One of the most popular floppers of the 70s was the Farkonas, Coil & Minick "Chi-Town Hustler." Starting life as a flip-top Cuda in 67, the team debut the now infamous Charger in 68. Considered THE killer car of the period, the Hustler typically covered the field by 2 tenths of a second and drove fans to the brink with it's long smoky burnouts. Drivers throughout the 70s included Clare Sanders, Ron Colson, Russell Long, Denny Savage, Pete Williams and of course, Pat Minick. Mopar bodied until 77, the Hustler ran a Mustang II body for a season before closing out the decade in a more Hustler appropriate Dodge Challenger shell. (Photo from Rislone handout, supplied by Rick Covington)

A long way from his roots in Lubbock, Texas was Raymond Beadle and the Blue Max Mustang pictured at Santa Pod Raceway in England in the mid/late 70s. Beadle opened the 70s driving T/F cars in TX, then shoed one of Don Schumacher's Cudas in 73/74. Beadle teamed up with Blue Max "founder" Harry Schmidt (who had parked the Max in 74 for financial reasons) in 75. The team stayed together through 76 when Beadle bought Schmidt out and took full control of the Blue Max operation. Max won Indy in 75, the IHRA World Championship in 75, 76 and broke Prudhomme's stranglehold on NHRA competition by winning the NHRA title in 79. In 78 a yellow and blue Arrow body replaced the Mustang II body; Mopar shell took the Max name into the 80s. (Photo by Nick)

PA based Al Graeber's "Tickle Me Pink" Charger ran mainly in the NE from 68-73. Chassis was built by Graeber who ran a small chassis shop that also turned out cars in the early 70s such as JJ's 71 Camaro. This car was unique in that rather having a flip up body, the entire nose came off the car (from forward of the K in Kendall) and the roof flipped up. In the mid-70s Graeber turned his attention to circle track racing. Rumor has it this car still exists somewhere in the mid-west...  possibly being restored for nostalgia racing? (Photo from Tickle Me Pink handout courtesy of Jim White)

And speaking of Jeff Gordon (no, not THAT Jeff Gordon!)... Jeff Gordon's "King Cuda" came from Newton, Mass. In Don Roberts words Gordon was "A nice kid with a small amount of money from his folks...  he wanted a funny car in the worst way...  " King Cuda was built in 1970 and made it's debut in the spring of 1971.The chassis was state of the art Logghe Bros and car was motivated by a Chrysler 426 with Lenco transmission. Roberts made the first shakedown passes at Oxford, ME, and Epping in the car before turning over the reins to Gordon. Car could run 6.90-7.00's at 205-210. Gordon drove the Cuda from 1971 to 1974. The car was called the King Cuda for a period, name was later changed to the Bostonian and injectors replaced the supercharger, and later Bostonian Charger with a blower was campaigned. Sam Miller did a stint in the car in 74 when the Charger burned to the ground. (Info, Photo courtesy of Don Roberts by Paul Wasilewski Jr.)

From Warner Robbins, GA came the first "real" NHRA World Champ, Shirl Greer, circa 1975 (note the #1 on the car). Greer won the 74 title with his "Chained Lightning" Mustang after the first season long points chase (as opposed to a single race for the title). A near catastrophic fire during qualifying for the Finals at Ontario nearly ended his chances, but a total rebuild by Greer and an army of friends got Greer through the 1st round where he secured enough points to capture the championship (and burned the car down again). Greer was a perennial Div 2 contender and won the division F/C title in 76, 77 and 78. Trivia fodder: Greer was the first driver to reset the NHRA flopper record in the decade of the 70s with a 7.30 in his "Tension" mini-Charger which erased Danny Ongais' 7.37 mark in M/T's Mustang from 69. (Photo from Kendall handout courtesy of Rick Covington)

From 1976 and Washington D.C. came the "Mandingo" Vega of the Jackson Bros (Tyrone & Ron) which was named for the popular literary slave who gained recognition as an invincible fighter. Ushering in the 70s with an ex-Bob Banning Charger, by 73 the brothers had their first new race car in the form of the Woody Gilmore built "High Explosive" Vega. The car was upgraded in 76 with a new body and tin supplied by S&W Race Cars, paint scheme designed by Kenny Youngblood and sprayed by Circus. Biggest event win came at the 75 Suffolk "Little Guy Nationals." Bill Barrett of "Black Magic" fame wrenched the Mandingo entry. In 77 the Jacksons sold their entire operation, buyer unknown. (Photo courtesy of James Morgan)

New Jersey's "Crazy Jake" Crimmins Mustang II pictured at Lebanon Valley, NY in 79. Crimmins opened the decade driving the "Raceway Speed Center" injected Maverick, did a stint driving the Swenson & Lani Mustang in 72, drove and toured with one of Jungle's cars in the mid-70s before moving on to shoe his own "Crazy Jake" flopper. Car was Division 1 regular, winning both the 78 and 79 division opening WWCS events, but mid-season 79 Crimmins sold his entire operation and went looking for a "ride." Crimmins briefly drove the "Shady Glenn" Plymouth flopper when seat was vacated by Jim Adolph at end of 79. (Photo courtesy of Dave Milcarek)

Marv Eldridge's Javelin was one of a trio of F/C's run out of the Fiberglass Trends shop in 69-70. Eldridge also had a topless Corvette (which mirrored the paint scheme on this Javelin and was a charter member of the Coke Cavalcade circuit), a white Challenger and this car. Not a common body style, other Javelin bodied floppers included the Doug's Headers red, white and blue rear engine "Javelin 1" of the late 60s, the more conventional "Javelin 2", Gary Reed's "Nutcracker", Bob Pickett's "Mr. Pickett" and the "Travelin'' Javelin" from So Cal. None were terribly successful. (Photo courtesy of Drag Racing Memories.)

Needing no introduction to new millennium flopper fans is John "Brute" Force. Force's first flopper was Jack Chrisman's sidewinder Mustang flopper in 73 which got John banned from OCIR for the car throwing too many chains (and the hazards that presented!). In 75 Force bought cousin Gene Beaver's "LA Hooker" Vega and in 76 Force turned to F/C racing full time. With Steve Plueger wrenching and backing from Leo's Stereo, 78 was the "turn around" year for Force. He won OCIR's PDA meet and a couple flopper shows at Fremont. Force hit the NHRA trail full time in 79, and was rewarded with his first final round appearance at the 79 Cajun Nationals where he lost to Kenny Bernstein. The rest...  is history!!!! (Photo by John Shanks, used with permission.)

Descended from the popular long line of Malcolm Durham's Washington DC based Strip Blazer Chevys that terrorized eastern tracks in the 60s came this Lee Jones driven entry from 1975. Jones was driving his own "Jet Age Special" Camaro floppers on the west coast when he teamed up with Durham to drive this #2 Strip Blazer, a Sarte built ex-Jeg Coughlin car previously campaigned by Dale Emery as a AA/FC and Jeg as an alcohol car. As a team driver for Durham, Jones chauffeured Strip Blazer entries on both the east and west coasts while Durham concentrated on the east with a Pro Stock Vega. (Photo from the Bob Plumer Collection)

From 1973 comes ex-AA/FA hero Wild Willie Borsch. Borsch made the switch to floppers in the early 70s with this Chevy powered Dodge Charger bodied car sponsored by Revell. Unique feature on the car, besides the Rat powerplant, was a fake firesuited and gloved arm attached to the left interior tinwork and window ledge as Borsch capitalized on his "one armed" nickname gained for his altered driving style. Chevy power gave way to Donovan power in 74 and by 76 Borsch had moved to Florida and was running the seldom seen ex-Black Stang of Pee Wee Wallace. He campaigned the car in Div 2 and toured that year, then stepped briefly into the cockpit of Walt Knoch's "Walt's Puffer" Monza after the 'Stang burned at a WWCS event at US 131 in May 76. (Photo by Rob Potter)