70s Funny Cars: Round 43

Text by Danny White

Dave Pinta's Chicago based Falcon was one of the last Match Bash funny cars to race in the nitro funny car wars. Pinta built the steel bodied Ford in 1967 to replace the world's fastest Ranchero. An injected Ford wedge powered the car at first, but was replaced by a 392 Chrysler in 1968. Dave raced the car in Midwest and Northeast match race action. He ran a known best of 8.63 at 163.60 with the little Falcon. Pinta parked the car at the end of the 1970 season; by then the little car was outdated by several years. (Photo courtesy of Big Bob Snyder; info from Dennis Doubleday and Draglist.com files)

The Inferno Chevrolet Nova has caused confusion to drag racing historians with reports of several different drivers, but information on the beauty is becoming clearer. Carol Gellner of Gellner Engineering has confirmed that gasser legend and engine builder Sam Gellner and Don Kuhar both drove the rat powered machine. The Cleveland, Ohio, based car ran an 8.20 at 182.18 in 1969, but was raced into the 1970 season. (Photo courtesy of Big Bob Snyder; info from Dennis Doubleday, Ted Pappacena, Carol Gellner, and Draglist.com files)

Paul Stefansky ran this version of the Super Stang from 1969 into the 1971 season. Logghe built the chassis with a Doug Nash prepped 427 SOHC for power. Famed painter Shedlick painted the Mustang body in a variety of colors that made the car stand out. Stefansky ran a good 7.31 with the Mustang in 1969 with a 205 MPH clocking in 1970. Paul ran tons of match races with the car before replacing it with a new and final version of the Super Stang in late 1971. (Photo courtesy of Big Bob Snyder; info from Dennis Doubleday, Bob Duke, and Draglist.com files)

Mike Lycar was one of the several Canadian based funny car racers in the seventies. Lycar did not stray too far from the great Northwest, but he did race at the Manufacturer's Race at OCIR. Mike was a low budget racer who raced second-hand race cars, this one being the famed Whipple & McCullough Cuda. Lycar raced this car for a short time in 1972 before replacing it with the more up to date Automatic Radio Vega of Ron Hodgson. Mike ran that Vega through 1974 before retiring. (Photo courtesy of Big Bob Snyder; info from Draglist.com files)

Ed Bowen was the driver of this forgotten funny car out of Colorado. The Tradewinds Racing Team Vega was based out of Denver. The car was built in 1972 to race one of many race tracks that surrounded Denver at the time, like Bandimere, Century 21, Continental Divide, and Denver International (a track known by many other names as well). The Vega was powered by a 392 Chrysler Hemi and raced against the tough Colorado funny car teams and state’s thin air. Ed Bowen and Rob Williams drove the Tradewinds machine in the seventies. (Photo courtesy of Big Bob Snyder; info from Dennis Doubleday and Draglist.com files)

Vern Hicks is a Southern California Gasser legend who also was known to tip the nitro can in his 392 Chrysler Hemi in order to run the area’s many funny car races. Hicks did this with his last two gassers, which were essentially funny cars built to the Open Gas Supercharged Gasser rules. The West Coast Gambler Cuda was short by nitro funny cars, and Hicks raced the car in the big funny car events such as the Manufacturer's Race without the same success he enjoyed while facing Gassers. (Photo courtesy of Bob Plumer and Drag Race Memories; info from Dennis Doubleday, Bob Duke, and Draglist.com files)

Harry and Bob Sheffler raced several different classes in drag racing, including blown gassers, fuel altereds, and this Vega funny car. The Pennsylvania based team built the Vega in 1973. A 426 Chrysler Hemi powered the car deep into the six-second range. Harry did the driving and Bob did the tuning. The brothers ran the famous Brougher’s Speed Shop banner on this Vega, and on their BB/GS Willys Gasser and AA/FA Fiat. The team ran the car until the mid-seventies before retiring. (Photo courtesy of Thomas Nagy; info from Draglist.com files)

Dennis Lockaby was one of the Southeast's toughest funny car racers in the Witches Brew Satellite. Lockaby ran the car in NHRA Division 2 races, IHRA, and match races. Dennis vied with Paul Smith and Shirl Greer for the title of Southeast’s best fuel funny car racer. The Hemi powered Plymouth hit mid sixes before being replaced with a new Mustang II that was one of the first cars in the Southeast to find the five second zone. Lockaby retired from racing in the late seventies before a short-lived return to racing in 1984 in an old Don Prudhomme funny car. (Photo courtesy of Thomas Nagy; info from Draglist.com files)

Al Herring ran a series of low-buck nitro funny cars from the late seventies into the nineties. This Vega was Herring's first funny car, shot at Union Grove on a rare trip away from his Florida base. Al was never a threat to set low ET or top speed, but he completed most of his runs, which pleased track owners. Herring’s consistency ensured that his trademark black machines were booked regularly. (Photo courtesy of Mike Sopko and www.quartermileclassics.com ; info from Draglist.com files)

This is a rare shot of a seldom run fuel funny car out of Arizona. Dick Decker began running this chassis as a blown alcohol Fiat Topolino AA/Altered out of New York. Decker moved west to Arizona with the Fiat in tow. Dick tipped the can and started racing the 392 Chrysler Hemi powered machine in the West Coast Fuel Altereds wars. Like many other fuel altered racers, Decker added a funny car body. Dick ran this full size Ed Willis bodied Charger at the 1979 AHRA Winternationals in Tucson. Not much more is known about the “Tricky Dick Decker” Charger because it ran so infrequently. (Photo courtesy of Big Bob Snyder; info from Draglist.com files)