Competition Plus Team
Since our inception, we have been passionately dedicated to delivering the most accurate, timely, and compelling content in the world of drag racing. Our readers depend on us for the latest news, in-depth features, expert analysis, and exclusive interviews that connect you to the sport’s pulse.
REYES ON TOUR: INVASION OF THE CHEVROLET VEGA — PART 1
From 1970 to 1977, Funny Car owners seemed to have a love affair with the Chevrolet Vega body style. To be honest, I lost count of the number of Funny Cars that switched to a Vega during that time.
The body style made inroads in both the nitro and alcohol Funny Car classes. It sure was great PR for the folks at Chevrolet, and the Vega became a very popular sight in Funny Car racing during that era.
Some of the first Vega Funny Cars I photographed included Guzman and Dekker’s “Assassination” out of the Denver area around 1970. Then there was the Southern California team of Richard Bays and Frank Rupert with their “Black Plague,” which I saw in late 1970 or early 1971.
Then the onslaught began.
There was Kosty Ivanof and his “Boston Shaker,” Bergler and Prock, Bobby Wood, Lil John Lombardo, Holt and Mahaffey’s “Alabamian,” the CKC team, Pisano and Matsubara, Braskett and Burgin, Mickey Thompson and, of course, “Jungle Jim” Liberman.
And that’s my very short list of Vega owners who stood out between 1970 and 1977.
In that bygone era, I got to photograph a wonderland of Chevrolet Vega Funny Cars, and I still have the images to delight all you Funny Car fans who remember those great old days of drag racing.
Here’s Part 1 of my top 25 Vega-bodied Funny Cars. I’m sorry if I missed your favorite, but if you’d like to see a second collection of Vegas somewhere down the road, just let me know.
I have the photos.
GUZMAN & DEKKER – I saw the Guzman and Dekker “Assassination” Vega at Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1970. It was the first Vega I had photographed in drag racing. The team had sold its Corvair-bodied Funny Car to the Southern Bros. and built this all-new Vega for 1970.
RICHARD BAYS AND FRANK RUPERT – The Southern California Top Fuel team of Richard Bays and Frank Rupert joined forces, left the Top Fuel wars and entered the SoCal Funny Car wars with a Vega in late 1970 or early 1971.
Rupert was no stranger to Funny Cars since he had driven Don Cook’s Corvette Funny Car in 1970.
BOBBY WOOD – Out of the Southeast came Bobby Wood and his Vega in 1971. Wood replaced his “Palomino” Chevrolet Chevelle Funny Car with this all-new, bright and shiny Vega Funny Car.
Bobby was a fan favorite on the Funny Car match-race tour throughout the USA.
LIL JOHN LOMBARDO – One of the more colorful Funny Car owner/drivers in SoCal was Lil John Lombardo. Lombardo had moved up from the AA/GS class into the world of Funny Cars in the late 1960s.
Before his venture with a Vega Funny Car, he had already raced Challenger- and Camaro-bodied Funny Cars. But it seemed like the Vega suited him, and he proved it could be a winner.
NO. 5 — KOSTY IVANOF – East Coast-based Kosty Ivanof went Funny Car racing with his “Boston Shaker” Vega in the early 1970s. Kosty was a touring pro, and you could find either him or the very capable Al Segrini in the driver’s seat of the green AA/FC Vega.
Kosty continued racing a Vega until Chevrolet discontinued the body style. He then switched to a Corvette-bodied Funny Car.
PISANO & MATSUBARA – The team of Joe Pisano and Sush Matsubara had destroyed their Camaro AA/FC at Ontario, California, at the end of 1970. So, when it was time for the team to rebuild, their choice was a Vega-bodied AA/FC.
Their Vega was a big fan favorite in SoCal and became a Revell-sponsored AA/FC in 1973.
CKC – Based in the great state of Texas was the racing team of J.E. Kristek and Fritz Callier. They would forgo both a Chevrolet Nova and Chevrolet Camaro for the Vega style on their AA/FC in 1971.
If you wonder why the team was CKC instead of just CK, the other partner, Buddy Cortines, dropped out at the last minute. The car had already been painted, so CKC stuck as the team name.
BRASKETT & BURGIN – Dave Braskett and Gary Burgin left the AA/GS class to first race a Camaro Funny Car in 1971. It was a show-and-go piece that really stood out wherever the team raced.
But in 1972, the duo went with a very slick Vega-bodied Funny Car, and it, too, was a rolling showpiece for the rabid SoCal Funny Car fans to admire.
RADICI & WISE – The St. Louis-based team of Paul “Wrong Way” Radici and Dave Wise first toured with a Camaro AA/FC, but not for long. The team switched to a beautiful Vega AA/FC for 1972.
Sponsored by Dave Wise’s Speed Shop, they would also traverse the USA racing at major NHRA and AHRA events.
RONNIE RUNYAN – I first saw Ronnie Runyan driving his “Blue Hell” Corvette Funny Car in 1967. Ronnie and his brother Mike then went with a Corvair-bodied “Blue Hell.”
In 1971, Ronnie and Mike toured with a Vega-bodied AA/FC that was now based in the Midwest after their former digs in SoCal.
“240” GORDIE BONIN – “240” Gordie Bonin saw seat time in the Pacemaker Vega AA/FC on and off throughout the 1970s. I could never tell when Bonin would show up in either the Pacemaker Vega or Roland Leong’s “Hawaiian” AA/FC.
Of course, “240” Gordie did well in both of his rides during that era. He also dabbled a bit driving a Top Fuel dragster in the 1980s.
BARRY SETZER – When North Carolina millionaire Barry Setzer went Funny Car racing in 1971, he did it with a beautiful candy-red Vega driven by Kelly “The Controller” Brown.
Since his job didn’t allow Brown to tour, the very able Pat Foster took over the driving chores of the candy-red Vega in 1972. The team of Setzer and Foster terrorized the Funny Car class in 1972 and 1973.
HOLT & MAHAFFEY – In 1971, veteran AA/GS racer Billy Holt teamed with Wayne Mahaffey in the AA/FC “Alabamian” Vega. The team raced the Vega all over the Southeast that season.
In 1972, they debuted an all-new rear-engine Vega panel, but with not-so-good results. The new Vega crashed badly on its first full outing, putting Mahaffey in the hospital and ending the racing careers of both Holt and Mahaffey.
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Competition Plus Team
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REYES ON TOUR: INVASION OF THE CHEVROLET VEGA — PART 1
From 1970 to 1977, Funny Car owners seemed to have a love affair with the Chevrolet Vega body style. To be honest, I lost count of the number of Funny Cars that switched to a Vega during that time.
The body style made inroads in both the nitro and alcohol Funny Car classes. It sure was great PR for the folks at Chevrolet, and the Vega became a very popular sight in Funny Car racing during that era.
Some of the first Vega Funny Cars I photographed included Guzman and Dekker’s “Assassination” out of the Denver area around 1970. Then there was the Southern California team of Richard Bays and Frank Rupert with their “Black Plague,” which I saw in late 1970 or early 1971.
Then the onslaught began.
There was Kosty Ivanof and his “Boston Shaker,” Bergler and Prock, Bobby Wood, Lil John Lombardo, Holt and Mahaffey’s “Alabamian,” the CKC team, Pisano and Matsubara, Braskett and Burgin, Mickey Thompson and, of course, “Jungle Jim” Liberman.
And that’s my very short list of Vega owners who stood out between 1970 and 1977.
In that bygone era, I got to photograph a wonderland of Chevrolet Vega Funny Cars, and I still have the images to delight all you Funny Car fans who remember those great old days of drag racing.
Here’s Part 1 of my top 25 Vega-bodied Funny Cars. I’m sorry if I missed your favorite, but if you’d like to see a second collection of Vegas somewhere down the road, just let me know.
I have the photos.
GUZMAN & DEKKER – I saw the Guzman and Dekker “Assassination” Vega at Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1970. It was the first Vega I had photographed in drag racing. The team had sold its Corvair-bodied Funny Car to the Southern Bros. and built this all-new Vega for 1970.
RICHARD BAYS AND FRANK RUPERT – The Southern California Top Fuel team of Richard Bays and Frank Rupert joined forces, left the Top Fuel wars and entered the SoCal Funny Car wars with a Vega in late 1970 or early 1971.
Rupert was no stranger to Funny Cars since he had driven Don Cook’s Corvette Funny Car in 1970.
BOBBY WOOD – Out of the Southeast came Bobby Wood and his Vega in 1971. Wood replaced his “Palomino” Chevrolet Chevelle Funny Car with this all-new, bright and shiny Vega Funny Car.
Bobby was a fan favorite on the Funny Car match-race tour throughout the USA.
LIL JOHN LOMBARDO – One of the more colorful Funny Car owner/drivers in SoCal was Lil John Lombardo. Lombardo had moved up from the AA/GS class into the world of Funny Cars in the late 1960s.
Before his venture with a Vega Funny Car, he had already raced Challenger- and Camaro-bodied Funny Cars. But it seemed like the Vega suited him, and he proved it could be a winner.
NO. 5 — KOSTY IVANOF – East Coast-based Kosty Ivanof went Funny Car racing with his “Boston Shaker” Vega in the early 1970s. Kosty was a touring pro, and you could find either him or the very capable Al Segrini in the driver’s seat of the green AA/FC Vega.
Kosty continued racing a Vega until Chevrolet discontinued the body style. He then switched to a Corvette-bodied Funny Car.
PISANO & MATSUBARA – The team of Joe Pisano and Sush Matsubara had destroyed their Camaro AA/FC at Ontario, California, at the end of 1970. So, when it was time for the team to rebuild, their choice was a Vega-bodied AA/FC.
Their Vega was a big fan favorite in SoCal and became a Revell-sponsored AA/FC in 1973.
CKC – Based in the great state of Texas was the racing team of J.E. Kristek and Fritz Callier. They would forgo both a Chevrolet Nova and Chevrolet Camaro for the Vega style on their AA/FC in 1971.
If you wonder why the team was CKC instead of just CK, the other partner, Buddy Cortines, dropped out at the last minute. The car had already been painted, so CKC stuck as the team name.
BRASKETT & BURGIN – Dave Braskett and Gary Burgin left the AA/GS class to first race a Camaro Funny Car in 1971. It was a show-and-go piece that really stood out wherever the team raced.
But in 1972, the duo went with a very slick Vega-bodied Funny Car, and it, too, was a rolling showpiece for the rabid SoCal Funny Car fans to admire.
RADICI & WISE – The St. Louis-based team of Paul “Wrong Way” Radici and Dave Wise first toured with a Camaro AA/FC, but not for long. The team switched to a beautiful Vega AA/FC for 1972.
Sponsored by Dave Wise’s Speed Shop, they would also traverse the USA racing at major NHRA and AHRA events.
RONNIE RUNYAN – I first saw Ronnie Runyan driving his “Blue Hell” Corvette Funny Car in 1967. Ronnie and his brother Mike then went with a Corvair-bodied “Blue Hell.”
In 1971, Ronnie and Mike toured with a Vega-bodied AA/FC that was now based in the Midwest after their former digs in SoCal.
“240” GORDIE BONIN – “240” Gordie Bonin saw seat time in the Pacemaker Vega AA/FC on and off throughout the 1970s. I could never tell when Bonin would show up in either the Pacemaker Vega or Roland Leong’s “Hawaiian” AA/FC.
Of course, “240” Gordie did well in both of his rides during that era. He also dabbled a bit driving a Top Fuel dragster in the 1980s.
BARRY SETZER – When North Carolina millionaire Barry Setzer went Funny Car racing in 1971, he did it with a beautiful candy-red Vega driven by Kelly “The Controller” Brown.
Since his job didn’t allow Brown to tour, the very able Pat Foster took over the driving chores of the candy-red Vega in 1972. The team of Setzer and Foster terrorized the Funny Car class in 1972 and 1973.
HOLT & MAHAFFEY – In 1971, veteran AA/GS racer Billy Holt teamed with Wayne Mahaffey in the AA/FC “Alabamian” Vega. The team raced the Vega all over the Southeast that season.
In 1972, they debuted an all-new rear-engine Vega panel, but with not-so-good results. The new Vega crashed badly on its first full outing, putting Mahaffey in the hospital and ending the racing careers of both Holt and Mahaffey.
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REYES ON TOUR: INVASION OF THE CHEVROLET VEGA — PART 1
From 1970 to 1977, Funny Car owners seemed to have a love affair with the Chevrolet Vega body style. To be honest, I lost count