In 2010 at the Nostalgia Drags at St Louis International Raceway I got to hear the Green Monster 5 cackle. This car was built and raced by both Art and Walt Arfons. The first engine they had in it was a 12 cylinder 733 c.i. Ranger aircraft engine. With Walt driving in the 1955 NHRA Nationals in Great Bend, KS it set Top speed in Gas class at 131 mph. In 1957 the engine was replaced with a 1710 c.i. Allison V-12 engine (same as used in P-51 Mustangs) which is still in this restored car. It ran in every NHRA Nationals from 1955 to 1958. In 1957 the Green Monster 5 was sold by the Arfons. Surprisingly the car had changed hands only a couple of times before Jon Rowley purchased it in 2008 and started the restoration of it.
mike galewski
