He sold his house to my parents in the late 70s and left some influence for me in the form of pictures hanging in the garage and various engine and transmission parts for a kid to tinker with. As I understand it, he was pretty well known. Anyone have stories to tell? What became of him?
There were lots of pics of a Corvette funny car in that garage. I also heard he experimented with rocket cars too. Any info on that and if he's still local?
ritchie sullivan http://www.maxchevy.com/features/interview/ii_3-mitchell-1.html http://www.70sfunnycars.com/forgotten.html
I also see that they used to sell a plastic model of the Voodoo Vega. Someone has to know a little more
I raced with Richie some circa 1969-72. He was a hell of a fabricator. He built a compe***ive rear engine dragster before Garlits and Bill Mitchell's early cars that helped launch his career. I also have wondered what became of him as he disappeared from racing in the mid 70's and I haven't heard from him since. I've attached a picture of his "Forever Endeavor" dragster when it was a junior fueler. Do you still have the pictures he left in the garage (in Plainview I believe)?
Sadly the pictures are gone. They were all dog eared and yellow from hanging in the garage for all those years. My father cleaned them up along with a busted transmission in the attic and a cool fibergl*** teardrop hood scoop that he gave away in the 80s. I know the Sullivans stayed on Long Island but I have no idea where Richie is now. I do know that he heavily influenced a neighborhood kid named Brian Winkler who went on to build engines for some other Long Island drag racers. Anyone know Big Brian?
I was introduced to Richie at a friends son's christening party about 12 years ago on long island. We spoke about drag racing & after a few adult beverage I bought his corvette funny car that bill mitchell drove . He had stored it in pieces in a warehouse he needed to vacate because he was was took a job making mixing tanks for a drug company. He kept the car thinking he'd put it back together & have his daughter drive it. I think by then she was married with kids & figured it wasn't going to happen. It was in pieces & I drove up from Philly a few weekends later & pick it up. I messed with it a little & between a wife, house, & kids it never got done. I sold it a few years later to a guy that if I recall was on Jungle Jims team I think maybe Don Beebe? Someone told me it might be on the nostalgia circuit. If it make you feel better when i left for the marines my dad threw out "old junk" in the ba*****t.... like my 64 corvette hub caps ! I'll look for some picture if anyone is interested squinnchev@hotmail.com
I just found a business card of Richie Sullivans A Fuel Dragster from the 60's I worked with him on his top fuel car. I remember him having a Henry J, A-fuel car, and the Top Fueler, all named Forever Endeavor. Got married and lost touch. after a few years. He was the consumate Chevy man and fantastic chasis builder and inovator as well as great driver. World record for unblown small block chevy. I had heard he got into Funny car, then Jet and Rocket cars as well as offshore Racing. Would love to find out what happened to him.
I grew up living next door to Richie as a little kid. I played w/ his slightly younger kids ,jr and juliette. in the 70,s Mr sullivan had lots of activity at his home in plainveiw ny. He would let us wide down the dragster sometimes, Once in while had had to start the engineon something and mak some extremely loud noises, , we loved it and would watch ,. the guy had chey small blocks for planters in the front yard ! Then one day he split to Smithtown in75 kids ,wife ,race cars a 65 Opel, all kinds of stuff ,, it was a good expirence...
Update: I got in touch with Richie in September. We met up at the cruise night in Oakdale, where he lives now. It was great to hear the stories and catch up. He got a kick hearing that the old Chevy blocks are still in my parent's yard and that he had left a whole transmission up in the attic!! He told me his daughter had made a photo album of all his memorabilia and we should get together sometime and look at it after they rebuild the house they unfortunately lost during Sandy. I 'm really looking forward to seeing pictures from the golden age of drag racing as well as pictures of my parent's house before we lived there. Funny that another car guy would end up in that house.
I use to race with richie i remember his dodge car hauler. He drove for us the icemaker funnycar back in late 70s also he introduced us to sammy miller jet car racer. I had great times with them as well as Broadway Freddy diname from brooklyn
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