Coca Cola Cavalcade of Stars Funny Cars
by Brian Marshall
This Coke Series information represents a starting point. I will be updating the
lists as I acquire new information. If you come across information about specific
Coke Series events from the '75 season, please forward a copy to me.
Brian Marshall
bmarsh3220@comcast.net
- ANNUAL AA FUNNY CAR TEAMS -
1969 (Inaugural Season): Eight Participants
1. Dick Bourgeois
2. Kelly Chadwick - '69 Coke Series Champion
3. Jack Chrisman - drove a '70 Mustang - was at Capital Raceway in June of ‘69
4. Marv Eldridge
5. Fred Goeske
6. Norm Kraus: driving Mr. Norm's Dodge Super Charger
- was at Thompson Drag Raceway on 8/16/69
- Gary Dyer became the driver after the third event
7. Kenny Safford - drove the Stone, Woods & Cooke car
? 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. Bobby Steakley
9. Jess Tyree
- each car was contracted for $1,000/race
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
Final event was on 10/?/69 at Lions Dragstrip
1970: Eight 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. Stone, Woods & Cooke/Dee Keaton with driver Dale Pulde
7. Bobby Steakley
8. Mickey Thompson with driver Johnny Wright
9. Jess Tyree
10. Bobby Wood (replaced '69 regular Jack Chrisman)
Note: Dale Pulde finished the season in the Dick Bourgeois car
David Ray also competed on the Coke circuit in 1970 (was a replacement for Fred Goeske)
- about 40 dates
1971: Eight Participants (No official Coke Series in '71???)
David Ray
2. Jack Chrisman
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Bobby Wood
1972: Eight 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
The Three Schumacher Team Cars for '72 were as follows;
#1. Yellow ‘Cuda driven by Don Schumacher
#2. Blue ‘Cuda driven by Bobby Rowe
#3. Red ‘Cuda driven by Raymond Beadle
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: Eight Participants
1. Jerry Baltes
2. “Animal Al” Marshall drove the Dale Creasy, Sr. car
3. Roger Lindamood - Captain
4. Ron O'Donnell
- was at York U.S. 30 Dragway in May of ‘73
5. David Ray
- won the event at Beech Bend International Raceway
- was #1 qualifier at Beech Bend International Raceway
- won the most Coke Series events in '73 and missed the final 4 weeks
6. Dave Condit
7. Eldon Huffman
8. Charles Therwhanger
1974: Eight Participants
1. Billy Grooms - wrecked at US 30 event and died
2. Roger Lindamood - Captain
3. “Animal Al” Marshall - drove the Creasy Brothers “Tyrant” Mustang
4. David Ray
5.
6.
7.
8.
- were at Atco Dragway on 6/9/74
1975: Eight Participants
1. Dick Bourgeois
2. Dale Creasy's Mustang
3. Al Hanna
4. Roger Lindamood - Captain
5. “Animal Al” Marshall
6. Gordon Mineo
- won the event at OCIR (defeated Bourgeois in the final) on 8/16/75
7. Radici & Wise (aka “The Good Guys”) with driver Paul Radici
8.
- 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
1976: Eight 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. “Wild Bill” Shrewsberry (replacement for Goeske)
9. Tripp Shumake* - '76 Coke Series Champion
- drove the Fowler “Sundance” Chevy Monza
10. Mike Van Sant*
*- Coke Series event at Irwindale WWCS event on 8/14/76
- the Coke Series event at Cayuga was cancelled due to rain
Other Participants: Undefined
- Larry Fullerton
- I have also seen photos of Tom McEwen and Don Prudhomme dressed in the Coke Series garb
Season Events
- all the major car manufacturer's were represented in the 8 car field
- about 22 - 25 events per season
- 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. Al Bergler
3. Gary Bolger
4. Dick Bourgeois
5. Cliff Brown
6. Kelly Chadwick
7. Jack Chrisman
8. Dave Condit
9. Dale Creasy
10. Dick Custy
11. Gary Dyer
12. Marv Eldridge
13. Fred Goeske
14. Billy Grooms
15. Al Hanna
16. Gary Henderson
17. Eldon Huffman
18. Norm Kraus
19. Roger Lindamood
20. “Animal Al” Marshall
21. Butch Maas
22. Gordon Mineo
23. Jim Murphy
24. Ron O'Donnell
25. Dale Pulde
26. Paul Radici
27. David Ray
28. Dick Rosberg
29. Bobby Rowe
30. Kenny Safford
31. Don Schumacher
32. Tripp Shumake
33. “Wild Bill” Shrewsberry
34. Bobby Steakley
35. Charles Therwhanger
36. Jess Tyree
37. Mike Van Sant
38. Bobby Wood
39. Johnny Wright
