Page 38 - Nitro Madness Magazine Fall 2017
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JH – Let’s see... I’ve raced a CM – John, what are some of your CM - That’s certainly
roadster, rear engine dragster, fuel favorite meets you’ve entered over understandable! Let’s talk for a
altereds, Nostalgia Funny Cars and the years? minute about last season and what
Nostalgia Top Fuel as well as Funny JH – The March Meet, World it was like driving Jim Dunn’s
Car. I also drove a Top Alcohol Series of Drag Racing and the modern-era, 10,000+ horsepower
Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny NightFire Nationals in Boise. I won funny car.
Car.
the California Hot Rod Reunion JH – Driving a funny car in the
CM – Before the “One Bad twice which is pretty cool! The 5.58 ‘big show’ was a dream of mine and
Texan,” it was the “Mike Burkhart” I ran in the final there one year held I got to live that dream! I’m not the
tribute Nostalgia Funny Car that up as the quickest E.T. in the class best on the tree but I think I did
really made you a star in the class. for several years. okay with it and really did like the
Let’s start with some history of that CM – What would you say has challenge of driving the car.
great record-setter. been your biggest thrill in racing? CM – Describe the difference in
JH – The chassis on that car was JH – I would have to say it was driving the big show car and your
the former “Miss Scarlet” N/FC winning a championship in our nostalgia funny car and was there
that belonged to Virgil Hartman first full year of racing in 2011 and much of a learning curve jumping
and driven by his daughter Rhonda. repeating it again in 2012. Another into Dunn’s car?
The body was built by Donnie big thrill for me was running a 3.95 JH – They both leave about the
Reeves in White, Georgia and I had in the ‘big’ car last year. same, but after sixty-feet the big
Richard Hartman mount it at J. Ed show car really starts pulling hard
Horton’s shop. I later purchased CM – Care to share with us your and it’s like that all the way to the
Leah Pruett’s – now Pritchett – biggest disappointment in racing so finish line. Jeff Arend told me it
“Heartbreaker” Mustang and put far? might take all year to learn how
the Burkhart body on that chassis, JH – It would have to be not to drive the big cars…and he was
which I still run to this day as “The winning an NHRA national event right! The only thing the big car
One Bad Texan”. with Jim Dunn. Continued on page 40
Photo by Connell Miller
Where it all started. John’s record-setting “Mike Burkhart” Tribute N/FC on a burnout in 2009.
38 Nitro Madness Magazine Fall 2017