As you may have heard from the other Dragfest post the famed Purple People Eater made a showing Saturday. The boys got in late in the afternoon and Zombie wanted them to get a chance to make a pass. He got Randy (his partner in Dragfest) to grab a tech guy and see if something could be done. Tech guy came over to where the PPE was pitted took a look and shook his head no. Randy asked for leinency and told them the boys would only do an exhibition pass, no racing. The tech guy agreed and stated they could do a "squirt" but nothing quicker than 14 seconds. I lent the boys a hand and we got them a tech card, got it signed, and Shoprag and I towed them to the lanes with my 33. Got em signed in at the racer registration, along with wrist bands for the crew to get on the line. So far so good. Once the car was in the lanes it attracted quite a bit of attention. The timing was just right as we entered the lanes along with all the top fuel and funny cars. A few of the old guys that run top fuel came over to check out the car. We had to wait through the fuel session and some wheel standers but then the exhibition lane got moving. As we approched the front of the lanes the lane guy stopped me and said to tow back to the pits as the track owners told him there was no way that car was going down the track. I asked him if he was sure they meant us and he said "yeah, sorry man". As this is my playground I wasn't going to argue. I went back and broke the news to the Shifters who understandably were pretty disapointed. I saw one of the owners so I went to inquire as to why they decided the car couldn't run. I mean I know the tech was sketchy, but the tech guy did sign the card. After speaking with him he came to look at the car himself, double checked with the tech guy, and the other owner. After a short confab they gave me the green light, so I hot footed it back with the good news, the PPE was going down the famed Famoso Raceway! We towed up, got last minute instructions for Marky from all the track management to take it easy and enjoy himself. He lit the engine, rolled through the burn out box, spun the meats and then staged. The lights dropped he got a decent squirt off the line, lifted and then took a leisurly run down the track blipping the throttle a couple of times at half track. It wasn't a full throttle pass but it was a run down the drag strip and he has a time slip now. Marky looked pretty happy after he was done. Shoprag and I went down to tow him back and when we came up the return road in front of the crowd he got quite a few cheers. Fun stuff for sure.
It seems a run down the track, for that car, has been a long time coming... I can only guess, but what are the reasons they didn't want to let it run? Regardless, it's pretty cool he was able to make a (partial) pass. Malcolm
Thanks for the story, Shag. Congrats to The Shifters. Marky - that took some ultra-mega discipline to lift - don't know if I could've done it. Scotty
The time is irrelevant as he never really got into it. He would have been forcibly removed from the track if he had. It was a special privelage to be able to run that car on a sactioned track as it will not pass tech for any speed. Rules are rules, sometimes it sucks but they still exist. Two vintage top fuel rails lined up and staged today only to sputter off the line and make a cruise down the track for the very same reason the PPE wasn't allowed to make a run. CAN"T PASS TECH!!! Marky did as promised and kept it well under the 14 second limit that was imposed on him. After 10 years ithe PPE was finally allowed on the track and that was good enough for him I believe. I was happy to be a part of it.
He should try to get it into spec. I would like to see it make a real pass, kinda like havin a toy that you cant get out of the box. That sucks they wouldnt even let him sign a waiver or somethin?
Thanks for the pics! I didnt know he was gonna go to bakersfield until the night before, otherwise I would have been there for sure. He was thrashing all the way up until the night before to put the seat and seatbelts etc etc. I talked to him last night, and a while ago and he is still on cloud 9. He said "I was right in there with the big boys" He said he does want to keep working on it to make some more real passes.
That was great seeing you guys roll in. At first, I thought it'd just be for the car show. But then, when Zombie told me he put his name out on a limb, I thought any pass would be a cool one. I was not disappointed!!
I would have put the hammer down. It's not like were going to let him run again anyhow. Might as well see what it's got. I had a friend with a very fast "muscle" car that we drove 140 miles to the dragstrip. The dragstrip techies knew the car was quicker than 11.99's by the sound the car made and the huffer & go-go juice in ready position as well as the fat stickies out back and runner up front on Monocoque wheels. But the car had no cage, or other safety doo dads to run quicker than 11.99's because it just got put together. Since my friend said he had never made a pass, they told him to take it easy and they would allow him to make 1 pass, and more if he was conservative. He clicked off a 9.96, pulled back around, and put the street tires back on and we left. Thats all he wanted, to see what it had, who cares if they were pissed!
I dont know if this is getting called out or just a kind gesture either way I am from so cal and have seen this car at many events and it evolve... I got $20 on gas to get there!!! as long as someone records it!!! Whos with me..
I'm betting the first one . It's a cool LOOKING car, but if its not a street car, not a dragster,,,,,,,, show car? Trailer queen? To me a car you can't drive anywhere and can't get through tech to race is no different then a Boyd's car. Nothing wrong with that if that's the intent.
I think some one should post video of the PPE in the burnout box and staging at a sanctioned track. that alone would be bad ass!
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