British AA/Fuel Altereds, Part II: 1981-1990

By Danny White
Photos by Alan Currans

The Demag Hounddog (Alan Currans Photo)

In British drag racing, the fuel altered was no more by the late 1970s. The class had been dropped and morphed into the new Pro Comp class in 1975. The kicker, like in the United States, was that nitro was outlawed in the class -- only alcohol was acceptable. There have been several Pro Comp altereds since 1975; the best of the bunch was Dave Page in the "Panic". One might have thought they had seen the last real AA/FA in England… they would be wrong.

The "Hounddog" team had raced several classes in England including Top Fuel and AA/FC. Nobby Hills, a free sprit, threw the lawmakers for a loop. He had a 23 Ford T body mounted on his funny car frame and went Top Fuel racing in 1981. There were no rules outlawing it so he was welcomed with open arms. This was unlike Richard Langson’s 1986 foray into Top Fuel with is AA/FA, a move which promptly got the AA/FA’s kicked out of T/F by 1987. Hills’ car was not a major threat to win in Top Fuel, but the was very popular. The car broke into the high sixes with drivers Owen Hayward and Alan Bates. The team performed some of the most hellacious fire burnouts seen in drag racing. The Phoenix had risen!

In the mid 80’s, racer Charlie Draper wanted to race fuel but did not have a ton of money to do it. He came up with a good idea -- have altereds run 50% loads of nitro with small blowers and small fuel pumps. This would make a seven-second show. Several cars were built and some were converted from lower classes. Gary Willy was one who built an AA/FA expressly for this class. The "Eliminator" Fiat was a "transformer" (also seen with a Trans Am body for AA/FC racing). The Willy & Lister owned Fiat with Keith Black Hemi for power ran seven second times.

Sue Coles' Helzapoppin Alan Currans Photo)

Sue Coles had been racing altereds in Comp eliminator for several years before she stepped up. She became the first women AA/FA pilot when she added low doses of nitro to the "Hellzapoppin" machine. The unique canopied 23-T used a big block Chevy to run high sevens before Cole retired.

Not to be outdone by the Coles, a second female entered the AA/FA ranks. Leslie Prior had some funny car experience in a family owned AA/FC. The team, led by tuner and father, Dave Prior, switched the aging funny car body to a 23-T for match racing. The team ran little if any nitro in the Milodon powered altered. The car ran sevens before some parts were stolen from the team. The team parked the car and later sold it.

Bob Clayton's Well Mental (Alan Currans Photo)

Another racer who stepped up from Comp was Bob Clayton. The aptly named "Well Mental" used a 392 Chrysler for power and unique 29 Ford body. The car ran low 8’s before the end of the ‘80s.

Yet another racer who decided to run the yellow stuff was Vic Hammond. Hammond had raced Comp and Pro Comp for years with the "Mr. Big" and "Cockney Rebel" machines. The car was equipped with a Donovan Hemi and could run sevens both on fuel and on alcohol. The car was sold to Mickey Moore who took the car back to Pro Comp.

The man who came up with the idea of limited AA/FA’s, Bob Draper, fielded a car called the "Reckless Rat" with his brother. The Draper Bros. car was a transformer using Trans Am body when not racing AA/FA. The seven-second car was entertaining.

The best of the limited AA/FAs had to be Bob Turner’s "Straight Shooter " 23 Ford T. He got the car to run mid seven’s at booming 220 mile per hour speeds.

Vic Hammond's Cockney Rebel Alan Currans Photo)

The most famous AA/FA since the "Tee Rat" debuted in 1988. Clive Mechaell built the "California Kid" 23 Model T with a Keith Black Hemi. He also decided not to run with a limited nitro percentage, but to tip the can. He raced against AA/FCs in match races, winning some and losing some. Mechaell also debuted a new body, a 34 Ford Coupe, to go along with a Corvette body when running in AA/FC. But the black 23T was the most popular body of the three both with fans and with Clive it seems. In a race against the Draper Bros. funny car, Clive ran an amazing 6.20 to become the fastest British Fuel Altered ever. The 6.20 still stands today is the quickest in England. Mechaell ran the car through the nineties, then parked it, ending the second AA/FA era in English drag racing.

Danny White