Coca-Cola Cavalcade Series
- Annual AA Funny Car Teams -

By Brian Marshall

All the major car manufacturer's were represented in the 8 car field at each event

1969 (Inaugural Season) Participants
1. Dick Bourgeois
2. Kelly Chadwick - '69 Coke Series Champion (per National Dragster 7/7/95)???
- Drove the Steakley Chevrolet sponsored Camaro
- The championship may have been won by the Mr. Norm's Dodge Super Charger car (per the Mr. Norm web site)???
3. Jack Chrisman - drove a '70 Mustang was at Capital Raceway in June of '69
4. Gary Dyer - drove the Mr. Norm's Dodge Super Charger owned by Norm Kraus 
-became the driver after the third event
-was at Thompson Drag Raceway on 8/16/69
5. Marv Eldridge 
6. Fred Goeske
7. Kenny Safford - drove the Stone, Woods & Cooke car
Note: Stone, Woods & Cooke: with the (Swindler IV Mustang?)
- Fred Stone, Tim Woods & Doug Cooke
- Doug Cooke was the driver of the group
- Tim Woods owned Woods Construction
- began their racing career in AA/GS (Gas Supercharged) about '61
- switched to funny car in '67 and ran the Match Race Circuit through '73
8. Jess Tyree
9. Norm Weekly - drove the Mr. Norm's Dodge Super Charger owned by Norm Kraus

(Each car was contracted for $1,000/race)
(Coke Series uniforms were mandatory: Coca-Cola shirts and white jeans)

Season Events
First Event was on 4/27/69 at Amarillo Dragway
- Participants were: Norm Weekly driving Mr. Norm's Dodge Charger 
Kenny Safford driving the Stone, Woods & Cooke Mustang 
Marv Eldridge driving the Fiberglass Trends Corvette
Kelly Chadwick
Fred Goeske
Jess Tyree
Dick Bourgeois driving the Bourgeois & Wade Javelin
Jack Chrisman driving a Mach 1 Mustang
- In the final, Chadwick defeated Goeske 

? Event was on 6/15/69 at Atco Dragway
- Participants were: Gary Dyer driving the Mr. Norm car 
Kenny Safford driving the Stone, Woods & Cooke car 
Marv Eldridge driving the Fiberglass Trends Corvette
Kelly Chadwick
Proff's Super Puffer Corvair filled in for Fred Goeske's Plymouth
Jess Tyree
Dick Bourgeois driving the Doug's Headers Javelin
Jack Chrisman
- In the final, Tyree defeated Dyer 

? Event was in late June or early July, '69 at Lebanon Valley Dragway
- Participants were: Gary Dyer driving the Mr. Norm Grand Spaulding Dodge Charger 
Kenny Safford 
Marv Eldridge driving the Mako Shark Corvette
Kelly Chadwick
Fred Goeske
Jess Tyree driving a Firebird
Dick Bourgeois driving the Doug's Headers Javelin
Jack Chrisman
- In the final, Dyer defeated Tyree and won $1,000 

? Event was on 7/5/69 at ?
- Participants were: Gary Dyer driving the Mr. Norm car 
Kenny Safford driving the Stone, Woods & Cooke car 
Marv Eldridge driving the Fiberglass Trends Corvette
Kelly Chadwick
Fred Goeske
Jess Tyree
Dick Bourgeois driving the Bourgeois & Wade Doug's Headers Javelin II
Jack Chrisman
- In the final, Eldridge defeated Tyree

? Event was on 8/17/69 at ?
- Participants were: Gary Dyer driving the Mr. Norm car 
Kenny Safford driving the Stone, Woods & Cooke car 
Marv Eldridge driving the Fiberglass Trends Corvette
Kelly Chadwick
Fred Goeske
Jess Tyree
Dick Bourgeois driving the Doug's Headers Javelin
Jack Chrisman
- In the final, Dyer defeated Bourgeois

Final Season Event was on 10/?/69 at Lions Dragstrip

The '69 season consisted of about 40 dates

1970 Season Participants
1. Dick Bourgeois
2. Kelly Chadwick - '70 Coke Series Champion & Captain??? 
3. Jack Chrisman - drove a '70 Mustang?
4. Marv Eldridge 
5. Fred Goeske - Captain
6. Dale Pulde drove the Stone, Woods & Cooke/Dee Keaton car
- Pulde finished the season in the Dick Bourgeois car
7. David Ray drove the Steakley Camaro
- David Ray was a replacement for Fred Goeske
8. Mickey Thompson with driver Johnny Wright 
9. Jess Tyree
10. Bobby Wood (replaced '69 regular Jack Chrisman)

The '70 season consisted of about 40 dates

1971 Season Participants
Apparently there are two schools of thought as to whether or not there actually was a Coke Series in '71
- Mike/Geri Golonka, on 2/26/03, provided information based on an article in "Quartermile Countdown" magazine, of the time period, which listed the following nine drivers:
1. Mr. Norm
2. Arnie Beswick
3. Stone, Woods & Cooke
4. Ed McCulloch
5. Gene Snow
6. Gordon Mineo
7. Roger Lindamood - Captain
8. Tom Hoover
9. Dick Harrell

(In addition to those drivers listed in "Quartermile Countdown" magazine are the Following:
10. Jack Chrisman
11. David Ray drove the Stone, Woods & Cooke Pinto for the first half of the season
12. Mike Van Sant drove the Stone, Woods & Cooke Pinto for the second half (from July on) of the season
13. Bobby Wood

(It appears that the season consisted of less than 20 events 
(The "Quartermile Countdown" magazine was the publication of the Gold Agency which was the brainchild of the Coke Series
- Ira Lichey was the booking agent at the Gold Agency who scheduled the Coke Series events

1972 Season Participants
1. Al Bergler'
2. Cliff Brown*'
3. Dave Condit*' driving the "L. A. Hooker" Mach 1 car
4. Gary Henderson'
5. Roger Lindamood*' - Captain
6. Butch Maas*
7. Jim Murphy*
8. Ron O'Donnell'
9. Dick Rosberg*' was driving the Beebe & Rosberg "Fighting Irish" Camaro
- Tim Beebe and Dick Rosberg
10. Bobby Rowe* - drove Don Schumacher's second "Stardust" 'Cuda (blue)
- '72 Coke Series Champion
11. Bobby Wood*
*- Coke Series event at Dallas International Motor Speedway in July of '72
*- the event was run "Chicago" style with Rowe defeating Maas in the final
'- Coke Series event at Atco Dragway

1973 Season Participants
1. Jerry Baltes
2. Raymond Beadle drove Don Schumacher's "Wonder Bread" car
3. Al Bergler
4. Cliff Brown drove the "Chicago Kid" car
5. Dave Condit drove the "L. A. Hooker" car
6. Roger Lindamood - Captain
7. "Animal Al" Marshall drove the Dale Creasy, Sr. car
8. Billy Meyer
9. Ron O'Donnell drove the "Big Noise from Illinois" car
- was at York U.S. 30 Dragway in May of '73
- was also at Beech Bend International Raceway
10. David Ray drove the Mike Burkhart #2 Vega
- won the most Coke Series events in '73 and missed the final 4 weeks
11. Dave Condit
12. Eldon Huffman
13. Charles Therwhanger drove the Mike Burkhart #1 Vega for the final 4 weeks
14. Bobby Wood

Season Events
? Event was on 5/25?/73 at Beech Bend International Raceway
- Ray was the #1 qualifier
- In the final, Ray defeated ?

? Event was on ?/73 at Riverside Raceway in Nashville, TN (only 6 cars)
- Participants were: Roger Lindamood 
Raymond Beadle driving Don Schumacher's "Wonder Bread" car Bobby Wood
David Ray driving the Mike Burkhart car
Dave Condit driving the "L. A. Hooker" car
Cliff Brown driving the "Chicago Kid" car (replaced Ron O'Donnell in the "Big Noise from Illinois" car which was broken) 
- In the final, Ray defeated Beadle

[Schumacher Team Cars as follows: 

#1. Yellow 'Cuda driven by Don Schumacher
#2. Blue 'Cuda driven by Bobby Rowe
#3. Red 'Cuda driven by Raymond Beadle

Notes of general interest concerning the three Schumacher Team Cars
I have received information from three different people concerning the three Schumacher Team Cars and all three say the above mentioned team cars debuted in '73 rather than '72 as listed in the Fuel Funny Car Drag Lists on the web at www.draglist.com.
I am open to reviewing the matter based on input that can be supported.]

1974 Season Participants
1. Cliff Brown
2. Fred Goeske
3. Billy Grooms - wrecked at US 30 event and died
4. Larry LaDue driving the Tennessee Bo-Weevil car
5. Roger Lindamood - Captain
6. "Animal Al" Marshall - drove the Creasy Brothers "Tyrant" Mustang
7. Gordon Mineo
8. David Ray - drove the Mike Burkhart #2 Vega

Season Events
- were at Atco Dragway on 6/9/74
- were at Lebanon Valley, NY in June (6/?/74)
- Participants were "Animal Al" Marshall (won the event), David Ray
- David Ray wrecked
- were at Great Lakes Dragaway on Labor Day weekend (9/?/74)
- Participants were Fred Goeske, David Ray

1975 Season Participants
(Mike/Geri Golonka, on 2/26/03, provided information based on an article in "Drag Racing USA" magazine, of the time period, which listed the following eight drivers:
1. Al Bergler in the "Motown Shaker" Mustang II
2. Dick Bourgeois in a Monza
3. Dale Creasy with the "Tyrant" Mustang II
4. Roger Lindamood - Captain
- In the "Color Me Gone" Plymouth
5. Russell Long in the "Sundance" Monza
6. Gordon Mineo
7. Ron O'Donnell in the "Damn Yankee" Vega
8. Radici & Wise (AKA "The Good Guys") with their Monza
- With driver Paul Radici

In addition to those drivers listed in "Drag Racing USA" magazine are the following:
9. Al Hanna
10. Larry LaDue driving the Tennessee Bo-Weevil car
11. "Animal Al" Marshall
12. Fred Goeske ???
13. Larry Fullerton ('75 or '76???)

Event payout was as follows:
- For the race winner, it was $1,650
- For the runner-up, it was $1,100
- For two runs a race, it was $875

Season Events
? Event at OCIR on 8/16/75
- In the final, Mineo defeated Bourgeois

1976 Season Participants (Final season for the Coke series)
1. Gary Bolger*
2. Dick Bourgeois* (drove the Dale Creasy Mustang?)
3. Dale Creasy
4. Dick Custy*
5. Fred Goeske
6. Al Hanna*
7. Roger Lindamood* - Captain
8. "Animal Al" Marshall (drove the Dale Creasy's "Tyrant" Mustang)
9. "Wild Bill" Shrewsberry (replacement for Goeske)
10. Tripp Shumake* - '76 Coke Series Champion
- drove the Fowler "Sundance" Chevy Monza
11. Mike Van Sant* 

Season Events
? Event was in early 6/?/76 at Raceway Park
- In first round: it was Fred Goeske defeating "Animal Al" Marshall, Tripp Shumake defeating Dick Custy, Roger Lindamood defeating Al Hanna (broke) and Mike Van Sant defeated Dick Bourgeois.
- In second round: it was Lindamood defeating Van Sant and Goeske defeating Shumake
- In final round: it was Goeske defeating Lindamood

? Event was in late 7/?/76 at Seattle International Raceway
- held in conjunction with the 64 Funny Car event
- In final round: it was Dick Custy defeating Tripp Shumake

? Event was on 8/14/76 at Irwindale WWCS event
- Participants were: Gary Bolger, Dick Bourgeois, Dick Custy, Al Hanna, Roger Lindamood, Tripp Shumake and Mike Van Sant

? Event was in mid 8/?/76 at Portland International Raceway
- held in conjunction with the 32 Funny Car event
- Fred Goeske crashed and burned his Vega on the first run
- In final round: it was Dale Creasy defeating Mike Van Sant

? Event was on a Wednesday night in 8/?/76 at Fremont Raceway
- In first round it was Dick Custy defeating Roger Lindamood
Dale Creasy's Mustang defeating Dick Bourgeois
- Also in the event were "Wild Bill" Shrewsberry (Bill was replacing Fred Goeske who had burned his rig down a few weeks back at Portland), Tripp Shumake, Al Hanna (teamed with Bill Dee) and Mike Van Sant.

- The Coke Series event at Cayuga was cancelled due to rain

Driver Notes of Interest: Season(s) Undefined
(Roger Lindamood was the top driver 2 years in a row

Other Participants: Undefined
Cecil Lankford
Bill Leavitt
Paula Murphy
I have also seen a photo of Tom McEwen and Don Prudhomme wearing Coke Series type uniforms (although likely for a Coke sponsored event rather than an Actual Coke Series event 

Season Events
(About 22 - 25 events???
An event payout was as follows???
First Place $1,400
Second Place $1,300
Third Place $1,200
Fourth Place $1,100
Fifth Place $1,000
Sixth Place $ 900
Seventh Place $ 800
Eighth Place $ 700

Alphabetical List of Drivers
1. Jerry Baltes 
2. Raymond Beadle
3. Al Bergler
4. Gary Bolger 
5. Dick Bourgeois
6. Cliff Brown 
7. Kelly Chadwick 
8. Jack Chrisman 
9. Dave Condit 
10. Dale Creasy
11. Dick Custy
12. Gary Dyer
13. Marv Eldridge 
14. Larry Fullerton
15. Fred Goeske 
16. Billy Grooms
17. Al Hanna
18. Gary Henderson
19. Eldon Huffman 
20. Norm Kraus 
21. Larry LaDue
22. Cecil Lankford
23. Bill Leavitt
24. Roger Lindamood 
25. Russell Long
26. "Animal Al" Marshall 
27. Butch Maas 
28. Billy Meyer
29. Gordon Mineo
30. Jim Murphy 
31. Paula Murphy
32. Ron O'Donnell 
33. Dale Pulde
34. Paul Radici
35. David Ray 
36. Dick Rosberg 
37. Bobby Rowe 
38. Kenny Safford 
39. Don Schumacher 
40. Tripp Shumake
41. "Wild Bill" Shrewsberry
42. Charles Therwhanger 
43. Jess Tyree 
44. Mike Van Sant
45. Norm Weekly
46. Bobby Wood 
47. Johnny Wright

Acknowledgements

I am very grateful to the following individuals who have contributed to this Coke Series list, they are as follows:

Mike and Geri Golonka
Al Hanna 
James Ibusuki 
James Morgan
Bob Plumer
David Ray
Terry Stuehler

Brian Marshall, 3/03
bmarsh3220@comcast.net