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Round 5: Featuring
Chuck Etchells, Mickey Thompson, Dale Pulde, Ramchargers, Candies
& Hughes, Custom Body Arrow, Steve Tansy, Big John Mazmanian,
Gary Richards, Ron Potter, Drake Viscome, Dick Harrell, and Wayne
Stoeckel.
 Chuck Etchells'
first flopper, circa 1979, started life in 1975 as a
JJ Monza, then was run as a Bruce Larson "USA-1" car
from 76-78. Etchells got his license in March of 79 and campaigned
this car through 1980 when he put a 280-ZX shell on this same
chassis which he had lengthened. The nickname on this car prophesied Etchells' future in the sport quite accurately! (Photo and info
courtesy of David Hapgood)
 MT's
unique Grand-Am, dubbed "Thompson's Torpedo" by the
press, with Dale Pulde up, circa mid-70s. A lot of credit has
to be given to Thompson for his flopper innovations. In 1969 he
introduced the dragster style chassis to F/C racing, zoomie headers,
etc., with his all conquering SOHC powered "Blue" Mustang
driven by Danny Ongais (and it's sister "Red" car driven
by Pat Foster). Some innovations weren't quite as successful... the
"Monocoque" Mustang funny car in 1970, titanium chassised
Pinto in 1971, persistent development on the Boss 429, etc. Not
every idea worked... but what did work changed the face of funny
car racing! MT retired from F/C racing at the end of the 77 season... his
last effort was the Bob Pickett shoed US Marines Starfire. (Photo
Courtesy of Don Eckert)
 By
1977 Dale Pulde had moved on from the MT ride and built the first
of the very popular "War Eagle" F/Cs. Pulde's resume
through the years included stints in Charlie Wilson's Vicious
Vette, the S-W-C Mustang, Dick Bourgeois's Javelin, the MT Pinto
& Grand Am, Eastern Raider Mustang/Monza, Plueger & Gyger
Mustang, Arizona Wildcat Vega, and Chicago Patrol Mustang before
teaming with Mike Hamby on the War Eagle floppers. Pulde won the
IHRA World Championship with this car in 77 and his first NHRA
race at the 78 Gatornationals. Team was noted for outstanding
performances and minimum parts breakage while utilizing a stock
stroke 426... rumor had it the team burnt only 9 pistons all
of the 77 season!!! (Photo from Pennzoil Handout, courtesy of
Jim White)
 Casting
a long late afternoon shadow is the Ramchargers' Challenger. The
Israeli Rocket, Leroy Goldstein, piloted this flopper to the bracket's
first 6 second clockings at New York National Speedway in the
summer of 70. A consistent threat, they captured 70 Springnationals
title, 71 Gatornationals title and numerous AHRA races. Arnie
Behling took over the reins in late 71 when Goldstein moved on
to drive for Candies & Hughes 2 car team. Low slung Demon
driven by "Jungle" Clare Sanders replaced the Challenger
in 72. Trivia fodder: Dick Rosberg was the last Ramchargers flopper
shoe in 74. (Frank Thomas Photo)
 Goldstein's
72 ride... Goldstein's stable mate was Leonard Hughes in a nearly
identical Candies & Hughes' F/C. C&H had the distinction
of being the first team to have their cars finish one-two at an
NHRA national event; at the 70 Gatornationals Leonard Hughes won
the event with a new-for-70 Cuda over their 69 Cuda driven by
Larry Reyes. C&H moved on to T/F cars in the mid-70s and won
an NHRA World Championship with Richard Tharp at the helm while
Goldstein went on to crewchief Kenny Bernstein's comeback "Chelsea
King" Arrow in the late 70s. C&H returned to flopper
wars in 83 with a blue multi-hued Firebird driven by Mark Oswald.
(Photo from C&H 73 Handout courtesy of the Greenberg Collection.)
 This
mid-70s version of the Custom Body flopper continued a long line
of Utica, NY., based F/Cs run through the decade of the 70s to
the mid-80s by the Castronovo family. Cars were originally shoed by Phil Castronovo, Tom Prock then took over driving chores through
the late 70s when Al Segrini stepped in. In 76 Tom Prock driven
entry became 2nd F/C into the 5s with a 5.97 at Green Valley,
TX., and was welcomed into the Cragar 5 second club, an honor
later rescinded when Cragar decided to only recognize times at
meets certified for records. (Also bumping out JJ's 5.96 and Tom
Hoover's 5.99, both recorded at Green Valley in 76.) Team's top
"claim to fame" was winning the 71 NHRA World Championship.
(Don Eckert Photo)
"The
Godfather" Vega Panel Wagon of Indiana's Steve Tansy, circa
1972-73. Tansy was a car show producer whose clean F/Cs reflected
that background. Although this car reportedly ran 6.90/211 on
it's first full pass, car was destroyed at 73 York US 30 Funny
Nationals and replaced by a more aerodynamic green and white International
Championship Auto Shows Cuda in short order. Not a "heavy
hitter", Tansy ran infrequently in the mid-west and on the
east coast. (Photo courtesy of Drag Racing Memories.)
 West
coast "killer" cars, whether in AA/Gas in the mid 60s
or AA/FC in the late 60s/early 70s, were Big John Mazmanian's
entries. This car, the 70 flopper dominated F/C racing on the
"coast" with Rich Siroonian at the wheel and was the
first F/C to run over 220 mph. Car was tuned by Doug "Cookie"
Cook of S-W-C fame. Later drivers for "Big John" included
Mike Snively in 71 and Danny Ongais in 72. Pictured car was later
transported back east to become the "Brief Encounter"
Cuda of Joe Jacono and afterward survived through the 70s as
a F/C econo altered running out of PA. (Photo courtesy of Drag
Racing Memories)
New
York,
NY., based Gary Richards 1979 effort. In the early 70s Richards
ran the Shadow and Black Shadow Mustangs in the NE and was a Division
1 regular. Usually considered "middle of the pack" cars,
Richards ventured to Div 3 for the 70 season and took home the
division flopper title as well as runner-up at the 70 NHRA Summernationals.
After vacating the cockpit in the early 70s, Richards used hired
drivers to shoe his floppers... Harlan Thompson of "Tom
& Jerry" and "Fireball" Vega/Monza backgrounds
drove this car. This car was originally the mid-70s Custom Body
flopper pictured above, then was purchased by Al Hanna of Eastern
Raider fame before ending up in Gary Richards colors. (James Morgan
Photo)
 "Ron
Potter Stakes His Claim: 'Golden Nugget' goes prospecting in Funny
Car Eliminator" started a Drag Racing USA, Oct 72, article
on this car. Potter, from Cleveland, Ohio, raced a series of T/F
cars before stepping up and turning full time pro with this F/C.
An NHRA WCS regular, Potter also ran selected AHRA and IHRA events.
Potter's biggest win with the car came at the Fall 72 National
Dragster Open at Columbus, OH., over Bob Durban aboard Jeg Coughlin's
Camaro flopper. Based on a Don Hardy chassis with Ed Pink power,
this car was one sanitary F/C! (JW Last Photo)
 When
talking 70s nitro floppers, don't forget injected nitro F/Cs.
Popular on both coasts, the east coast had the East Coast Fuel
Funny Car Circuit that toured in the late 60s and early 70s and
included such east coast stalwarts as the "Virginia Twister",
Gene Altizer, etc. Pictured is Drake Viscome's New York based
(ex-Stone, Woods & Cooke Tinkerbell) Vindicator 5 Pinto which
was motivated by a rare nitro burning injected Boss 429 powerplant.
Best performance was in the 8.30 range. (Photo
courtesy of Drag Racing Memories)
 Mr.
Chevrolet and Mr. AHRA are just two of the many titles/nicknames
carried by Kansas City's Dick Harrell. One of the most popular
funny car drivers of the late 60s/early 70s, Harrell stuck with
Chevy power until the late in the 71 season when he switched to
a Hemi powerplant. His #2 car during the 71 season, Larry Christopherson
(in a Vega) utilized Chrysler motivation from the beginning of
the season... a unfortunate foreshadow of things to come in the
Harrell camp for Bowtie fans. Tragically, Harrell was fatally
injured in a racing accident in Canada as the 71 season came to
a close. (Photo from 71 Harrell Handout, courtesy of the Greenberg
Collection)
 An
unidentified crew member thrashes on Wayne Stoeckel's "Boogie
Man" Monza (body in background) between rounds at Beeline
in 78. Stoeckel ran the "Vulture" AA/DA in the mid 70s and was the AHRA Pro Comp World Champ in 75. He stepped up from
the alcohol ranks to nitro flopper racing in 78-79, then returned
to the alcohol ranks. Stoeckel continued to run the popular "Boogie
Man" Chevy alky F/C out of Div 7 20 years later! (JW Last
photo)
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