The Forgotten Class A/FA

[Lionsdsisbest]

This is one of the more obscure and forgotten classes in Drag Racing. There were only a few cars and the class did not last. The class was A /FA, it was a nitro burning unblown altered. There were so few of them, there was even a "Pure Heaven" unblown nitro burning altered. Some cars came from Northern Ca. and a few So-Cal guys. Saw them just a handfull of times at Lions, Famoso and I think Pomona. The "Pure Heaven" car had a big rat motor in it and it ran pretty darn good.
Anybody else remember these cars?




Lionsdsisbest

[Bret Kepner]

There were a ton of these cars around the nation and the class was around from 1954 (Drag Racers, Inc.) until 1984 (AHRA). Until Ron Boggs got crazy, the quickest injected nitro altered was from Maryland.

Name it.

And don't make me try to remember the class records for B/FA, C/FA and D/FA.

[racersforcoffee]

I don't suppose this is 'open book'.......

Leon also ran A/A and Bracket 1 as an injected gas burner with the Pure Heaven. The A/A class got pretty furious for a while; I remember 8 car shows in So. Cal. before 9.90 index got up and running.....

[Mr. Jean]

Yup, I remember them too.

[draglist]

The guys from Maryland who ran these cars have been updating the drag lists with their info. Great stuff. No doubt we are missing dozens of these cars on the lists, though. Here's what we have so far. bp

http://www.digitalwebzone.com/draglist/ ... rch=Search

[RH]

The greater DC are had a thriving A/FA scene back in the late 60s early seventies and there was an East Coast Fuel Altered Circuit that ran about a 8-10 car show regularly at Aquasco ,Capital and Budds Creek(now MIR).
Phil Lippard was the ringleader and fielded 3 or more cars.Big block Chevys seemed to rule the roost but there were a few hemi powered cars and at least on pontiac powered entry.Lippards cars were"Mean as Hell" "Stone Crude" 'Wild Rat" John Morey had the wild hemi powered bantam Coupe"Rat Poison" that never completed a pass on more than 2 wheels,the Pontiac car was"Indian Uprising"'can't recall the owner and we also had the "Handlebar Car" fiat out of the RamRods club.Some of these cars were going 7.80s at 190 back in 71-72 on those beautiful looking hilborns.
I remember seeing Pudge Tarbett roll the Stone Crude car on the big end at Capital one night during the King of Kings funny car race.Not sure if it was rebuilt after the crash.
The DC area still has a open wheel circuit called the DC Outlaws that runs the region.One of the racers is Wild Buck Proctor who is I guess in his late 60s and still driving a blown alky T with solid rear to 6.70s and one of the nicest folks you could ever meet.

Ron

[draglist]

You bet. RH, I didn't tell you that I announced at MIR from 87 to 02 and I got to see Buck run dozens of times. He always put on a great show with that hot pink blown Opel GT. bp

[draglist]

PS -- The Lippard family has been updating the drag lists a lot recently, making sure to fill us in on those great Maryland A/FAs. bp

[RH]

You bet. RH, I didn't tell you that I announced at MIR from 87 to 02 and I got to see Buck run dozens of times. He always put on a great show with that hot pink blown Opel GT. bp

BP.,
I knew of your MIR work from lurking on the site.I remember when Royce took the big leap from gas station operator in Manassas to track operator.My brother is friends with Buck and his boy and sells pipe to some of the local fab guys from the steel supply shop he works with in Md.Posner Industries. Buck is one of the senior members of the Quartermasters and has had some wild rides in his long career and currently trying to sell the altered.Heading to the IHRA digs this coming weekend to get my fix of nitro fumes and tire smoke-been a long winter!
Hope to catch you at the track this season.

Ron