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Round 27: Featuring
our Australian cousins: Graham Withers’ Demon’s Disciple Dart, Bruce
Phillips’ Panic Torana, Jim Read’s Chesterfield Mustang, Chuck May’s
Certs Outcast Charger, the Sterling & Patterson Mustang, Bob Dunn’s
Big Banger Charger, Bob Shepherd’s Mustang, Alan Walton’s Smokin’
Torana, Jim Walton’s Thunda from Down Unda Monza, and Barry Bowing’s
Mexican Mustang.
The “Demon’s
Disciple” was the first funny car in Australia. Top Fuel racer Graham Withers
not only raced the car but also built the chassis. The car featured an all-steel
body with the nitro burning 392 Chrysler from Withers’ Ampol GT dragster. The
car’s highly anticipated debut took place in late 1968 at Castlereagh. The
crew was still welding pieces on the car in the staging lanes! The car’s
fearless driver was Ray Zygadlo. The team raced the car over the next five
years. The car’s best time’s was in the nine-second range. (Photo & info
from Steve Thomas)
There were funny cars named
the “Panic” on three continents and both coasts in America. This is the
Aussie version owned by Bruce Phillips and driven by John Lumb. Like the
Demon’s Disciple, what the “Panic” lacked in performance it made up for in
showmanship. The team’s legendary fire and chained down burnouts are the stuff
of legends. The Holden Torana debuted in 1971. The car featured a 307 Holden
Chevy for power at first it; a 427 Chevy came in 1972. The team later raced the
former Cowin & Johns Mustang before retiring. (Photo & info from Steve
Thomas)
The “Chesterfield”
Mustang was owned by Aussie legend Jim Read and driven by Rick Jones. What makes
this car so amazing it that it is a dual barrier breaker. Rick Jones broke the
seven-second barrier and 200 mile per hour with a 7.99, 203.67 pass. This was
behind the American standards of the same era, but the eight-second barrier was
broken only six weeks before by Norm Oakley. This was Jim Read’s second funny
car, replacing the small block powered Torana he raced in 1972. (Photo &
info from Steve Thomas)
Chuck May owned this unique
funny called the “Certs Outcast Charger.” Chris Farrell made the unique
Dodge Valiant Charger body in his Melbourne shop. A venerable 392 Chrysler
“Chizler” Hemi powered the car. Peter Little did most of the driving. This
shot of a smoky run at Castlereagh Raceway outside of Sydney was typical of
early seventies racing in Australia. Clutch technology was behind the United
States at the time, but the Aussies would soon catch up. (Photo & info from
Steve Thomas)
The Sterling &
Patterson 1973 Mustang had several novelties to it (as evident in the photo).
The car, driven by Tom Sterling, had to be the last funny car to have mirrors.
The flashing light on top added an extra touch. This photo is from the 1975
Nationals held at Surfer’s Paradise. Jim Read was the winner of that race. The
Sterling & Patterson Mustang was also powered by a 392 Chrysler Hemi. (Photo
& info from Steve Thomas)
Bob Dunn was a well-known
racer in Australia in 1975. He had previously raced a Fuel Altered before buying
this Charger. Dunn purchased the Charger from Gene Snow and had it shipped
from the ‘States. The Melosi & Son “Big Banger” Charger ran times in
the mid- sevens. Dunn fought it out with the best Australia had to offer along
with racers who came from the United States. Bob Dunn’s biggest win was the
1977 Nationals with the Charger. He retired the car at the end of 1977 and
replaced it with Chris Lane’s Phoenix. (Photo & info from Steve Thomas)
Bob Shepherd is part of the
famous Shepherd family of drag racers. The Shepherds are so prolific in fast
drivers they have a Shepherd Family 200 M.P.H. club! The pictured Mustang was
Bob Shepherd’s second funny car. It replaced a rather bad-handling Monaro. The
392 Chrysler powered Mustang ran seven-second times at best. Bob Shepherd raced
funny cars off and on for the next twenty years. He is currently racing his
Great Western Oil top fueler. (Photo & info from Steve Thomas)
Here is the “Smokin’”
LC Torana of Alan Walton getting severely crossed up on his burnout. This photo was
taken at Adelaide. Before Pro Comp became a full time eliminator, alcohol racers
had to compete against their nitromethane burning big brothers. Walton, a
transmission builder by trade, ran his 392 Chrysler mostly on alcohol mixed with
low doses of nitro. The car’s best times were in the seven-second range.
Walton raced from the late seventies into the early eighties. (Photo & info
from Steve Thomas)
Jim Walton had several
things in common with his fellow Australian racers. He raced AA/Fuel Altereds
like Graeme Cowin, Bob Dunn, and Bob Shepherd. He also bought a car from the
United States from Gary Densham (see Round 9). The Thunda’ From Down Unda’
Monza was Walton’s second funny car after Walton had driven the Hussey
Bros.’ “Canned Heat” Mustang. Walton had instant success with the Keith
Black powered Monza, recording his first six-second times. He ran a best of 6.40
with the car in the eighties. Jim Walton also won the Nationals twice with the
car in 1979 and 1980. The car was destroyed in 1981 in accident at Calder Park.
(Photo & info from Steve Thomas)
Barry Bowing was the third
owner of this Mustang II when he bought it in 1979. The car was built by Lil’
John Lombardo in 1975 and purchased by Dennis Geisler in 1978. Bowling bought
the car from Geisler, who toured Australia in late 1978. Bowling renamed the car
the “Mexican Mustang” and raced the car over the next couple of years,
winning the Nationals in 1981. The car was sold several times over the next
couple of years. Peter Russo, Garry McGrath, and Romeo Capitanio all took their
first funny car rides in this car in the 1980s. Reports say Bowling has
purchased the car and plans to restore it to the version he raced. (Photo &
info from Steve Thomas)
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