! Here's a pic of the Scottys Drive In AA/FD with a young Ed "The Ace" McCulloch. It was the wrecked Bev's car, Ed took it back to Kent Fuller to have it rebuilt, then drove it ( I think) untill going to Art Whipples Camaro then his career in FC. I remember when they switched to a slipper clutch, it was weird to see a fueler NOT smoke the tires. They ran a 7.07 right off the bat. Nobody seems to know what happened to the car after Ace switched to FC, it might have been raced or is still sitting someplace! It was a state of the art Kent Fuller car, who knows?
Thanks for posting! Those are great pics!!! Just what I'm looking for, the REAL backbone of racing, guys like your Dad.
The Scotties Drive In Fuller car was owned by Ken Maki and driven by Dave Hawkins. I guess I could call my old friend Earl Floyd and get the real story on all of the AA/F cars of that time. Earl drove the "Northwind" before Bob Haines and Ed. The first dragster that I can remember Ed driving was Ernie Hall's, it was a Desoto powered gas dragster called the "Astronut". They had a feature in Hotrod about them in 62-63. I have one of Ed's, Simpson face masks he used in the 60's.
I'm pretty sure Hawkins was driving when they changed to the slipper. WDIFL says : "This was a really nice Fuller car. Cordy ran it for two years then, after he crashed at Woodburn, he was recovering in the hospital and McCulloch and McCutchen brought it to Fuller to repair it. After that it was sold to someone who was connected to Scotty's Drive-in. The car became known as the Scotty's Drive in car and Ed "The Ace" McCulloch drove it for a while. The where a bouts of it or what happened to it after that are a mystery." Commentary by Pete Starrett Maybe Walt or Bucky Austinn know what happened to it
Quite a few of those cars were turned into "rear engined" cars. I know Rick Kikes owned the Scotties car for a while in the mid 70s. He did add a back half to one of those slingshots. I think it might have been that one.
No pictures, but I have vague memories of our club, the Southern Oregon Wheelers, running our dragster, Zombie 2, with "Bub" Hewitt doing the driving. Our first run out we couldn't get it to fire until the push start had us right in front of the people that were standing around the starting line,,,then the blower scoop cover blew off and we got it to fire. Used to have our lunch handed to us by a guy with a flathead rail out of Redding, Ca. ALL the time....this run was at the old Port Orford dragstrip/runway.....memories,,,,memories,,,,memories!
I'm sure Floyd would be a virtual encyclopedia! I'd sure like to see some pics of the lower class cars( hint to guys with pics)!!! Lots of great S, SS and altereds and gassers! DWIFL has some shots of the original Northwind at Woodburn. Do you remember Svela & Sons? They ran a fuel dragster, then put the motor in an Econoline. They were from Washington though. The Econo raced at Woodburn all the time, Don montgomery has a pic of them racing either Coonrod or SWC, i can't remember which. I Know the car was in a magazine ( Pop Rod?), but I've only seen two pics of it.
Contact Bucky Austin, he has a whole showroom full of old dragsters in Tacoma, Washington And I mean FULL.
Goodell's 67 Mustang!!!My all time favorite car from the transition period. Built by Scrima at Exhibition Engineering and paint by Cerney, it was a beauty and kicked ass! The car ( or at least the shell) still exists, it's just rotting as far as I know in a Washington FC graveyard.
Here's the last shot I know of Goodells Mustang. I'm glad at least it survived, but I still hope it could be restored.
The Jalopy Journal
