Perry S. Wyatt, Jr., has put together a great story for his dad, Perry Wyatt, Sr., who owned and tuned the Super Camaro funny car. He kindly consented to share his story with Draglist.com readers. As it spans 40 years, we are running it in installments. Check out the links at the bottom to navigate the entire story. Perry is looking for any info on his dad's old funny car, the Super Camaro. If you know of any info or photos, please drop him a line. bp

1980. Two years after I had set out to show Lora what a "real" cool hot rod was, I am ready to drive the Camaro. We've already graduated from high school, so I missed out on that. I buy insurance and plates and we cruise around town.

But the real reason for this car was to go drag racing. I was 18 years old and had never made a pass down the quarter mile, even though; I had spent most of my life at the drag strip. It's time! We plan a trip to Milan Dragway!

1980. It's a Saturday in April and we spend all day preparing the car to race at Milan for Sunday. We cleaned and polished and tuned and adjusted. Lora was preparing chicken for us to take. My dad's buddy Ernie had loaned us the use of his brand new pick-up. My buddy Ron had loaned me the use of his open trailer. We were up very late getting ready to go.

We got up very early Sunday morning and headed for Milan. My brother and Lora were with me. My dad and other friends and family followed. It was great! I had spent so long thinking about that first trip down the quarter mile, that I was sick to my stomach over it.

I made it to the starting line and got it staged, the light came down, and I hammered it, ran it through the gears and it was over before I knew it. What a blast! 14:57 @ 95 mph! I got beat in the first round, but had the experience of my life!

Ok, now I need some slicks and what about a lower gear and better cam and...uh oh!

1980. I get some slicks and we start going to Milan on a regular basis. The car runs pretty consistent in the 14:20's and I start going some rounds. We run into a streak where it rains out Sunday at Milan for three weeks in a row (saw a lot of movies at the theater). Detroit Dragway is having a 3-day event and we decide to go there.

Funny, having grown up at Detroit Dragway, this is the first time we run the Camaro there! Car runs in the 14.20s. There are BB/FCs running as well as dragsters and pro stock type cars, along with Art Arfons' "Green Monster." Plus there's this 1970 Camaro called "Showdown" that's driven by a guy that I went to high school with, but had never met. Car runs in the high nines and he beats Carl Holbrook Saturday in Super Pro!

Lora had taken a picture of his car, as it stood out to her. During the course of the weekend he walked by us and asked if we were interested in selling our Camaro. We told him no, but he said if we changed our mind to let him know, he didn't live too far from me.

I made it to the semi-finals on Sunday and was paid some money it was great!

1980. The Northern Nationals at Milan. We go on Saturday. The place is packed. Raymond Beadle and Kenny Bernstein along with several others are there. Joe Natt goes out with Lora and me. There is a guy there running a tune up machine and his son's are racing a 1965 Impala, they're called Allen Electric.

The dad will put anyone's car on the scope for free and help you dial it in. So I wait my turn and get it on the machine, he's says everything looks pretty good, but I should change the jets and readjust the carb. Plus get some colder plugs. So I find some guys that have some jets and swap them out, plus I get a set of cooler plugs and install them.

I go back over and he sets everything up on the machine and says it should work good, why don't I go try it. I take the car up to run and it goes 13:98. I'm smiling ear to ear, it had only run in the 14:20's and maybe one high teen, but now it had improved two tenths. I got back to the pit and ran over and thanked him.

Came back on Sunday and the event rained out, we hung out in Raymond Beadles trailer while it rained, then when they said it would be post postponed, Joe went over and got our money back on all of our tickets. What a great weekend, I made passes all day Saturday, got my car into the thirteen's and then got my money back.

We cruised in the Camaro until I put it up for the winter, what a great summer!

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