Page 6 - NMFall_2019

Pontiac. After witnessing his first duo, with Beswick’s blessing and started building their own Boss
drag race at Kil Kare Raceway in guidance, built a replica of his 1963 Bird in 2004 and finally got it on
Xenia, Ohio in 1980 the bug set Pontiac 4-door Station Wagon, the track in 2011. Rob Bruce built
in, eventually leading to a street- “The Grocery Getter.” Pontiac the car’s chassis and a ‘glass body
driven ’77 Trans Am powered by a power hauled the gas-burning, mounted that was made using an
hot 455-HO engine that garnered Art Morrison-built tube-chassied original “Boss Bird” as a mold,
Larson a 12.01 e.t. at 111 mph time Nostalgia Pro-Mod (with mostly with John Welter performing the
slip. Also in 1980, a friendship original steel body parts), 5-speed body and paint work. A very well
began with Mike Garblik, a Dayton Lenco and a healthy dose of massaged, supercharged Ram Air
professor who teaches automotive nitrous, to a 7.57 second e.t. at 182 V Pontiac engine sits between the
technology at a community college. mph by the time they sold it a few frame rails. Some added “tweaks”
Their mutual interest in Pontiacs years later. By the late 90s, though, in the aerodynamic department
led them to follow the exploits of Eric and Mike were jonesing to from the original and a rear wing
Beswick, the racer that was so go faster and, with the idea of aid stability during the 240+ m.p.h.
well-known for championing that replicating Arnie’s Boss Bird, were runs the Bag Boys Racing Team
brand and in 1992, were able to delighted when their friend once have experienced lately.
meet him at a National Muscle Car again gave approval for them to
Association race at National Trail. do just that when they pitched it A major hiccup occurred in
during a match race with him. 2012, however, when during the
Getting to know Arnie and the 2012 Memorial Day weekend at
nostalgia match racing scene, the Partners and co-owners, they Union Grove, a fuel pump fitting

Left to Right: Eric and Mike’s “Boss Bird” at the 2018 World Series in Cordova; 1968 Firebird “Boss Bird Jr.”
owned by Chris Shenuk; Arnie “Farmer” Beswick with his 1964 GTO “Tameless Tiger” and his 1963 LeMans.

6 Nitro Madness Magazine Fall 2019