History Gary Essman

That is very cool.
As I said earlier, the internet is full of information on this team.

 

Thanks for the post, condolences on your loss. A lot of great stuff!

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Sandoval Bros. Your Dad ran in some tough company, Michelle...Thanks for posting.
Jim had a seat on some 'mighty fast mounts'!
That engine explosion tops any of mine! Thank your Mom for staying.

 

Like Doug and Mike are saying, you dad had seat time in some of the best cars of the era. WCM were front runners right up through the seventies.

 

I found these two pics of the WCM together on one page in his folder. I asked my mom about it last night . She believes he help build it

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These are two different WCM cars. The top one is probably this car...

or possibly this one?



The car in the bottom photo with your mom is later, like '68/,69. This photo is in my files as 1968, same car as in your second photo? Ask your mom what year she was pregnant.

 

Here is a picture of my dad in Indy in the Hippo & Poindexter car . He only raced there once in 1965 . My mom doesn't remember why he wasn't wearing his purple helmet that day. Maybe the owner thought the purple helmet clashed with the yellow and he borrowed one. LOL

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1968 she was pregnant with me I'm the only child. I wonder what's up with the frame pic 1965 because he had those two pics completely by themselves on one page for a reason and surprisingly he wrote on the pic . It must of meant a lot to him because it was in a folder with some very special pics of his racing days

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That pic is probably correctly labeled as '65, dragsters got longer every year through the sixties, the top car looks to be about 155-160" wheelbase, which would peg it at '64/'65ish, the bottom photo with your mom, the car is much longer, at around 180"/190"ish, which would be '68/'69.

 

Thank you for the great information. My dad hated clutter so he only had pics of cars he had driven or something he had built . I have never seen this folder it was hidden in a box with his business books he had for his company. My mom says there is more pics but she feels they must of been lost during moves just like his helmet they had movers move them

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great to see/hear more

 

I was trying to find back issues of Rodder's Journal today . I went to Austin Speed Shop in Austin, Tx great people in there and they do some beautiful work on Customs. They gave me 4 copies for free so all of my kids could have one . The write up on the Magic Muffler car was great and done very well . Here is a pic of my dad in it and i finally figured out why he was wearing the white helmet in some pics . This is still the only helmet he bought it just took him awhile to get the money together to go get it customized into the purple Yogi Bear helmet

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This was a real mystery car that I shared on the drags in motion thread and I found my answer This is Larry Bowers dragster and I'm really surprised I don't remember this I was over his house a lot . I have feeling it was at his shop my dad would go there often . My Dad and Larry use to work on cars in the shop a lot so I assume my dad help build this dragster . It sure is pretty. I want it ![emoji1]


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That is a beautiful FED.

 

I wanted to share pics of my family how we are today . Family meant so much to my dad . I don't know who is looking at my thread and if you knew him I wanted to you to see his family today and then I will get right back on topic with my dad's racing

 

This is Derek

 

Matthew

 

Meghan

 

My Dad and I this is my most cherished pic of us what I would do to dance with my father again

 

My Mom and Dad in August last year on there 51th wedding anniversary

 

Here is another shot of my dad in the black Magic Muffler car.

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Thanks, Michelle. Those are great photos. Your father was quite a man, may he rest in peace.

 

Thanks

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Thanks for sharing the pics Michelle. You have a nice family there.

 

Have been watching this thread from the start, your dad lived a great life, THANKS for sharing

 

Thank you . I still have more things to share .

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Salute to the young man in uniform!

 

This is my dad's car his corvair this was his baby he had it before he married my mom.in 1963. My dad was a fanatic about clean cars and dirty windows no kidding he would hand wash his windows 3x a day my Dad was in the Navy and he was lucky enough to be stationed at Pt Mugu so he was close to home he was a areo photographer in the Navy after the Navy he later got a contracting job with the Navy over seas at Johnston Island and Christmas Island for 6 months as a aerophotographer Jim Miles stored my dads covair for him while he was gone which I know he was thankful for so his car didn't get dirty or weathered He sold the car later but he use to tell me he wish he kept it . Pic of my mom in the car on the way to Indy so my dad could race

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