Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Here's where we go to kick back after the races with our pals. Pour a tall one, punch a few buttons on the jukebox, and relax...
User avatar
WildcatOne
Posts:6732
Joined:Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:17 am
Location:Houston, Texas
Contact:
Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Mon Oct 20, 2014 10:55 pm

Thanks, Wheelz! Peter is a world-class racer. Glad I was able to feature him.

Major congratulations are in order for our friend and former Racer of the Week, Rich Panicaro from Trenton, New Jersey. This weekend, Rich runner-upped at the 10k Footbrake Race at Maple Grove. Great going, Rich! That is an awesome day for a drag racer to have, and I have no doubt that you will be right there again next time.

My pick for Racer of the Week is Jenny Wilson from Milan, Illinois. Jenny is a member of one of the most popular, successful and respected drag racing families in the Quad Cities area, the Wilson Family Racing Team. Her 1989 Camaro RS is a major competitor in the Super ET class and she has had considerable success running this car. Last year I featured her brother Jay Wilson and the whole family as Racer of the Week, and this time it's Jenny's turn to have the spotlight. I've been in touch with Jenny over the last month or so, and here is what she sent to me for tonight's information:

My dad and uncle started racing in 76. I was 4 yrs old and every weekend in summer they would drag me and my cousins out to the track. We were track brats. I started racing myself in 1996 in the street class. I got rookie of the year for my first season. My home track is Cordova drag way park in Illinois. I also raced Byron dragway in illinois. Where I placed 2nd place in 2002 and 3rd place in 2005 overall in street class. I bought a new 1989 camaro rs and moved to super et class at Cordova and pro class at Byron. In 2008 overall points at Byron I placed 2nd. 2011 I won the Illinois state championship at Cordova. With the help of my dad and my brother Jay, Auto Rons and Terry Coleman we built my 350 Chevy and got it running in the 11s. My best time is 11.54 at 117mph. I love racing with my family and we have 3 generations racing together right now. My father Jim wilson, my brother Jay, my cousin Jamie Rexroad and his son Douglas. I have enjoyed the last 38 yrs of hanging with my family and racing.

Jenny is a lifelong drag racer and she helps maintain the standards that her family established in the mid-70s. We wish her good luck, safe racing and best of times in the future.

The night I graduated from high school in June 1967, the whole class stayed out all night an partied. On my way home in my '65 Corvair Monza on Seawall Boulevard as the sun was coming up, I saw my friend J.D. sitting on the trunk of his GTO. I pulled up and hung out with him for a while. He had one of those portable battery-powered record players sitting next to him, and the album he was playing on it was one I'd never heard of before, a Los Angeles-based group called Love. The album cover was a hand-drawn collage of the members' heads mixed in with various nature-themed filler...it reminded me of the Beatles' Revolver but it was full-color. The music gripped me immediately. I heard elements of the Byrds, the Beatles, a Burt Bacharach and Hal David song, and music that didn't have a label yet but in another 10 years would be called Punk. Swirling, beautiful vocals and instruments mixed together to make this music truly extraordinary, and I stayed there with J.D. and listened to the whole album. It was a perfect end to a perfect night in my life.

The band, Love, was Arthur Lee, the mastermind of their music and direction, Bryan MacLean, the great musician and songwriter who was the perfect complement to Lee's insanity, whose vocals were often compared to Johnny Mathis on acid, and over the years, a rotating cast of incredibly talented and creative musicians. In late 1967, Love released the album that I'm focusing on in this segment. It was called "Forever Changes", and it was the first Love album I purchased myself when I was into serious record collecting in the early 1980s. The album is to be taken as a whole; detailing individual tracks in my opinion diminishes the overall impact of the statement. There is little to compare "Forever Changes" to. It stands alone as an unbelievable outpouring of pure feeling, synergy and a totally united consciousness. According to the sources I researched on this album, the entire 4-sided magnum opus was recorded in 64 hours as the band was breaking up, but althought the politics of their situation were concrete reasons and the standard ones that turn up when bands break up, the music, the vision, the execution of the material and the flow of the entire experience is beyond anything I've ever heard. It is, along with Pink Floyd's Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Sgt. Pepper by the Beatles, and the 13th
Floor Elevators' Easter Everywhere, a truly magnificent, cracked masterpiece, and it will never be approached as anything less. Arthur Lee went on to record and work as a solo artist after Love broke up, but Love made 10 studio albums, 5 live albums and 5 compilation albums outside of Lee's 6 solo efforts. His first album after leaving Love was called Vindicator and it featured Jimi Hendrix on guitar as well as several of rock's top guys on it.

I've never said this before, but this album served as one of the baseline templates for the Citykings' style and delivery. I saw it as the rock album that everybody should at least listen to, if not try to emulate.

Arthur Lee's life wasn't easy, as you might well surmise from these words. He lived to the extreme at all times. His last years were his most successful, and he toured and performed these albums right up until he got sick and couldn't carry on. We lost him in 2006, but his legacy as one of the most brilliant of creative minds in the history of rock 'n roll is immortalized in the recordings he left behind.

In an obituary of Lee in early 2007, Kandia Crazy Horse of Vibe Magazine wrote that Forever Changes (was) Arthur Lee's psychedelic masterpiece ... an exhilarating mash-up of West Side freak folk with East Side mariachi and blues. Lee out-jangles his heroes the Byrds on the immortal 'Alone Again Or' and aims his symphonic trigger dead at the Beatles on his greatest work, 'You Set the Scene.' In total, a glorious song cycle exploring the dark side of hippiedom."

If anybody is interested in getting their mind blown, find a copy of "Forever Changes" and sit back in awe. That's what I did and I still take a couple of hours from time to time to listen to it and be reminded that we're just passing through here, and if you want to, you can make every day, every hour, every minute, and every note count for something. Rest in peace, Arthur, and thanks.

Y'all be sure to tune in tomorrow evening at 7 PM Eastern on Racers Reunion Radio for Racing Through History. It's a Goat Rodeo you don't want to miss. Everybody Rock on. Thanks, I'll see y'all next week.
Attachments
Jenny_Wilson_Oct_20_2014_FB.jpg
Jenny_Wilson_Oct_20_2014_FB.jpg (487.81KiB)Viewed 1376 times
Life Is Good!
http://www.peeweebowenband.com
Support Live Music!

User avatar
WildcatOne
Posts:6732
Joined:Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:17 am
Location:Houston, Texas
Contact:

Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Mon Oct 27, 2014 9:34 pm

My pick for Racer of the Week is Don Phillips from Sydney, Nova Scotia. Don is a very dynamic and creative guy; he applies an artistic sense to his mechanical projects. Aside from rebuilding his tow truck and making it better-engineered and stronger than it was when it was new, Don also has a little drag racing car, a '96 Saturn named Tinkerbell that runs in Sportsman classes at the tracks in his region...Cape Breton Dragway and Prince Edward Raceway, with the ADRA in Atlantic Canada. Don has reaped many round wins with this 18-second bat out of hell. Here are some notes I acquired from Don's story which he keeps up to date online:

Where it all started was a blown engine on our VW Golf racecar that had me scrambling around looking for a cheap replacement. The Saturn's price was listed at $450 but when I went to the house to see it I found out that the woman's father was a good friend of mine from my coal mining days. After a long chat about her dad she shocked the heck out of me by telling me she would sell it to me for the paltry sum of $175. Worked for me....I took it home, there were a few minor things to do to it. The seat covers and floor mats had a Tinkerbell theme so my wife Marie immediately christened the car "Tinkerbell". At first all my racer pals got a kick out of a very large man racing a small and slow car named Tinkerbell but eventually enough of them lost to us during class eliminations or one of the many Gamblers Races we entered that first few events we went to that Tinkerbell became well known to the track announcers and every time we pulled up to the starting lane they always mentioned the name. It wasn't long before every little kid at the track had to come and see it. I was never fond of naming race cars but this time it was totally out of my control(Marie's fault).

We hit the track with the car the third week of July 2012 at Cape Breton Dragway with some lettering and a few decals. Had some teething problems with the alternator, wheel bearing and brakes but got them all straightened out by adding a trans-brake to it, I use a line-lock and have cut 00-lights since I put that system in it. Seemed logical that it would be easier to let go of a button than to lift my left foot off the brake pedal. Worked good but I had to watch my starting line RPM because the car crept through the beams a few times on me - a situation that we were to remedy in 2013 with an old Stock Eliminator trick. I also added a Thrush glasspack and took the wheels off of the VW and put them on Tinkerbell, also put a set of 8" X 22" Mickey Thompson slicks on it which should last forever since the tires don't spin...The #1 reason for the addition of a pair of slicks was to allow the car to stage "in the groove" at the local track which has a policy that any car with street tires must stage to one side of the groove. In gradually transitioning this former street cruiser into a drag race car that is towed to events, Don has won with this little car.

Don ended 2012 in 4th place in points. Winters are long and hard in Nova Scotia, and the car was stored during those months. When it came time to get the car ready for the 2013 season it took a couple of days worth of maintenance to get it ready to race again and Don had lost the "tune" the car's computer had remembered since the battery was flat and Don swore "Never again!!" so in the winter the car now sits on jackstands on the trailer in the field and gets warmed up, run through the gears and the brakes applied enough times to keep the brake rotors shiny. The transmission gets warmed up, all the fluids get circulated and he even turns the wheel back and forth with it in high gear to keep the axle joints and boots in good shape. A blown engine necessitated hauling the engine out of the parts car, another '96 Saturn project with a tube chassis and a small-block Chevy which will run Super Pro some day, and putting it in Tinkerbell.

All in all 2013 was a good year. Couple of wins in the Budweiser East Coast Practice Tree Nationals in February, runner-up to brother Spencer in a Box Gamblers race, an ADRA Class Win, 2nd in Cape Breton Dragway points, 5th in ADRA points, 2nd in the Team Race, a shelf full of trophies and almost $1500 in winnings.

2014 was a great year. Don finished 5th in points by October - Done for the year - Budget is all gone - Car has a weird bug - Truck and trailer performed flawlessly all year. Last year the car was great but the driver sucked - this year no serious driver errors but the car kept screwing up. I guess that's just racing.......Best part of the year was not losing even one round in the Sport Compact class and taking three out of the three events at Cape Breton Dragway.

2015 might possibly be the last year for little Tinkerbell in the slow classes. After a lot of email tag with the IHRA Tech dept Don finally got the car approved for the SS/GT class with a small block Chev under the hood. It will get either a 283/220 or 327/275 and a powerglide. Don Phillips, Racer of the Week. Good luck, safe racing and best of times next year, Don!

At this time I would like to ask for a moment of silence in honor of the great Jack Bruce.

There were, and still are some bass players that made bands better than they would have been without them, with my list going back to Willie Dixon in Muddy Waters' band, Bill Black with Elvis, Brian Wilson with the Beach Boys, The studio mastery of Carol Kaye, James Jamerson at Motown, Bernard Odum and Bootsy Collins with James Brown, Larry Graham with Sly Stone, Bill Wyman with the Stones, Felix Pappalardi with Mountain, John Entwistle of the Who, Tommy Shannon with Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Arcangels, Keith Ferguson with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Roger Glover with Deep Purple, Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones with Led Zeppelin, Les Claypool of Primus, Lynyrd Skynyrd's Leon Wilkerson, Mike Rutherford with Genesis, Sting, Don Was, John McVie, Rick Laird, Jaco Pastorius, Ron Carter, Tony Levin, Chris Squire and This Lizzy's Phil Lynott. I could go on for hours about how great these guys are and pointing out their major contributions to the music we all grew up with, identified with and even made love with. But of the whole crop of talented and gifted musicians that took on the challenge of providing a solid wall of sound beneath the melody, one man stands out above them all: Jack Bruce.

Jack was the absolute personification of the complete musician: songwriter, singer, virtuoso and performer. His work with Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton was just three years in an amazing career that spanned 6 decades, virtually every genre of classical and modern music, and he proved himself to be not only adept but downright incredible at everything he did. I held him in awe, as did all of my fellow musicians. As a bass player, I didn't imitate his playing style, I was more of a groove player and my embellishments to the arrangements that the band followed were minimal in order to preserve the song's structure without it falling apart...Jack was the best at playing "lead bass", but I did learn from him, McCartney and Sting how to sing and play bass, which I enjoyed probably more than anything for a good 10-plus years before I morphed into Johnny B. But Jack Bruce took bass playing and singing to an entirely new realm...he matched EC's leads note-for-note and then some, and his vocal range, power and passion was in a class with the greatest rock and roll singers of all time. Nobody could sing jazz, blues and opera at the same time except Jack, and his songs were
anthems of our generation. I saw Cream perform on their farewell tour in 1968, and I was on his side of the stage. While EC and Ginger played fantastically, Jack totally knocked everybody out with his stage presence, playing and singing. It was like he was levitating above the stage from start to finish 2 1/2 hours later. I have never seen anybody do what he did, before or since. He was in a class by himself.

After Cream and a solo ablum or two, West, Bruce and Laing were a supergroup that outlasted Blind Faith by a mile...the 3 members were formerly produced by and collaborated with Felix Pappalardi, who played bass for Mountain and wrote and produced songs for both Cream and Mountain...I liked that band, but my personal favorite period of his career was the 3 albums he made with Robin Trower and Corky Laing in the mid-80s...when most of the other recording artists had gone New Wave, depped-up their hairdos and played chug-along riffs to offset the eccentric lyrics and quirky vocals, BLT showed up out of nowhere blasting out molten lava rock and roll and Blues and there were those unreal vocals slamming you in the gut along with Trower's electrified funk. GREAT band...I kept their records on my turntable during my hard years. They helped me put things in their proper perspective. He also had his own band, and the music they made was pure Bruce; an intricately woven mix of blues, rock and jazz that sounded like a symphonic orchestra was playing it. Those were his standards, and as a one-man conglomerate of dynamics and originality, he again stood out as one of a handful of musical geniuses still doing it full-speed. In my opinion, Jack Bruce was a member of a small fraternity that consisted of him, Todd Rundgren, Paul McCartney, Edgar Winter, David Bowie, and later Billy Corgan. These are artists who changed the world, but it was Jack Bruce who had a special talent for cutting through the BS and getting straight to the heart of the subject while he was at it.

We were fortunate to have had Jack with us all these years. I just hope the generations of the future will recognize his incredible talent and contribution to popular music. I know I wouldn't be the same if he hadn't been there singing to me when I was looking for something in life. Rest in peace, Jack. You were the best.

Y'all be sure to tune in tomorrow evening at 7 PM Eastern for Racing Through History on Racers Reunion Radio. It's a Goat Rodeo you don't want to miss. Everybody Rock On. Thanks, I'll see y'all next week.
Attachments
Don_Phillips_Oct_27_2014.jpg
Don_Phillips_Oct_27_2014.jpg (90.62KiB)Viewed 1360 times
Life Is Good!
http://www.peeweebowenband.com
Support Live Music!

User avatar
WildcatOne
Posts:6732
Joined:Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:17 am
Location:Houston, Texas
Contact:

Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Mon Nov 03, 2014 10:20 pm

I'd like to send out a quick congratulations to former Racer of the Week Ashley Sanford, who made it to the semis in Top Alcohol Dragster last weekend at Vegas. Johnny Ahten won the round and made it to the final but Ashley made a great impression on the world of Drag Racing last weekend, at her sponsor's home town. Way to go, Ashley, and best of luck at Pomona in a couple of weeks!

My pick for Racer of the Week is Aaron Koehler, from Illinois City, Illinois. Aaron's story is as much about family as it is about drag racing, but it's in his blood and this is his tribute to his drag racing family. The Koehlers have been going to Cordova since the 90s, with JJ overseeing the Koehler Boys and their racing. Aaron's Mom Barb Koehler is also a known fixture at Cordova working the front gates.

The cars I'm talking about are James' 1991 Grand Prix , the 1992 Cavalier that Jenne had , JJ's 1966 lemans , and Aaron's 2000 Mustang.

Aaron starting his racing career at the age of 16 . Aaron's first race was at the battle of the high schools , and in his first race he went 4 rounds. He also could be found racing Friday nights in the high school class, taking home wins and having final round appearances. In 2001 Aaron started a High School Drag Racing team for Rock Ridge High school. When not racing he was helping other kids learn the basics of drag racing and helping their school become a contender . With Aaron's help Rock Ridge high school won 4 team spirit awards in a row , and 4 DB drags in a row. Aaron, along with James after high school continued racing at Cordova Dragway Park, collecting many round wins . In 2010 while on leave from deployment Aaron, racing his dad's mini van took home the gambler win 2 days before his birthday. After he returned home Aaron could be seen again racing at Cordova. One of his greatest races was against the man who won world series in 2011 and former Racer of the Week Mark Rosenbohm. Aaron with his trusty v6 Mustang took home the win on a hole shot, taking the win by .003. After Aaron moved to St. Louis he continued to race at Gateway where in his 2nd race he won gambler and runner upped in the trophy class, and on his third visit took home the trophy class win.
Although James and Aaron don't race as much as some folks do, they are still tough competitors no matter where they go.

Aaron's brother James starting racing in the TCR racing category in 2002, where he took second place in the championship hunt. James after turning 16 was a familiar face on Friday nights at Cordova, racing the high school class and taking home several wins. in 2005 with only 4 cars racing for Rock Ridge high school , james won the battle of the high schools in a run off, propelling Rock Ridge to their only team championship. With that win he was invited to race at the IHRA bracket finals where during that time went to the finals but lost in a close race. In 2008 James decided to try his luck running points in True Street. With the help of Dad JJ and Aaron, he finished 2nd in points and was awarded the most improved driver award. James has many final round appearances under his belt, and that is well known at the event called BOP where in 2009 he went to the finals in BOP slicks , BOP street tire and FWD. taking home the win in BOP street tire and FWD.

Aaron's Dad JJ starting racing in 1992 and proceeded to work as an announcer in 1994. He was then promoted to Race Director until 2014. During that time he ran the bracket finals for the track operators race where he won it 3 times . On the 4th time he proceeded to oil the track down to where he got a full spread in Drag News with pictures. In 1997 he ran as a sub in a 1991 Pontiac Grand Prix. He pulled in from the road, they put numbers on his car and with no time to spare. he ended up going four rounds with luggage and beer in the trunk. A couple of JJ's highlights are that he flag started the world series at Cordova in 2010 and raced Arnie Beswick in 2012. He ended his race director days at the 2014 world series of drag racing.

Aaron would also like for me to mention his late and great sister Jenne Koehler who lost her life in 2001 in a non racing related crash. Jenne worked the ET Booth for many years. Although stats are meaningless she is still very well known with the racers and was voted employee of the year in 2000 and after her untimely death, Cordova built the Koehler Pavilion in her memory. The Koehlers have been going to Cordova since Aaron was 8 years old and James 6. When they were living at home, they were always up at Cordova, with James having the most success out of the 3 of them. The story continues into the future, and I am proud to have Aaron Koehler as Racer of the Week. Good luck, safe racing and best of times ahead, Aaron.

Next Saturday the Pee Wee Bowen Band will play in Galveston on the Strand for the 2014 Lone Star Rally. An expected turnout of half a million motorcycles and riders will surely provide a lot of fun and excitement. The club we're playing at will provide us with amps, drums and a PA system. I figure since the gig is from 5-9 PM, I should be getting home around midnight. I'll be sure to let y'all know how it goes. The only thing I could compare last year's rally with would be Ben-Hur, so this time it's looking even bigger. Wow.

As for a music topic tonight, since nobody from my age group died, although I do send my condolences to the family of Wayne Static of the metal band Static X. My son Kyle met him here in Houston at a record store about 12 years ago. Rest in peace, Wayne. You were great. Tonight I thought I'd talk a little about some of the groups that were famous in the 60s that I was into and still consider the best of the bands who made music back then. The overwhelming choice of most folks would of course be the Beatles, then the Beach Boys, who I liked better, and the Stones. But there were a lot of groups that produced unforgettable music, and I have all of their albums in my collection. The Kinks, The Zombies, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Moody Blues, but My number One favorite English band by a hair's breadth over the Yardbirds was The Animals. They had a supergroup in Birmingham, with the musical genius Alan Price on piano and organ, mega frontman Eric Burdon up there killing 'em every night, and a rock-solid rhythym section consisting of Chas Chandler on bass; it was Chas who brought Jimi Hendrix to England in 1966, changed the spelling of his name, auditioned the band he named the Experience, and produced Jimi's first album. Hilton Valentine on guitar and John Steele on drums. These guys were simply great. House of the Rising Sun, We Gotta Get Outta This Place, Help Me Girl, CC Rider, Don't Bring Me Down, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, and later, Monterrey, San Franciscan Nights, Sky Pilot, Winds of Change, When I Was Young, so many great songs
and I was an ardent fan. From America, my favorite band was the Rascals. From Good Lovin', Lonely Too Long, into People Got To Be Free, See, Beautiful Morning, Groovin', How Can I Be Sure, and Come On Up, and if I missed one of their hits, let me know...this band personified the mid-60s culture and atmosphere better than any band I can think of back then...and yes, I can still remember a lot of it. The Bob Seger System, The Association, The Left Banke, The Neon Philharmonic, The Soul Survivors, ? and the Mysterians, The Mamas and the Papas, the whole country was experiencing an explosion of sound that was unprecedented. If I could get my thoughts organized enough, I'm going to do a series of segments about the best bands of the 60s. Y'all are welcome to provide me with input and I'll go with it. Thanks.

Another project I am seriously considering is writing an autobiography. I have the time to do it, and the story of my 9 lives would be something not a lot of folks would probably expect it to be. Anyway, I'll keep y'all posted on the 60s thing. Be sure to tune in tomorrow evening at 7 PM Eastern on Racers Reunion Radio for Racing Through History. It's a Goat Rodeo you don't want to miss. Thanks, I'll see y'all next week.
Attachments
Aaron_Koehler_Nov_03_2014_FB.jpg
Aaron_Koehler_Nov_03_2014_FB.jpg (523.07KiB)Viewed 1341 times
Life Is Good!
http://www.peeweebowenband.com
Support Live Music!

User avatar
Wheelzman
Posts:2396
Joined:Wed Sep 04, 2013 11:26 pm

Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby Wheelzman » Tue Nov 04, 2014 9:36 am

Oh yes the Animals for sure. I think a tale (pun intended) of your nine lives would be
very entertaining to say the least. Don't forget to include the story about the bikers
that you told me about several years ago. Let'r rip Cat. :D

User avatar
WildcatOne
Posts:6732
Joined:Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:17 am
Location:Houston, Texas
Contact:

Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Tue Nov 04, 2014 10:56 pm

I will do that once I can collect my thoughts long enough to stay focused on one thing for more than 10 minutes at a time, Wheelz!!!! Thanks!!!! :arrow:
Life Is Good!
http://www.peeweebowenband.com
Support Live Music!

User avatar
Wheelzman
Posts:2396
Joined:Wed Sep 04, 2013 11:26 pm

Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby Wheelzman » Wed Nov 05, 2014 9:23 am

You might need a youngin' to help you keep focused so I will send Daryl down to help you.
That way I can keep him out of my hair for a little while. Durn youngin' anyways! :lol:

User avatar
WildcatOne
Posts:6732
Joined:Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:17 am
Location:Houston, Texas
Contact:

Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Tue Nov 11, 2014 2:38 pm

I wouldn't mind having Daryl here in my neighborhood, Wheelz! He knows how to get things done, which is more than I can say for me! :oops:
Life Is Good!
http://www.peeweebowenband.com
Support Live Music!

User avatar
WildcatOne
Posts:6732
Joined:Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:17 am
Location:Houston, Texas
Contact:

Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Tue Nov 11, 2014 2:40 pm

My pick for Racer of the Week is Barry Cripps from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Barry is the owner and driver of the Essex Bros. Drag Bug and he was referred to me by our friend Rachel Ratliff. Thanks, Rachel!

Barry sent me a great detail story of his awesome chopped hot rod. Here is what he told me:
After getting married in ‘89 and shortly after immigrating from England to Melbourne, Australia, I found myself without any car interest for quite some time. It wasn’t till our 2 kids had come along and reached teenage years when a friend offered me a VW Beetle free to a good home. I snapped this up and the bug made it back to our Chum Creek home. After a California holiday, with a trip to Vegas’s Bugorama event, the bug's direction took an immediate turn towards drag use only.

The roof chop was well along the way at this stage. A turbo system from Ron Lummus Racing in Anaheim was the main ingredient in the engine build. One of the first acquisitions was a purpose built drag transaxle built by Queensland’s David Butler. The trans was based around a Rhino swingaxle case, Jaycee spool, Albin gears, a large dose of David's TLC and know-how. 30mm rear torsion springs, Swayaway axle shafts with Jamar rear disc brakes. Engine components consist of: a CB aluminium case, 82mm Scat crank, 5.5”Scat H section rods, 94mm Wiseco pistons, SuperFlo heads, 40mm valves, CB push rods, Jaycee tubes, Pauter 1.4:1 rocker arms and shafts, RLR draw through Garrett Turbo system with a Holley carburettor. It has a Chromoly flywheel and a Black Magic clutch disc with a Kennedy stage 2 clutch cover. MagnaFlow fuel pump, fuel filter system with boost-referenced regulator, Braided fuel lines and AN fittings throughout the car. We run an MSD 6AL ignition module, MSD distributor and coil. It has an Innovate LMS2 data reader. The fuel we are currently favouring is Sunoco MaxNos.Narrowed aluminium front axle with Jamar dune buggy discs. The battery is located right at the front of the car, in its own purpose built cradle. Centreline rims, front and rear are employed.The car has a CDMS cage fabricated and installed and the car has been ANDRA tech inspected. This is one killer Bug, folks.

After some early problems and some guidance from David Butler the car is now running strong with some very strong speeds in relation to ET’s. The car runs consistent low 11’s and has since dropped intothe 6’s on the 1/8th. David Butler has been instrumental in advising and sorting this car out, with a freshened trans with 3.44 Rand P we are looking forward to the bug running in the 10s. At 2013’s Heathcote Parks Boxing day challenge, we experienced some wild starting line antics, which prompted the Competition Engineering wheelie bar fitment. At this meet we ran some strong practice passes and pulled out of the first race pass as the ignition failed on 2 cylinders after the burn out. With limited competitions in Victoria, we have travelled to Warwick, Queensland for Volkswagen Magazine Australia’s (VWMA) 1/8th mile drag events held in October for the past 2 years. The 2014 event , we qualified in the top VW ShootOut class. VWMA also hold a ¼ mile event at Sydneys Eastern Creek WSID in February, which we have attended twice, but unfortunately the first time we got rained out. The car is a regular at local Test and Tune days at Heathcote , with runs at Calder Park and Ballarat.

Best times have been 11.003 on the ¼ mile. Best ¼ mile speeds have been high 120’s with 2 passes @ 134mph. Best 60 foots are 1.4’s Best 1/8th. At Ballarat was a 6.98 @ 98.3mph. I wanted my son Darcy to be active and interested in the whole build process and having fun with me at the track. This is the way it is turning out, as he has driven the car on more than one occasion, whilst not as quick as the old guy, with a distinct weight advantage no doubt he will be faster than his Dad. Next meets we are looking at are some possible regional ANDRA bracket events, Boxing Day Challenge at Heathcote Park and VWMA’s February event at Sydney. No immediate improvements are planned, just fine tuning what we have. Thanks to David Butler, Ron Lummus, Healesville Toyota, Yuncken Sheet Metal Engineering and others.Thanks for the interest in my drag bug, we have had a lot of fun with this little car.

That's Barry Cripps, Racer of the Week. Good luck, Barry and Darcy, safe racing and best of times in the future.

I heard from our friend and Racer of the Week Rich Panicaro. Rich is an active participant and racer in Division 1 and the Atco track. Rich Ran Super Pro & Pro Saturday at the Buick, Olds and Pontiac race . He lost first rd in Super, made the Semis in Pro . Sunday in the Fall Finale, Rich made the quarter final in Super & another Semifinal in Pro. He put 23 laps on his car this weekend. Rich is hardcore, he's out there every time he can go. We're fortunate to have him with us!

Last week Rich suggested Steppenwolf as a featured band to talk about and I thought that was an excellent reference. This is a band and a man who has one of the most incredible and inspiring stories in all of rock n' roll.

The story of this band swirls around one man: John Kay. John Kay was born as Joachim Fritz Krauledat in Eastern Prussia at the end of World War II. His mother saved their lives by moving them in advance of the Stalinists several times until they finally ended up in Hanover, West Germany, at one point she carried him while the Red Guard were searching for them to kill them. Much to our good fortune, John's mother got them an immigration deal to Canada, and it was there in Ontario that John began to develop his unique style, using his most powerful influences, Little Richard, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf as a template to base his performing routine on. In the mid-60s, John began playing with some local musicians playing blues, rock and originals, in the style of his idols, but John Kay stood out from the beginning as something special. When his band The Sparrow broke up, some of the guys in the band went with him, but one of them, Bruce Palmer, went to LA, met up with Stephen Stills and Neil Young and joined Buffalo Springfield.

The band changed their name from The Sparrow to Steppenwolf, after the novel by Hermann Hesse, in 1967. The band tore down any and all barriers of moral and social norm, and they played music that would later be labeled as Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. Their wild stage shows were legendary, and they became a tremendously popular band in LA around the same time that the Doors, Love, Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds and up north in the Bay Area, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Moby Grape and Big Brother and the Holding Company were hitting it big. But Steppenwolf had a sound, a style and an image all their own, which John Kay had carefully cultivated and crafted before their record deal with Dunhill came about. They walked in and nailed that first album cold. They also had more than hits in their repertoire. They had anthems. Monumental songs that defined a generation. Legendary material. And to tell you the truth, those songs wouldn't have become what they have if it hadn't been John Kay singing them. He had a certain sound in his voice that exuded strength, power, wisdom and insight. He was like the little devil on your shoulder whispering into your ear to do something mischievous. And a lot of my mischief had Steppenwolf playing in the background.

What the world didn't know about John Kay during the first 5 years of Steppenwolf's chart run was that offstage he was anything but the leather-clad, black-shades-wearing agent provocateur that millions upon millions of fans looked up to. He was, and still is, one of the most astute minds in the music industry, and for all his hard work in establishing and maintaining the band's name as a brand, if you will, he still got ripped off and by the mid-70s, there were a few bands called Steppenwolf out there touring without him up front. He was furious, and he was able to get it all shut down and he got an injunction against anybody counterfeiting the band. The law now says in no uncertain terms...If John Kay isn't in front singing the songs, it ain't Steppenwolf. He had to make some very tough decisions regarding band personnel, and through the years, although Kay and the Edmonton Brothers are still friends and on close terms, he has often recruited different musicians. The current band is called John Kay's Steppenwolf, John is 70 now, and they play a limited schedule at selected events worldwide. But it's a guarantee that you'll get what you came for when they do play. I can relate to the private Joh Kay. He loves his wife and his family and the monolithic rock star image that he owns is merely an act. It's his stage persona. He's not at all like that offstage...unless you mess with him, and I could say that about anybody. He's just a musician, and he has a tremendous amount of talent behind his image.

What really shocked me about John Kay is that he's blind. The reason he wears thos dark shades is because any kind of light hurts his eyes. He's color-blind, he can't drive, and he has other related issues that have long been covered up by his ultra-macho stage presence. In spite of this condition, he is a noted and avid videographer. He is as I said, a devoted husband and father, and he has founded a non-profit organization that also deals with environmental issues, wildlife preservation and human rights with his mother, Maue Kay. John learned to speak English when he was an adolescent, mostly from listening to British Armed Forces Radio while he was still living behind the Iron Curtain, and his fluent German often surprises and delights the European audiences he plays for. His style, his sound and his musical technique has influenced countless bands, including Guns n' Roses, Bruce Springsteen, The Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam. John Kay is Steppenwolf, and Steppenwolf is John Kay. Thanks, Rich, for this suggestion.

Y'all be sure to tune in tomorrow evening at 7 PM Eastern for Racing Through History on Racers Reunion Radio. It's a Goat Rodeo you don't want to miss. Everybody Rock On. Thanks, I'll see y'all next week.
Attachments
Barry_Cripps_Nov_10_2014_FB.jpg
Barry_Cripps_Nov_10_2014_FB.jpg (96.77KiB)Viewed 1306 times
Life Is Good!
http://www.peeweebowenband.com
Support Live Music!

User avatar
WildcatOne
Posts:6732
Joined:Sun Feb 26, 2006 10:17 am
Location:Houston, Texas
Contact:

Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Mon Nov 17, 2014 10:09 pm

My pick for Racer of the Week is Joe Bond from Cheltenham, Glouchestershire, England. Joe is the pilot of the Nuthin' Fancy Fiat Topolino Fuel Altered. Joe is a young man with a ton of racing experience, and this is one of the finest hot rods in the UK. The team has roots in British Drag Racing, going back to the early 70s on up to current times, and I felt these guys deserved the spotlight. Joe sent me some data on the car and on his life, and I'd like to transfer this knowledge now to the ears of the world.

The Nuthin' Fancy Fiat Topolino is a 10.1 funny car 125" chassis, with a 500 ci KB motor with BAE fuel heads, Littlefield supercharger, Enderle fuel system, and an MSD 44 mag. It has a 3 speed lenco and a 9 1/2" rear end with 4.11 rear gears. We've run a best of 6.30 at 215 mph in its current combination.

All of our safety equipment is either DJ or Simpson racing, aside from the Impact Nitro helmet (I had to have it, it looks so badass!)

My racing started when I was 11 and took my junior dragster licence. I was the 5th person in the UK to gain their UK junior dragster licence. Shortly afterwards we acquired a 'stock' dragster and won the second ever race I competed in when I was 12. We ran the stock dragster until I was 15 when we stepped upto a Junior modified dragster, running in the 8.90 bracket. I raced in that until I was 17 when we moved on.

After having my father driving in the Top Alcohol Dragster class until 2003, when I retired in JD in 2004 we spent a year or so out of racing, and then debuted the new Altered in 2006. I went straight from junior dragster to a blown alcohol hemi altered, running a detuned motor with a 2 speed to begin with, running low 8's and high 7's.

After spending a year doing shakedown runs, we stepped the motor up in 2007 and installed the 3 speed, running down into the low 7's. In 2008 we stepped up the motor again and ran our first 6, a 6.85 @ 198.

In the years from 2009 to present we've been slowly stepping up the performance of the car with new parts, creeping up on the times and speed, running consistent 6.40's and 6.50's. During a cold easter weekend we leaned on the motor to take advantage of the very cool conditions, running a 6.30, which is my personal best.

We've been running the car in the Nostalgia Fuel Altered Association, winning the championship in 2010 and 2011. In 2012 and 13 we ran a limited schedule in the NFAA, and ran select meetings in the Supercharged Outlaws in 2013, then we decided on running a full

Supercharged Outlaws series in 2014, running consistent mid 6's all year.

I am the first Junior Dragster graduate to run under 7 seconds and over 200mph. The 2011 season was the year I won the APIRA Award for Outstanding Achievement, and this is one that I will forever hold very dear to my heart. This award is given by Avon Park Raceway where I grew up learning about Junior drag racing, and my home track where they helped me throughout my young years in racing, so to achieve this was massive for me, and I am very grateful for those who voted for me; I am truly humbled!

The goals for the coming seasons is to keep chipping away at the times, while having fun and a safe time away at the track running with friends and competitors.

I want to say a big thank you to our sponsors Surf City Garage of Huntington Beach, Ca. They've supplied us with car care cleaning products to keep our Topolino looking awesome. A big thank you to my Dad Doug, Crew chief Martyn, as well as crew Lawrence and Mike Hannis. They've all been massive, and their wealth of experience has been greatly influential in my racing career!

I also want to say a huge thank you to my partner Melanie Butler, who has been my rock and all the support she has given me has been incredible. Melanie is a UK based Promotional and pin-up model, and helps with all the promotional work with the racing team. She has really helped us reach out to a much wider audience of the racing community. Folks, I'd suggest checking out Melanie Butler's Facebook Page. She also has done some modeling for the Allard Dragster as well as the Nuthin' Fancy page. She's a great-looking gal and I just found out today, she and Joe are expecting a baby soon. Congratulations to you both!

That's Joe Bond, Racer of the Week. Good luck, safe racing and best of times in the future, Joe!

Congratulations to Division 1's Steve Sisko for winning Super Pro at Pomona yesterday. Steve is an upcoming Racer of the Week hopefully in January. You did good, Steve, you represented your division first-class.


Y'all be sure to tune in tomorrow evening at 7 PM Eastern for Racing Through History on Racers Reunion Radio. It's a Goat Rodeo you don't want to miss. Everybody Rock On. Thanks, I'll see y'all next week.

Tonight I did the Steppenwolf feature and ran out of time...see the previous post for the whole story. Best, WC1
Attachments
Nuthin-Fancy_Nov_17_2014_FB.jpg
Nuthin-Fancy_Nov_17_2014_FB.jpg (571.02KiB)Viewed 1272 times
Life Is Good!
http://www.peeweebowenband.com
Support Live Music!

User avatar
Wheelzman
Posts:2396
Joined:Wed Sep 04, 2013 11:26 pm

Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby Wheelzman » Tue Nov 18, 2014 5:31 am

What a beautiful car! It is long and low but still has the Nostalgia feel and look to it.
Joe that car just blows me away. :shock:


Return to “Dangerous Bill's Cafe Noir”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests