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

Postby Wheelzman » Tue May 02, 2017 7:32 am

What an uplifting story. And yes she is correct as we appreciate what you do for all of us JB. You are special. Thank you. :D :D :D

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

Postby WildcatOne » Mon May 08, 2017 2:02 pm

Thanks, Wheelz and BP. This is something I never would have expected I'd get to do. The Racers I feature are some of the finest, most dedicated people I've ever met. I'm booked up through November!

My pick for Racer of the Week is Candace Izumi, a talented photographer and drag racer from Oahu, Hawaii. Candace was recommended to me by our friend Michael Baba Balbarino, manager of the 808_FUEL page, which covers the entire scope of motorsports in the Hawaiian Islands. Thanks, Michael!

Born and raised in Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii, Candace was exposed to automobiles and mechanics from when she was a young child due to her father’s career as an autobody repairman and painter. She started racing her very first car that she owned, a 1990 Honda CRX when she was 19. In 2004, Candace purchased her first motorcycle, a 2003 Yamaha R6. The first time that she went over 100mph on it, she was instantly hooked on the speed and adrenaline rush. She later started racing motorcycles in 2007 on her Suzuki GSX-R 750.

Candace's current motorcycle is a 2005 Suzuki GSX-R 1000, named Raiden, after the Japanese god of lightning & thunder. She raced it naturally aspirated and rode it on the street for about 5 years before being able to purchase a Stage 1 turbo kit from Velocity Racing.

The current motor in the bike is currently untuned..a replacement motor of the original motor that she was racing with up until 2015. No internal modifications were done to this current motor. Candace said that she's racing with 6 lbs of boost with a Power Commander 3 for piggyback fuel management. The extended swing arm was made by McIntosh Machine and Fabrication. Aside from the race slick, the bike can be able to be ridden for street use.

Candace has had several placements (1st & 2nd) in races back in 2008 & 2010.

Her major accomplishment was in breaking the state record that was set at 8.41 seconds for a non-wheelie bar motorcycle.
She ran an 8.23 @ 164.81mph in May 2015, then she reset the record with an 8.02 in November 2016. The night after she ran the 8.02, she reset my record again with an 8.00 @ 166mph...sooo close to a 7 second pass!

Candace, I should mention here that at the first drag race I attended, the Top Fuel Dragsters ran 8-flat!

Ever since Candace started racing with the turbo on her bike, winning trophies was not her aspiration. She just wanted to go as fast as she could with the basic set up that she had.

Candace sends thank yous to all of her friends and family for their support, Collo’s Garage, EB Speed, her fellow racers and staff at Maui Raceway Park for their assistance with her bike whenever she needed it, also to Andy’s Motorcycle Shop.

Her Goals are to keep on racing as long as she can afford it. She said: "Going racing here in Hawaii is time consuming and expensive if you live on the island of Oahu, where I currently live. Hawaii Raceway Park, which was the state’s largest racetrack and on Oahu, closed down in 2006. Now Oahuans must ship their vehicles to either the islands of Maui, Kauai or the Big Island to race." She added: "This is not a goal, but just that it would be great to be sponsored to race a motorcycle one day so that I can give my bike a well deserved rest."

Candace, your performance is outstanding, and we wish you good luck, safe racing and the best of times in the future.
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Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Mon May 15, 2017 7:02 pm

My pick for Racer of the Week is Nathan Chesler, from Evansville, Pennsylvania. Nate was recommended to me by our friends with the DADs Old-Fashioned Drag Racing group, Don Turner and Gorden Jenkins. Thanks, Guys!

Nate is one of the most popular and respected racers in his region. He's a consistent performer both on and off the track, being known to lend a hand or supply a part to any of his fellow racers if they need some help making the next round.

He has his own company, Cage Rage Fabrication, which builds drag racing cars of all kinds, specializing in all chassis tube work and power adder fabrication. Having been in business for a little over a year now, Nate's company is receiving rave reviews, and he looks to be staying busy with CRF for quite some time to come.

Nate's car is a '93 Ford Mustang that remains a stock suspension car and is powered by a 598 cubic inch big block Chevrolet engine. It runs a single induction solutions X275 direct port and a powerglide transmission. The car has run a best of 4.87 in the eighth-mile and 7.58 @ 180mph in the 1320.

Nate would like to thank his wife Jana for supporting what he does, and he is a proud father of his 4-year-old daughter, Paige. Nate said Caleb Portis and Scott Bartos are a huge help and always available when its crunch time.

This year the focus is on the Real Street class with Nate's car and they are going to campaign Caleb's car in Outlaw Limited Street. Nate's Mustang is street-legal, and he said he's super excited for the upcoming Dragweek. He's just about ready to start testing. He said you may even see the car drive into a DADs race towing its own trailer. The schedule for this event is grueling, but I have no doubt that Nate is up to the task.

September 10 – at Cordova International Raceway, for Registration & Test-n-Tune
September 11 – at Cordova, Racing, Day 1
September 12 – at Gateway Motorsports Park, Racing, Day 2
September 13 – at Byron Dragway, Racing Day 3
September 14 – at Great Lakes Dragaway, Racing Day 4, in Union Grove, WI
September 15 – back at Cordova International Raceway, for the Final Day of Racing

Nate will drive his Mustang to all five tracks, and compete against his many friends from the region who are also going to be involved. It will be interesting to see how it all tunrs out!

Nate, we wish you good luck, safe racing and the best of times in the future!
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Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Mon Jun 05, 2017 8:33 pm

In the glorious summer of 1969, I took my girlfriend up from Galveston to a nightclub in Houston that was on the top floor of an ancient building located at Allen's Landing called the Love Street Light Circus and Feel Good Machine. There were no chairs in the main hall; it was a padded floor that you laid back with pillows and watched the fantastic light show which was called Jellywall Eyes Pack, and the bands played right in front of you. It was dreamland in the flesh. That night the headline band was The Children, a Texas band who had recently released a psychedelic classic album called Rebirth. The opening act was Johnny Winter. It was a marvelous evening. Johnny Winter had recently released his first album called The Progressive Blues Experiment, and needless to say, he was incredible.

But The Children were beyond special. They were downright unbelievable. Each member was a virtuoso, but what grabbed us right off the top was their 14-year-old guitar player, who we agreed was every bit as good as anybody else who was famous and successful at that time. What stood out about him other than his obvious advanced skill on his instrument, was his casual and easy-going demeanor. He was just having a good time playing with a good band. His performance (and Johnny Winter's as well) inspired me to knuckle down on my guitar work and hopefully one day, to follow in their footsteps. The kid's name was Kenny Cordray.

By the time I was playing live in electric bands in the early 80s, Kenny and his band were playing the same circuit we were. I knew a little about him, that he had co-written the ZZ Top hit "Francine" and that he was well-known as an outstanding musician with several credits in his resume, including John Mayall, John Lee Hooker, Jaco Pastorius and Wayne Cochran's CC Riders, as well as Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Miles and a concert spot on the Midnight Special. Regionally, he worked with the Sisters Morales, The Champion Sisters, Skylark, TKOH, Durango 95, and he manned the helm of his own projects, including The Civilians, Blue Science, Love Street Light Circus, and CRC.

His recent activities were with the bands Tex Beck, the Bad Texans, and he was a prolific songwriter, working at SugarHill and even more recently at Wire Road Studios, collaborating on projects for Willie Nelson, Archie Bell, Roy Head, and many other grammy nominated and winning artists.. His latest album from 2012 is titled "It Takes Everything" and it features performances by the best musicians in Houston. He worked as a teacher and many of his students have gone on to their own careers in music. He also ran Rock Camp Live, a summer music camp for aspiring 10-18 year-old musicians in the Houston/Galveston Bay Area. He could have gone anywhere, but he chose to live here and to play with people he liked.

In 2005, the Citykings were recording their album "Four Lifetimes" at SugarHill studios with Andy Bradley engineering and co-producing our work. I was in Studio B, recording the lead guitar for our song "Diablo", which Racin' & Rockin' now uses as their opening theme. I played the solo and nailed it. When I was finished, a guy walked in, came up to me and he said "Santana, right?" I said "Thank you. Carlos is one of my heroes, but this song is one of mine." He looked at me and paused for a moment, then he said "VERY nice!" Then he went into the control room where Andy and the rest of the band were and he hung out with us for half an hour, listened to our stuff and complimented all of us on what we were doing. When he left, I asked Andy, who was that guy? He's one of the nicest people I've ever met! Andy said "That was Kenny Cordray. He's here doing session work this week. He's our go-to guy for the best stuff we do." I had no idea that was him. He didn't have to come in and hang out with us, he's the best there is. But he went out of his way to meet us. He was a fan, and supporter of everyone he met, a true encourager, and his visit with us was a highlight of that experience.

That was the kind of guy Kenny Cordray was, and everybody who knew him would say the same thing. We all loved him. He had recently celebrated his 12,000th day of sobriety, and worked tirelessly to help others find their way to a healthy and sober life. The world of Music, but especially the Houston Music Community, his many friends, his children, his wife, and extended family, are at this time embracing an incomprehensible loss.

Kenny Cordray was born in Texarkana, July 21st, 1954, and left us much too soon, May 21st, 2017, at the age of 62. He is survived by his wife of 36 years Patricia Cordray, son Coleman Cordray, daughter Julia Cruse, son-in-law Ryan Cruse and granddaughter Linden Cruse. He is also survived by numerous other relatives and an endless list of devoted friends.

This has been JB's Take as a celebration of this great man. I only scratched the surface of his great life and the people whose lives he touched. Kenny, you were the best of all of us, and you will never be forgotten. May you rest in peace.

I'm looking forward to featuring Russell and Angel Shaner from New Castle, Pennsylvania as Racers of the Week next Monday night!
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Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby Wheelzman » Tue Jun 06, 2017 8:29 am

John that staying local stuff sounds like an experience Sharon and I had in Nashville. This was before the big flood in Nashville. Gibson had a store in the Opry Mills shopping mall called the Gibson Showcase store where you could watch the guitars being made and buy the same. We talked to the man at the check out and asked if he had ever been blown away by someone just stopping in and playing something. He told us that there were several people that were as good or possibly better than the well known stars but
preferred to stay local and have a good family life that would stop by and just amaze everyone with their talent. Thanks for the story John. :D

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

Postby WildcatOne » Tue Jun 06, 2017 1:58 pm

Thanks, Wheelz...true about staying put. It ends up being well worth it in the long run. I've had offers, but something told me if I went through with an acceptance of the deals that were there, yes, I'd probably achieve a much higher level as a pro musician, but I could also probably say goodbye to the life I chose with my wife and kids. Living on the road is not my idea of a good time unless it's for the DragList Nationals. I was fortunate that there were other things I could do that didn't force me to leave. The best musicians I have ever known are right here where I am, and they like having a stable personal life, like I do. I can't see disassembling what I spent years working hard to build. Glory, money and all of the distractions involved in traveling as a musician are shallow rewards; not worth losing the life I love as a husband and father for. Best, WC1
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Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Mon Jun 12, 2017 6:54 pm

My pick for Racers of the Week are Russell and Angel Shaner, from New Castle, Pennsylvania. Russell and Angel were recommended to me by Russell's brother, Robert Shaner. Thanks, Robert! Russell and Angel race their outstanding pair of hot rods regularly at Quaker City motorsports park in Salem, Ohio. These cars are also featured in shows that are held there. They are one of the most popular and well-known drag racing families in their region.

Russell and Angel started dating when Angel was 14 and he was 16. They dated for 6 years and married when Russell was 21 years old. They have two kids: Russ jr ( he has a '98 Camaro) and Mercedes ( she has an '80 Camaro Z/28).

Angel's car is an '87 Monte Carlo SS. It has a 461" Big Block Chevy engine with a 180 shot of nitrous, which of course she races. The cars been 11.00 in the quarter mile and has run a 60 ft time of 1.48 seconds. The car still has a full interior and air conditioning. She runs a turbo 350 tranny with a trans brake in it.

Russell's car is a '69 Camaro. It's his first car. He bought it when he was 16. It definitely didn't look then like it does now. He bought it for $800.00. The car has a 505" Big Block Chevy with an 871 Dyers blower and a set of Predator carbs. The car has run a 9.98 ET in the quarter mile, and has run a 60 ft time of 1.43 seconds. Angel has taken the Camaro down the track to a 10.55 ET.

Both cars are street legal, and they drive them to and from all of the local shows and races.

Russell did the bodywork and paint on both the Monte Carlo and the Camaro. His buddy Randy Mcfarland did the graphics and flames on the Camaro. Russ said he wanted something different. The paint is flat black and the flames are cleared. The paint job is about 12 years old. Russell built both cars in his garage. He also built matching golf carts for both cars. He put the motors together after Transfer machine shop did the machine work on them. The Camaro was back halved in his garage as well. It has all new metal except for the firewall and roof. Both cars have Rossler transmissions. Russell said it's about a half-hour drive to the transmission shop. He said it's nice to have him close!

Russell says "Thanks to my wife for letting me spend money!!!! And my friends for all their help through the years."

The Camaro made it to Pinks All Out in 2010 at Norwalk, Ohio. Russell broke the tranny in time trials. Go figure. Lol.

Russell and Angel, we wish you good luck, safe racing and the best of times in the future!
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Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Mon Jun 19, 2017 8:34 pm

My pick for Racer of the Week is Kelsie Iida-Vierra, from Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii. Kelsie was recommended to me by our friend and the admin of the 808_FUEL page, which has all the latest news on drag racing and motorsports in the Hawaiian Islands. Thanks, Michael Baba Balbarino!

Kelsie is an incredibly talented driver and drag racing enthusiast. She is only 18 years old at this time, but she has a vast amount of experience and success, and I have no doubt that she will continue to excel in her chosen field.

She started racing at the age of 13 in a junior dragster in 2012.
In her first year, she was the 2012 Junior Dragster State Champion.
She ended up as a four-time junior dragster challenge champion in 2012, 2013 and in 2015 at Kauai and Maui.
She is the 2012 & 2015 points champion, and has multiple race wins on Kauai and Maui.

Kelsie moved up to driving a dragster at the age of 17 in 2016.
She has won 2 races so far. She's the 2016 Top Gun State Champion, and she is currently leading in points this season.

For her goals, Kelsie said "Well my long time goal was to break the 7.80's and we just met it last race. So, that was a big accomplishment for me. Another goal is to keep this point lead and win the points championship at the end of the year."

The dragster is a 2001 Spitzer Rear Engine car. It has a 509" Big Block Chevy, a 230" wheelbase, and a Powerglide Transmission. Her current best ET with the car is a 7.892 at 168.74 mph.

That is very impressive. She could win here with those numbers. I hope to see her race here on the mainland one of these days.

Kelsie wrote "Thanks to my Dad (Ohu Vierra) and Mom (Michelle Vierra) for giving me this opportunity and supporting me 100% in anything I do. As well as Uncle Nohili Vierra, Papa Tommy Vierra, Noah Farias, Uncle Jason Ubongen, Uncle Brian Dela Cruz, The Almarza Ohana, Uncle Mikey Olivas, Uncle Kevin Rapozo, Uncle Russell Izumo, and everyone who has helped me along the way. Also thanks to my sponsors, Koloa Fish Market, Kevins Repair and Racing, Brunos Auto Body, Sportcraft Race Cars, Tyler Taba, Nex Gen Diesel, Grandma & Grandpa Vierra, Pupule Kanaka Racing, and Brian Dela Cruz Photography."

Kelsie, after seeing all that you have accomplished, we're fans of yours and we'll be rooting for you to take home the championship this year. We wish you good luck, safe racing and the best of times in the future.
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Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Mon Jun 26, 2017 8:10 pm

My pick for Racers of the Week are Rick and Terri Osburn, from Appomattox, Virginia. Rick and Terri are the owners and Rick is the driver of the 38 Special, the high-flying C-Gas Nostalgia 38 Chevy Truck. The Osburns hosted the DragList Super Crew last summer at the National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green Kentucky, and we all had a wonderful time as their guests at their pit. Thanks, Rick and Terri, your hospitality was fantastic, your hot rod was a show-stopper, and it was one of the greatest days I've ever had at a drag strip.

I spoke with Rick over the weekend and he gave me some great information about the 38 Special.

They've had the truck for 24 years. The first 13 years they had it, it was a street rod. The last 8 years, they've been racing it on the dragstrip. They were recently invited to run at Indy and Gainesville, along with Gillis and Hoover. The car is classified as a G/Gas nostalgia racer.

The fuel injection that they're running in it is a system that came from Gene Altizer's S & S Anglia from 1964. Gene is great friends with Rick and Terri, he's a hardcore drag racer, and he ran a Funny Car for a couple of years back in the early 70s. The zoomie headers were added about a year ago to take out some of the bottom power. Rick said he launches at around 2400 rpms.

Rick has run in 44 car fields, making it to the semis, with his best quarter mile times being in the mid-7.70s with the wheelie bars on. It's a highly competitive race car. The picture I put in their graphic shows him up on one slick coming off the line; the photo is by Bob Wentzelburger, and Rick said that run was almost a rollover, but he brought it back down and got it straightened out, and ended up running an 11.04. Rick, we're thrilled by the incredible picture for sure, but we're also very glad your driving expertise brought that truck back down safely and finished the run!

Rick and Terri built their 32 deuce coupe for Terri to drive, and it's a street-legal machine that has all the details and beauty that the 38 Special has. Rick said that sometimes they use it as a tow vehicle for the truck and it always draws a crowd at every event they attend.

Speaking of which, I mentioned to Rick that the DragList Super Crew will be at the Funny Car Nationals coming up in July at Keystone Raceway outside of Pittsburgh, and he said he's going to see if they can be there, too. It would be awesome to hook up with y'all again! Every time the 38 Special shows up, it's party time!

To say the sport of drag racing needs people like Rick and Terri Osburn would be an understatement. They do this because they love doing it. That is what makes them special, and the hot rod they run is one of the most fantastic performers ever to put its slicks down on a drag strip. It's their life. It's what they do. And we love them for it.

Rick and Terri, we wish you good luck, safe racing and the best of times in the future!
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Re: Racin' and Rockin'..."JB's Take"

Postby WildcatOne » Mon Jul 10, 2017 7:21 pm

My pick for Racers of the Week are Joey and Nicole Amoral, from Makawao, Maui, Hawaii. Joey and Nicole were recommended to me by our friend and admin of the 808_FUEL page, Michael Baba Balbarino. Thanks, Michael! The 808_Fuel page has all the latest information on motorsports in the Garden State and it's definitely worth checking out!

Joey and Nicole have been drag racing in Hawaii for many years, and they are one of the most popular and respected drag racers in the state. The drag racing community in Hawaii is a family, and everybody was thrilled for them to be featured. Not only that, but it is an honor on my part to be in a position to give recognition to our friends in Hawaii.

Joey's race car is a 23-T Altered called the "BOOGEYMAN". It has a 540ci big-block Chevy in it and it runs 7.80 ETs in the quarter mile and Joey won a couple of championships with it recently. Nicole's beautiful pink and white dragster also has a 540ci big-block Chevy and it runs 7.90's. Nicole has been racing the '68 Camaro for around 15 years and recently started racing the dragster that they purchased for her, being she wanted to step it up and run with fast gas as it is called at Maui Raceway Park. She's been doing really well; in fact she recently won a shoot out which was incredibly exciting for both her and Joey!! The Amoral's children, who practically grew up at the track, will soon be racing the Camaro and joining Joey and Nicole on the track.

The next adventure is running a blown alcohol funny car which Joey and Nicole recently acquired. Its the Fuelish Pleasure Mustang of Gary Clapshaw fame, and it will hopefully be ready next year sometime. Joey sent me a picture of the car in his shop, and it looks as good now as it did when I saw GC race it here back in '98. Joey said you can still purchase die cast replicas of it off ebay or amazon even. This is in my opinion one of the most significant finds of historical importance in our sport, and it will be an epic ride once they get it up and running.

Joey and Nicole would like to thank everyone who's helped them along the way.. JN Auto Upholstery, Kimo Kaiama, The Lions Club of Maui, Stan's engine repair, Caires designs, D&D towing, Maui Toyota, Bobs Auto Refinishing, Sportcraft Racing, and KV performance.

We'll keep up with y'all's kids' racing when they get the Camaro out there, and we're REALLY excited about y'all having the Fuelish Pleasure Mustang, Joey! We wish you and Nicole good luck, safe racing and the best of times in the future!
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