Whit Bazemore discusses the Jim McLennan Drag Racing Foundation’s Top Fuel Intern Program with founder Bob McLennan and Bakersfield College Student Himmet Bhogal.
The Jim McLennan Drag Racing Foundation unveiled its “Top Fuel Interns” program at the Good Vibrations March Meet last month.
Twenty students from the Bakersfield College Auto Tech program were placed among a dozen Heritage Series Top Fuel Dragster teams at the 60th March Meet and began training as mechanics in the rarefied world of nitro drag racing.
In the attached video, AAFD President Bob McLennan explains to Whit Bazemore his reason and rationale for getting the program started — and the possibility of career changes for these trainees.
ICYMI: THE CONCLUSION OF 60TH MARCH MEET DRAGSTRIP RUMBLE, PT. 3: TOP FUEL Semi-finals and PT.4: TOP FUEL Final Round.
Mendy Fry guns for a back-to-back March Meet conquest and faces a familiar foe in the semi-finals, NHRA Heritage Series Top Fuel Champion, Jim Murphy, who is seeking out a 5th March Meet win. In the other match, two new faces, Pete Wittenberg and Bret Williamson, are making laps and taking names.
Will fate be kind to our AA/Fuel Dragster heroes? Or is Bakersfield just another boulevard of broken dreams?
Wayne Minick from Chicago, Illinois USA (Comp Number: 301) 1985 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 3 "Chi-Town Hustler" Owned by John Farkonas, Austin Coil, Pat Minick from Chicago, Illinois USA '84 Dodge Daytona by Tony Casarez | Powered by a 500 cubic inch Keith Black Hemi by Austin Coil with 2 speed […]
Art Gravatt from Melbourne, Florida USA 1985 - Category: TOPDRAG, Type: PN, Class: Super Comp, Div: 2 "Art Gravatt" Owned by Art Gravatt from Melbourne, Florida USA Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 388 cubic inch Chevrolet with automatic transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 8.300 at 1985 | 1/4 Mile MPH: 181.00 […]
Ulf Jonsson from Sollentuna, Sweden (Comp Number: 373) 1985 - Category: TOPFUEL, Type: TE, Class: TF, Div: 9 "Sollentuna" Owned by Ulf Jonsson from Sollentuna, Sweden '80 Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 484 cubic inch Keith Black Hemi with 2 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.010 at Unknown | […]
Don Holm from Oregon USA (Comp Number: 6089) 1985 - Category: ALKYFC, Type: CN, Class: TA/FC, Div: 6 "Borrowed Time" Owned by Don Holm from Oregon USA '83 Dodge Charger by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a Unknown cubic inch Keith Black Hemi with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.900 at […]
Jeff Hamelink from Savage, Minnesota USA (Comp Number: 585) 1985 - Category: ALKYDRAG, Type: DN, Class: TA/D, Div: 5 "Jeff Hamelink" Owned by Jeff Hamelink from Savage, Minnesota USA Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 444 cubic inch BAE Keith Black Hemi with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.960 […]
Wayne Vanouck from Wetaskiwin, Alberta Canada (Comp Number: 624) 1985 - Category: ALKYDRAG, Type: DN, Class: TA/D, Div: 6 "Sorcerer I" Owned by Wayne Vanouck & Sjogren from Wetaskiwin, Alberta Canada '80 Dragster by Wayne Vanouck | Powered by a Unknown cubic inch Rodeck Chevrolet with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.709 at […]
Paula Peterson from Washington USA 1985 - Category: ALKYDRAG, Type: DN, Class: TA/D, Div: 6 "Peterson & Roth" Owned by Paula Peterson & Roth from Washington USA '84 Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a Unknown cubic inch Keith Black Hemi with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.990 at Unknown […]
Bill Phillips from Burnaby, British Columbia Canada (Comp Number: 619) 1985 - Category: ALKYDRAG, Type: DN, Class: TA/D, Div: 6 "Phillips & Zimmerman" Owned by Bill Phillips & Zimmerman from Burnaby, British Columbia Canada '84 Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 498 cubic inch Phillips Rotary with 3 speed manual transmission […]
Gary Henderson from Memphis, Tennessee USA (Comp Number: 220) 1985 - Category: ALKYFC, Type: CN, Class: TA/FC, Div: 2 "Iron Mike Express" Owned by Mike Lafaye from Memphis, Tennessee USA '83 Dodge Omni by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a Unknown cubic inch Keith Black Hemi with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile […]
Russ Piattoni from Northlake, Illinois USA 1985 - Category: ALKYDRAG, Type: DN, Class: TA/D, Div: 3 "Motion Dynamics" Owned by Russ Piattoni from Northlake, Illinois USA '85 Dragster by Rich Pauza | Powered by a 440 cubic inch Chevrolet by Motion Dynamics with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.770 at Unknown | 1/4 […]