Page 48 - NM Spring 2018
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NMM - What is the normal nitro nostalgia, off-the-beaten-path in the finals. A win for him would
percentage that you run? dragstrips anywhere are my have clinched the 2001 Hot Rod
favorite places for a great match World Championship on that day.
Jim - Regarding our fuel, people race. He did go on to win the IHRA Hot
often come up to us and say, “Man, Rod World Championship later that
how much nitro do you run in that Jim - We’ve run a lot of large and year. My biggest disappointment?
thing?” Here’s the deal: We are small tracks and to test we usually I was born ten years too late
a ‘60s “match bash” car. We don’t go to a track near Joplin, Missouri to enjoy drag racing’s heyday
know how much percentage it will called Mo-Kan Dragway, a very old (laughs).
take to win today, but we know how school track but exceptionally well
much we’re going to bring…we are run and so sticky your backup girl Jim - I bought an aluminum-
a nitro car! better have her high-heel tennis front max wedge four-speed ‘64
shoes double laced! Plymouth, and the highlight of
Steve - We usually run about 46% the two years I ran that car came
nitro. NMM - Care to share what your at a big Super Stock race at the
least favorite ones might be?
NMM - Tell us about the racing, Wichita track. That evening the
car show or “cackling” events that Jim - the least favorite tracks for final eight cars and drivers were
you do with your cars. any real deal nostalgia racer are called to the line where they had
the huge newer tracks with tech us draw from a hat who we were
Jim - We don’t do any car shows to run. Well, to my right were S/S
or cackling type of events like most personnel that don’t have a clue and heroes Gas Ronda and Les Ritchie.
other cars similar to ours. I’ve about twenty people in the stands I remember thinking, crap! I hope
worked on and been around nitro because the race wasn’t properly I don’t draw either of them! Well,
cars since I was eighteen and have promoted. I drew Les and he and Gas had
a great respect for those types of Steve - My least favorite tracks their new lightweight 427 cammer
motors. They’re not really a hobby are the antiseptic, lack of intimacy Mustangs there. Les caught me
or fun level toy at this stage. Even and all too impersonal national at about eight-hundred feet but it
when we do a startup in the pits event tracks that seat 40,000 was the best loss I ever suffered – if
it’s best if no one is standing right people. you’re gonna lose, lose to the best!
around the front of the car. At a
recent match race in Missouri, NMM - Why don’t you NMM - How do you like the
when we hit the starter button it share with us any big thrills or current nostalgia racing and how
suddenly separated the new three- disappointments you’ve had in would you improve it?
hundred-dollar starter motor into racing? Jim - If you look at where the
four pieces. nostalgia races are drawing huge
Steve - We never raced for
Steve - We do the match race points, just entered any given crowds and hundreds of cars
deal every summer. It’s usually a weekend to see if we could spoil you’ll see the greatest activity
best of three against Ed Miller and someone’s day. Our big win at is in the east, the south and the
his 1970 Pro Stock Hemi Duster re- the IHRA Hot Rod (10.90) class southeast. The Meltdown Drags
creation or Jim’s “Big Iron” A/FX. Divisional at Virginia Motorsports in Byron, Illinois is probably the
We also have been a regular at the Park, Labor Day weekend 2001 best managed large event in the
“East Coast Hall of Fame” car show with the Charger was our best country at present. The staff are
in Henderson, North Carolina over win, and we did it with only a trans people that “get it” and the stands
the last twelve years. brake, no electronics. We tuned are packed.
the car to run 10.90 straight up. Here in the Midwest now,
NMM - What are your favorite
tracks? We beat the number two car in the probably 3 out of 10 nostalgia
nation in the semi-finals and then races are done correctly, with
Steve - The smallest, oldest went on to beat the number one car Continued on page 51
48 Nitro Madness Magazine Spring 2018