The Ace is back! Actually, Ed "The Ace" McCulloch, the legendary drag
racer, never left. McCulloch, who is the Grand Marshal of the
Automobile Club of Southern California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by
Holley (Oct. 12-14, Bakersfield), is still heavily involved in drag
racing, serving as crew chief for the Ron Capps-driven Don
Schumacher-owned Brut Funny Car.
McCulloch who moved to Oregon from central California at a young age
earned his "Ace" nickname early in his career when he outran the
self-proclaimed "King of the Northwest," Jerry Ruth. In the 1960s he
drove a series of dragsters, the most notable of which was the
full-bodied, Fuller-chassied Albrich-McCulloch-Floyd Northwind. The Car
led "The Ace" to the number one spot on the Drag News "Mr. Eliminator"
list from Pete Robinson in 1965.
Funny Cars were becoming popular in the late '60s and McCulloch
relished the constant match racing that was available to them. He won
the first time he raced at the U.S. Nationals in 1971. In the early
'70s, Ed's Revellution Duster won five of seven finals. In 1980 he won
his third Indy in the Super Shops Funny Car. Joining Larry Minor's team
in 1983 he appeared in at least one national event final round every
year until his retirement from behind the wheel in 1993.