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: SHAKE AND BAKE – THE FLAMING FUNNY CARS
FEBRUARY – THE EARLY FOLLIES OF THE FUNNY CARS
Funny Cars have always been fun to watch but not always fun to own or drive. Fires were a big problem in the early days of the class. It wasn’t if you would have a fire in a Funny Car, but when would you have a fire in a Funny Car?
The harder the owners and drivers pushed their fiberglass-bodied warriors, the more often they’d be on fire. Ramchargers funny car driver Leroy “the Israeli Rocket” Goldstein had small plexiglass windows installed in the firewall of the Ramchargers funny car because, as he put it, he wanted to see the fire coming so he could hit the fire bottles before it got too big to put out. Funny Car fires really took a toll in 1972 and early 1973, with 18 cars burning to the ground. But still, the class would prosper and become more popular than ever across the USA.
1 – Barry “Machine Gun” Kelly lights up his Vega AA/FC at the finish line. Kelly would lose control of his flaming Vega and run into the back of the Shores and Phillips “Fireball” Vega, destroying both bodies. Kelly had some minor burns, and Tom Crevasse, the “Fireball” Vega driver, was not injured in the funny car mating.
At the end of his run, the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indy saw Ron Dudley driving the St. Moritz AA/FC explode the fuel tank. The car shed its burning body as Dudley tried to maintain control of the now bodiless Funny Far. After bouncing off the guard rail, Dudley stopped the wounded racecar. He escaped unscathed from the incident.
Again, at the 1987 NHRA US Nationals, Henry Phillips and his funny car became a rolling hibachi at the Indy finish line. Phillips rode the horrific fire out to the end of the track, where he was pulled out of the burning car by the NHRA safety crew. Henry received severe burns but recovered from the ordeal. He retired from funny car racing after his shake-and-bake experience.
1976 Pomona, Ca. Clint Miller was at the controls of the Mountain Monza AA/FC when it exploded an engine at the finish line. Miller rode out the burning Monza well into the shutdown area. He received serious burns and retired from Funny Car driving that long ago weekend.
1973 Tulsa, Oklahoma Cogo Eads had one of the worst Funny Car fires I ever saw in his “Boss’s Cuda” AA/FC. Eads suffered minor burns, but it could have been worse if it wasn’t for the quick action of the safety crew at Tulsa. Eads would return to race again later in the year.
1972 West Salem, Ohio Shirley Muldowney’s all-new Buttera built AA/FC turned into an inferno, spoiling her second year of Funny Car racing. She rode the burning car out into the shutdown area and suffered burns on her hands and around her eyes. Undaunted, she returned to racing a few weeks later; she’s a tough lady.
1973 Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Flyin’ Hawaiian” Danny Ongais became the “Flaming Hawaiian” while driving the Vels/ Parnelli Jones AA/FC Cuda. Ongais stopped the car and climbed out, a bit toasty but uninjured. The body was totaled so a new Ford Mustang body would be used the following year.
1975 Ontario, Ca. Norm Wilcox drove Roland Leong’s Hawaiian Monza AA/FC when the car had a huge engine explosion. Wilcox and the burning Monza were stopped when it struck the wall at turn one at the speedway. The car was pretty much a total loss, but Wilcox wasn’t hurt in the fire or ensuing crash, and Roland would return with another Hawaiian AA/FC.
1983 Gainesville, Florida Dale Bartlett proved that funny cars can explode and catch fire anywhere on the race track. Here at Gainesville Dale has a bigtime boom with his “Iron Eagle” AA/FC, the car rolled down the entire racetrack on fire. NHRA fire crews chased Dale and his “hot” AA/FC and quickly put out the minor blaze. Bartlett and his AA/FC would return to action weeks after this explosion and fire.
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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.
Sign up for our newsletters and email list.
REYES ON TOUR: SHAKE AND BAKE – THE FLAMING FUNNY CARS
FEBRUARY – THE EARLY FOLLIES OF THE FUNNY CARS
Funny Cars have always been fun to watch but not always fun to own or drive. Fires were a big problem in the early days of the class. It wasn’t if you would have a fire in a Funny Car, but when would you have a fire in a Funny Car?
The harder the owners and drivers pushed their fiberglass-bodied warriors, the more often they’d be on fire. Ramchargers funny car driver Leroy “the Israeli Rocket” Goldstein had small plexiglass windows installed in the firewall of the Ramchargers funny car because, as he put it, he wanted to see the fire coming so he could hit the fire bottles before it got too big to put out. Funny Car fires really took a toll in 1972 and early 1973, with 18 cars burning to the ground. But still, the class would prosper and become more popular than ever across the USA.
1 – Barry “Machine Gun” Kelly lights up his Vega AA/FC at the finish line. Kelly would lose control of his flaming Vega and run into the back of the Shores and Phillips “Fireball” Vega, destroying both bodies. Kelly had some minor burns, and Tom Crevasse, the “Fireball” Vega driver, was not injured in the funny car mating.
At the end of his run, the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indy saw Ron Dudley driving the St. Moritz AA/FC explode the fuel tank. The car shed its burning body as Dudley tried to maintain control of the now bodiless Funny Far. After bouncing off the guard rail, Dudley stopped the wounded racecar. He escaped unscathed from the incident.
Again, at the 1987 NHRA US Nationals, Henry Phillips and his funny car became a rolling hibachi at the Indy finish line. Phillips rode the horrific fire out to the end of the track, where he was pulled out of the burning car by the NHRA safety crew. Henry received severe burns but recovered from the ordeal. He retired from funny car racing after his shake-and-bake experience.
1976 Pomona, Ca. Clint Miller was at the controls of the Mountain Monza AA/FC when it exploded an engine at the finish line. Miller rode out the burning Monza well into the shutdown area. He received serious burns and retired from Funny Car driving that long ago weekend.
1973 Tulsa, Oklahoma Cogo Eads had one of the worst Funny Car fires I ever saw in his “Boss’s Cuda” AA/FC. Eads suffered minor burns, but it could have been worse if it wasn’t for the quick action of the safety crew at Tulsa. Eads would return to race again later in the year.
1972 West Salem, Ohio Shirley Muldowney’s all-new Buttera built AA/FC turned into an inferno, spoiling her second year of Funny Car racing. She rode the burning car out into the shutdown area and suffered burns on her hands and around her eyes. Undaunted, she returned to racing a few weeks later; she’s a tough lady.
1973 Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Flyin’ Hawaiian” Danny Ongais became the “Flaming Hawaiian” while driving the Vels/ Parnelli Jones AA/FC Cuda. Ongais stopped the car and climbed out, a bit toasty but uninjured. The body was totaled so a new Ford Mustang body would be used the following year.
1975 Ontario, Ca. Norm Wilcox drove Roland Leong’s Hawaiian Monza AA/FC when the car had a huge engine explosion. Wilcox and the burning Monza were stopped when it struck the wall at turn one at the speedway. The car was pretty much a total loss, but Wilcox wasn’t hurt in the fire or ensuing crash, and Roland would return with another Hawaiian AA/FC.
1983 Gainesville, Florida Dale Bartlett proved that funny cars can explode and catch fire anywhere on the race track. Here at Gainesville Dale has a bigtime boom with his “Iron Eagle” AA/FC, the car rolled down the entire racetrack on fire. NHRA fire crews chased Dale and his “hot” AA/FC and quickly put out the minor blaze. Bartlett and his AA/FC would return to action weeks after this explosion and fire.
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