Grumpy Jenkins

Shifting gears? How about a Traditional truck,a hot noisy Mack B.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-aDqAWkZHQ

 

First, there is no way Sox "lost" .7 of a second going to the planetary transmissions. The first couple of runs might have been slower but if that were consistanly true he might as well have stayed home. Back then qualifying for Pro Stock had the top 10 cars only a few thousands of a second apart.
Second, the Mopar that Jenkens matched raced with in A/S the year he ran the 350 hp 327 was non other than Jere Stahl running a Hemi 4spd. They ran over a 100 runs fender to fender the whole quarter mile and Jenkens winning less than a half dozen. The E.T.s of both cars seldom more than a few thousands apart. If that doesn't make you consistant with a 4 spd nothing will. I witnessed 4 of those runs and you might as well of welded the cars together the whole quarter mile. Stahl seldom won by more that a foot.

Frank

 

Here's a pic of Da Grumps Vega and another of herb in the Sox & Martin car grabbin gears;

 

Jim,

Tony gave me the fixture he had for "Slik-Clicking" syncro sliders when Borg Warner started manufacturing the sliders already machined. Someone told me that Dutch Irrgang is the one who thought of machining the sliders and syncro teeth. Do you remember any of that?

 

Hi Tom,
Can't help ya there! Sorry!

 

Bill,
Wasn't Bud Faubel selling his 1964 Dodge S/SA 'Hemi Honker' at the end of 1964.
Held the National Record at 11.64 (or something) for the early-mid part of 1964.
Then sold it for $3500 to someone in New York.
I wonder if 'Doc' Burgess was looking at that car first, before getting the new 65'
S/S Plymouth.
Bud's car was also prepped by Jenkins.
PC

 

Love this stuff. Thanks. Slim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkcO7creH1A

 

Good to see this old thread come back to life. Very cool clinic signs. By the way Dave didn't have any daughters, 3 sons which I happen to be very good friends with one of them. Maybe you bought it from Mrs. Strickler? I'm sure she would find it very flattering to be known as one of Dave's "daughter".... She is very nice also!

 

Bud hooked Dave Strickler up with Chrysler in '64 when GM started the "racing ban".

 

Those were the days! Grumpy still frequents a certain bar in West Chester every now and then. Ive had the pleasure meeting him a couple times.

 

Hey Mr. Slim Pickens,
Nice You Tube stuff.
Does anyone know,,, just how many different lettering jobs did the 'Black Arrow' have.
And classes.
S/SA at the 65' Winternationals
#3200 class
#3000 class
A/MP class at the 65' Nationals
#2700 class
Man those guys must have been busy!!
Paul

 

i met "DA GRUMP" at a custom car show a few years back ...... funny.... he didnt seem grumpy to me at all

 

motor originally tuned and built by jenkins, strickler's restored '68 Z28 is currently on ebay for 1/2 a mill.

 

and the same 2 cars at the '68 world finals in tulsa, final round. jenkins in the chevy II, strickler won.

 

SpinWheel,
I think after the 65' NHRA Winternationals Top Stock Eliminator win in S/S.
The next big event was the May 15 Super/Stock Magazine sponsored event at
York. The 'Black Arrow' won the #3200lb. class.
I think in Super/Stock trim, the car weighed #3408lbs..
August 7th was the Super/Stock Magazine Nationals at York, where the car was in the #3000lb. class. It did not win.
Then at the Indy Nationals, Labor Day it was classed in A/MP, and beat Charlie Allen in the championship run for class.
I don't know about the first week of June, at the Springnationals. But the car was at Dover Drag Strip the week before, running a 'Battle Stock Royale' against Billy Lagana
and Dick Lawton in the SOHC-Mustang.
PC

 

SpinWheel,
I think this was the schedule for the 'Black Arrow' in the late-summer of 65'.
August 7, Super/Stock Magazine Nationals at York, #3200lb. class
August 21, Cars Magazine Extravaganza at Cecil County, #3200lb. class
Sseptember 4, Indy Nationals, A/MP
It won the #3200lb. class at Cecil County, and the A/MP class at Indy.
PC

 

Im looking for photos of either one of Bill's '66 Chevy II's to include in a forthcoming book. If anyone has personal photos they care to share, Please PM or email me.
Thanks, Doug

 

Doug,
I think I stumbled on a early 67' photo of one of the Chevy II's.
Could it have been classed in SS/C, before the 67' 396 Camaro.
Also, checking on a late 1966 match-race event at National Trail Raceway, where the car may have been classed in AA/S. or was matched with someone in AA/S.
I'm not sure, but after the 66' Finals, were the classes changed up from A/S to
AA/S or SS/C for the 327/350HP car.
PC

 

Being a member of Mensa doesn't automatically qualify one as a genius; they only set the bar at the 98th percentile; 'genius' is a hell of a lot less common than that.

Now, Jenkins' accomplishments, I think those do qualify him.

-Bill

 

GRUMPY JENKINS...let's not take anything from the legend. but RONNY SOX and EDDY COOK made their living as drivers. MR. that say's it all, having said that DYNO DON NICHLSON won 66 of 67 match races in 1966. and the reason he lost the only 1 that year, was because he couldn't get it in high gear. for my part NICHLSON was the very best i've witnessed in my life. BAR NONE...POP.

 

Storms Co-Rect....Just talked to Doc only two weeks ago .Again confirming HE ALWAYS owned the car and Spiedel was his 'partner' that never came through with his end and "just' faded away. Search "BLACK ARROW" at Dover site Forum , for way too much info-photos rescued , from many sources, about the car, to relate here.

 

Da Grump and Ronnie Sox. Two REAL drag racers.

 

I was a 14 yr old kid sitting in the stands when Jenkins won the 1970 Winternationals in Pro Stock and I've said it before I never saw a crowd just go crazy when he beat Sox in the final. Another quick Jenkins story, The racers used to test at Irwindale Raceway before the Winternationals and I saw Jenkins testing the Vega before Pomona. We thought he didn't stand a chance and as they say the rest is history.

 

I think he also said "Drag racing is spending money you don't have, to impress people you don't know"

 

I've seen that. His cigar in mouth the whole time too

 

Hi Paul, Anything you can help with would be very much appreciated.
Super Stock was a new category in '67 taking over top stock if I recall correctly. Bill would run the white Chevy II in SS/C. He said the biggest differance for him was going to a larger tire. He found that the rims off of a Olds Vista Cruiser wagon offered the right off set allowing him to squeeze a maximum of 9" into the Chevy II's wheel wells, though the new rules did allow for 10" of rubber.
Drop me a line Paul.
Thanks,
Doug

 

i have a pict somewhere of the white chevyII lettered SS/C at vargo, in i believe march '67, before the '67 camaro was ready.

 

I'd be interested in seeing that Dave.