Fuel Altered Files, Part 3

Text by Danny White

This was the great Leroy Chadderton’s last hurrah in altered before going on to drive funny cars. This low-slung altered was built in late 1970 by Glen Okasaki and Chadderton to replace the aging Magnificent 7 machine. The J&M Speed Center backed car would be the template for many altereds to come into the seventies from AA/FA’s to Competition Altered to bracket racing. The team also varied from the other altered teams by using the 426 Chrysler Hemi instead of the 392 Chrysler Hemi.  In 1971 the car set history with the first legit six-second times by an AA/FA at Lions Drag Strip. Chadderton ran a best of 6.77 at 201.34 and toured with the final US Altered Tour with the car. In 1972, Chadderton left the altered to drive the Hawaiian for Roland Leong. The altered was sold to the Boudakian Bros who later raced the car as an AA/A in Pro Comp. (L&M Photo Courtesy of Bob Plumer/Drag Race Memories)

The Di Meglio Bros & Young "Different Drummer" was one of the members of the Carl Stone operated Texas Roadster Association. The Different Drummer was unique because of its independent front suspension like the Rat Trap. The car was driven by Tony De Meglio, tuned by Richard De Meglio, and co-owned by J.T. Young.  According to famed altered driver Rod Hynes, the Different Drummer crashed at the Fuel Altered Nationals at Tucson. Tony De Meglio suffered only minor injuries in the 392 Chrysler powered Different Drummer.  (Photo by Hector Leal and www.roddingandracing.com )

No one can argue that Graeme Cowin is an Australian drag racing legend. Cowin rose to fame in a small block Chevy AA/A that he raced with his girlfriend, who is now his wife.  In 1972 the pair stepped up to the AA/FA class with the Psycho III 23 Ford Model T altered. Cowin raced the car across Australia for the next three years, becoming the quickest and fastest AA/FA outside of the United States. The 392 Chrysler Hemi powered machine ran a best of 7.111 at 200.44 at Castlereagh in 1974. Cowin sold the car to join the funny car ranks and later ran Top Fuel. As of 2009, Cowin is building a replica of the Psycho III. (Photo by Steve Thomas and www.visualvelocity.net/)   

New Yorker Dick Decker began racing this Hemi powered altered as an AA/A in the Pro Comp class. Like other racers, the draw of racing altereds drew him west to Arizona. The Fiat bodied car ran sevens while racing in Division One Pro Comp action and a 7.66 at 199 while running as an AA/FA at Tucson according to Rod Hynes. Decker switched to racing funny cars to end his drag racing career. (Photo by Big Bob Snyder)

Sue Coles was one of several racers in England who joined the short lived “limited” AA/FA revival of the mid-eighties.  The idea was to race altereds with a 50/50 mixture of nitro and alcohol. The Hellzapoppin altered of Dave and Sue Coles was a former Comp Eliminator car that stepped up to run a load of nitro.  The altered was unique because it was covered by a canopy and driven Sue.  The known best for the car was 7.84 at 154 in 1987 at Santa Pod. As of 2007, the car was said to be on the Isle of Mann.  (Photo by Alan Currans and www.theaccelerationarchive.co.uk )

Australia was and is still a hot bed of altered racing. In the 1970s, the AA/FA class took off only to be replaced by the funny car class. The AA/FA class was dormant in the Land Down Under until two funny car racers mounted altered bodies on their funny car chassis for a match race in Adelaide. The racers were Jim Carter and Geoff Pratt, both from Victoria. Carter had raced in the Pro Comp class with a Mustang II funny car body or a Fiat Topolino in the early eighties. When it came time to run the match race, Jim dusted off his Fiat body and updated it with a Jungle Jim paint job. Pratt mounted a 23 Ford T body on his Blue Thunder funny car chassis.  Jungle Jim Carter took the win with a 7.53, 169.97 to Pratt’s 9.02, 164.03. (Photo by David Cook)

The Crossways Dale Emery Chrysler Hemi powered 23 Ford of the Cross Brothers and Meyer met an unfortunate end at match race at San Antonio in 2004. Driver Clint Cross escaped injury in the fire but the car burned to the ground. The car had a history as it was built and raced in 1977 by Dennis Piranio with much success as the Performance Engines BB/FC in NHRA Division Four and All American Funny Car Circuit. The Cross Brothers rebuilt the car as an altered and became a charter member of the Outlaw Fuel Altered Association. Cross ran a best of 4.42 at 153.56 in the eighth mile and 7.11 in the quarter mile on alcohol. The team switched over to nitro but never fully got the car to run before the fire. The Cross and Meyer have since built a new car. (Photo by Chris Graves and www.maxcacklephotos.com)   

Donna Chalk is one of a handful of women who have driven an AA/FA. The Chalk Racing American Graffiti 23 Model T is also one of quickest ever in the eighth mile with a great 3.69 run at Pine Valley Raceway near Lufkin, Texas, in 2004. The Chalks left the wild and wooly world of boat drag racing for the safer confines of racing on terra firma. The team built the American Graffiti AA/FA to run with the Outlaw Fuel Altered Association, achieving mixed results. The team also ran the American Dream AA/FA with Scott Essmeier aboard with better results. The Chalks left AA/FA racing after the 2005 season.  (Photo by Chris Graves and www.maxcacklephotos.com)   

Greg Daebelliehn has been racing fuel altereds as long as anybody in drag racing with the Fast N’ Forty Fiat from California. Daebelliehn mounted the former Red Baron AA/FA body on his funny car chassis as early as 1996. The Fast N’ Forty transformer has run known best times of 5.75 at 245. Greg is a threat to win anytime he runs at tracks like Boise and Tucson. (Photo by Pete Gemar and MoreBetter Pics)  

Lisa Coil, the wife of Austin Coil, is the latest to drive Tom Motry’s Drastic Plastic Anglia AA/FA out of Illinois. Coil earned her Top Fuel license in the 90s at the wheel of Paul Smith’s dragster. She got the AA/FA license in 2008. Lisa has run a best of 5.70 in the bright yellow machine. Motry has used several drivers: Wayne Minick, Rick Kraft, Tim Cullinan, Shawn Umphries, and Tom himself have continued the legacy of the Drastic Plastic machines. (Photo by Thomas Nagy)