The Bikes are Coming and Wendel's is the First

By Wendel Douthat

Machines like Wendel Douthat's Funny Bike will soon have their own lists at draglist.com.
Photo by Matt Polito

Coinciding with our announcement to begin listing fast drag racing motorcycles, we got this entry from Wendel Douthat. To kick off our commitment to the two-wheeled set, here's Wendel's entry as our first official drag racing list motorcycle entry. bp 

I hope that your drag racing list includes motorcycles, in my case a Funnybike.

Having grown up in the Chadds Ford, PA, area with an older brother who patronized the Steve Kanuika Speed Shop in the '70s and who took me along when he and his buddies raced their '55-'57 Chevys and Belvedere/GTX at Cecil County and Atco, I am very appreciative of your efforts to preserve drag racing memories. I only wish I still had the photos taken with "Jungle Jim" and Lew Arrington back in the early '70s.

By the way, I happened upon Lew Arrington several years ago in Wilmington, DE, when he was working on his broken down '70s era ramp truck (his daily driver at the time). I told Lew that in the mid-'80s I had uncovered his Captain America "jet" funny car at my father-in-law's mushroom growing farm in West Grove, PA. I discovered the car sitting outside on a ramp truck, covered by a canvas tarp. Lew was quick to chastise me that his car was a rocket car, not a sissy jet car!

When we get old, all we have are the memories and photos. Keep up the good work!

Here are my stats:

	1/4 Mile ET: 6.771 (so far in 2001, at match race versus Bob Spina's Top Fuel Nitro Harley, Englishtown, June 6, 2001. reference articles at www.dragbike.com Top Stories & Race Results June 7, 2001 "Douthat Runs 6.771 at E-town" and www.dragracingonline.com Agent 1320 Report.
	1/4 Mile MPH: 207.24 (so far in 2001)
	1/8 Mile ET: 4.408 (we've gone quicker in the 1/8, but I've included only the data from our quickest 1/4 mile pass to date)
	1/8 Mile MPH: 162.88 (ditto above note)*
	Driver's First and Last Name: Wendel Douthat
	Owner's First and Last Name(s): Lori Douthat
	Crew Chief's First and Last Name: John Weimer, Conewingo, MD
	Entry (or Sponsor) Name: Team Douthat Racing
	Engine CID and Manufacturer: Suzuki / Stetson / HMP 1327 cc
	Chassis Year, Make, and Model: '95 Koenig Funnybike
	Driver's Home City and State: Landenberg, PA
	Owner's Home City and State: Landenberg, PA
	The year this ET and MPH were recorded): 2001
	Tranny type and number of gears: air shifted Orient Express 3 speed "automatic" (no ignition kill)
	Class designation: Injected Alcohol Funnybike
	Driver's Competition Number (license): Prostar FB131 10746 (NHRA license PSB MX131)
	Any interesting notes or details about the entry: New for 2001, state of the art injected alky turbocharged funnybike, fuel system by multi-time funnybike World Champion Gary Clark (IA), with top end by Rick Stetson of HMP (MA). Our home track is the legendary Cecil County (MD). We compete nationally on the AMA / U.S. Drag Racing Championship / Prostar circuit and match race / exhibition passes at E-town, Atco and Cecil County.
	Photo by Matt Polito of www.mattpolito.com