The Hiltons’ Little “Honker”

I watched the tow strap tighten as the metallic blue station wagon guided a stubby maroon coupe into the staging area. As I recall, it was a mild afternoon on the border of Missouri and Kansas. The winds of the great planes managed to rest prior to reaching our little safe haven, and the air tasted thick and sweet. Miles above, the sky teased of rain until its once threating clouds turned amorphous, fusing together to cast a grey glow across the landscape.

Out of the Saturday crowd, a figure appeared. With a wrench clasped tightly in one hand and a starter in the other, he approached the coupe. A few words were exchanged with the man nestled inside the depths of the machine. The fuel was checked. The starter was secured and the belt began rotating. Heads cocked in the car’s direction as dozens of eyes glinted in the grey light like silver dollars on the sidewalk.

A roar followed by a cackle shook the onlookers from their trance as the beast crept towards the starting line. From inside the cockpit, the pilot inched forward with each ebb of the brake handle. Once again the figure appeared, except this time to apply an elixir at the base of each piecrust slick.

The narrow cycle wheels triggered the beams. Gaze of both driver and spectator alike focused as the 900 horses contained by the supercharged Olds anxiously awaited instruction.

Amber. Amber. Amber. Green. Spinning slicks. Howling motor. Rotation. Reverberation. Mechanized chaos. Mag killed. Coasting.

At the tail end of the track, the pilot emerged — grinning from ear to ear.

***

If you’ve ever been to the H.A.M.B. Drags, you’ll recognize the Hilton’s Little “Honker�? Bantam coupe. The guys over at Holley dug it as much as we do and decided to make a short piece about it for their NHRA Hot Rod Reunion mini-documentary series. And in my opinion, the 8mm b-roll just sweetens the deal. Check it out.

-Joey Ukrop

…and some action shots that I’ve taken over the past few years.