Page 60 - NM Spring 2018
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funny cars he raced. As far as the 208 mph in the Carroll Bros. A/FD early and stay to the end. They
differences between them and any in 1974.” knew the cars and drivers and
preference for one over the other would stand and cheer for their
he replied, “I liked them almost Unlike many of the Texas racers, favorites. The track announcers
equally. The A/FD had better Ben toured and raced all over the like Big Mike Burkhart were
vision and lighter steering, but the country. When we talked about it good too since they knew most of
some cool stories came out: “I’ve
A/FC had better spectator and raced from California to New us personally and could give the
sponsor recognition and made Jersey and from Corpus Christi crowd extra insight into the drivers,
money match racing. My favorite, to Wisconsin at tracks like Caddo owners and crew members as
though, would probably be the Mills, Long Beach, Green Valley, personalities instead of just blandly
Yancey-Camp- AEECO A/FD in Irwindale, Beech Bend, Pomona, repeating our names whenever we
which I won the NHRA Nationals and even to England with the 1965 came up to run.”
and World Finals in 1970.”
U.S. Drag Team. He then thought of another old
Asked about some of his wins, he “Starting out close to home, famous racetrack and a race there
replied: “The three-in-a-row wins though, the one I enjoyed most he couldn’t miss. “I also got to run
in the A/Fuel Dragster class at the was Green Valley Raceway in at ‘The Last Drag Race.’ I read in
NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indy in Smithfield, Texas, near Ft. Worth. Drag News about Lions Drag Strip
1968-’69-’70. Winning Comp at the Best I can figure, I drove at least in Long Beach, California closing
NHRA Nationals and World Finals eight different fuel dragsters and/ and I had never run a race there…
in 1970. The IHRA Longhorn or funny cars there in a twenty year the most famous drag strip of all.
Nationals at Dallas International span. I could tow there from my
Motor Speedway. The IHRA World house in Dallas in 45 minutes, tech “I called all my pit crew and my
Finals in A/FC. IHRA Comp in, in and be unloaded and ready to run standby guys and nobody could
uh..1973, I think. I also set both in short order. go with me on that weekend. But
ends of a new NHRA National I was determined, so I called my
Record in A/FD class in 1979: 6.63 “It seems most of the spectators friend Ray Zeller in Los Angeles to
and 204.08 mph. Incidentally, my were the same people we saw there see if he could help or if he knew
best times in the A/FC were 7.63 every week. They would fill the anybody who could. Ray was the
and 178 mph in A/FC and 6.61 at stands engine balancing guru in LA. I
knew the two of us could handle it.
He said yes so I got my Mustang A/
FC ready to go. I only was able to
make one qualifying run and didn’t
make the show. But I was there, got
the T-shirt and today can say that I
ran at one of the most famous drag
races and race tracks in the world!
“Another special event I was
fortunate to participate in was a trip
to England as part of the 1965 U.S.
Drag Team. I was on the crew of
‘Bones’ and Curt Carroll’s dragster,
but when Merek Chertkow, driver
of Dean Moon’s fuel dragster, was
hurt in a wreck while driving on
the unfamiliar (to Americans) left
Continued on page 62
60 Nitro Madness Magazine Spring 2018
