Page 13 - NM Fall_2018
P. 13

GUY TIPTON – Interview with a Crew Chief



                                 Story by Connell Miller • Photos courtesy of Guy Tipton and Connell Miller
          Austin Coil, T.C.  Lemons, Bob     Hill, Joe Amato and Tom “the         the rest of the team (and that all-
        Brandt, Earl Wade, Terry “Fuzzy”     Mongoose” McEwen.                    important sponsor!) is invaluable.
        Carter, Tim Richards and Guy                                                We sat down recently with Guy
        Tipton.                                While every driver here won
                                             plenty of races and garnered         Tipton, who is not only well-known
          These names from the past          pages of ink and face time on        for his tuning prowess on some of
        sound familiar to you?  Most of you   television, many will agree that    the hot nitro cars back in the day,
        will nod “yes” and smile, while a    their success in winning was         but has had a second career as the
        number of our younger readers will   (and is, with Force still out there   crew chief for two of John Hale’s
        shake their heads from side-to-side,  collecting an occasional Wally) due   Nostalgia Funny Cars:  the Mike
        thinking, “Dunno” or “Hmm…not        in large part to the hard work and   Burkhart Tribute car and One Bad
        sure, but I might’ve heard a couple   contributions by the crew chief.    Texan.
        of ‘em!”  Respectively, these were   The importance of that position        CM – Hello, Guy, and thanks for
        crew chiefs for drivers John Force,   cannot be underestimated and the    taking the time to give us some
        Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme,          value of a deeply involved and very   insight into your past and present
        “Dyno” Don Nicholson, Eddie          smart crew chief to a car, its driver,   life in drag racing and those nitro
















































        (L-R) Tim Richards, Guy Tipton, Kenny Bernstein.  Guy hoists the Wally after Bernstein won the 2001 Fram-Autolite Nationals at Sears
        Point Raceway.  That was the year Bernstein won his second NHRA National Championship in Top Fuel.
        Fall 2018                                 Nitro Madness Magazine                                          13
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