Great Oregon Racers

Bob Duedall has ben selling lic plates in NOR CAL for more than 25 or 30 years i asked him years ago if he was the same guy in HOT ROD MAG with the 34 coupe from Oregon and all he said was yes and that was it.

 

Last Wed night at the "Beaches" cruise at PIR I met Val (1971 BB 427), we had a good visit about drag racing back in the 70's, I mentioned my Jeep that I raced. It started out as a 2 wheel drive US Mail delivery rig, I replaced the body with a fiberglass one. It had a "Boss 302" Ford and a 4 speed. It ran in the 1974 season, with a best 1/8 mi at 7.30, 97mph, 1/4 mi, 11.41, 117. This shot is the "dry hop". It was a wild machine at the starting line, my old friend Jerry Hill told me the safest place to be when I dropped the clutch, was in front of it. Note the lack of safety equipment, and my $16.00 "Pip" helmet. It was a blast and launched my career as a race car and hot rod builder!

 

Dragster technology changes in 8 years. The first is the Wardin Bros, Ferd and John in about 1958. The second is Ernie Hall in 1966, this was Ernie's second car, after he switched it from Desoto to Chrysler. Bob Jensen photos.

 

Is that McMinneville?

 

How about some drag bikes! 1st shot is Robbie Hilton and Marlo Treit, the last one is Marlo and Bob "Whitey" Jensen, grinding on a Triumph head in 1957. Bob Jensen photos

 

Gary the shot of Ernie is at Mac, the one of Ferd is either Mac or Aurora. BTW 1966 was the last season for McMinnville

 

Pruitt & Nelson did the paint for us when I worked with Nitro Nick....A lotta magic came outa that shop in the 70s,heres some old pics from those days

 

Marty,
Some time ago in a Goodguys Gazette article (I think) there was mention of a shop in the NW that was starting to build "sports rods" in the 50's vein. I seem to recall a dimly lit photo of an inprogress 30's Ford roadster undergoing mods, too. Ever heard of it? Know them? Sorry, that's all I got. Gary

 

Gary, I don't have any knowledge of that shop.

 

More pics from the Bob Jensen photos, some are Washington cars at Oregon strips. 1st, Day and Nite Dragster, 2nd, Skeans and Pickering A/MR (Slo-Poks), 3rd, Les Lennington's B/SR 30 roadster,4th, Schnell sponsored T-Bird (possibly Bud Kennedy) and last is Jack Coonrod in the lanes at Woodburn. More to come.

 

My little brother and I were on "our" corner of Crater Lake Hwy, and Delta Waters Rd. ( Bergmans Shop, the Medford Speed and Marine rail ) on a Sat. morning when the Slo Poks went by on their way to the old Agate Rd. strip, We pedaled our bikes the 5 miles out to the strip to watch the races. The "T" in the second photo was yellow then. At 15 years old it was the start of my love for all things fast ! Thanks for the memories !

 

My first memory of the "Skeans" roadster was at McMinnville in 1961, as I remember it was maroon then. It had a distinctive "whine" from the blower, what a car ! Fast forward to 2002, this is a shot of the engine with me sitting in front of it, Earl Floyd had kept it all those years and furnished it for this restoration.

 

Can you imagine getting that teched today? great stuff man, the more drag stuff the better. I'm hoping to see myself as a teenager in an old Woodburn pic!

 

Gary, The "Coleman" car was "Worlds Fastest Chevy" in 1961, it went 8.91 at 180 mph. It must have been quite a ride, for driver Earl Howard out of Maryland.

 

Marty, first of all I want to thank you for your work and dillegence over the last twenty or so years in accumulating a great deal of NW racing history, from Drag Racing to Stock Cars to Indy cars.
Just a few thoughts from my feeble memory, but for starters, I also first went to Drag Races at McMinville in either 1960 or 61, which has over the last fifty plus years cost me any chance at a comfortable retirement.
Next, I want to mention that during the early to late sixties, probably the largest Drag Racing Club in Oregon if not the Northwest was the Klan Racing Team out of Springfield, Oregon which included amongst others, Mel Bryson (Rogers, Bryson and Bryson C/Gasser (I think that was the class), Teddy Kelm's "Short Stroker II 57' Corvette, the Wilson and Gimby 55 Chevy Gasser, Mike Robertson's straight axle 59 or 60 Corvette, Mike Pruitt's Chevy powered Altered, Dave Pruett's killer 40 Willy"s gasser/altered, Paul Smith's National Record holding 55' Chevy's, Larry Piquettes assorted Stock Class cars, Alan May's 62 or 63 409 (that guy could shift a four speed like Dyno Don Nicholsen (and was built like a brick shithouse ... no body messed withh Alan) and God know's how many more that I have forgotten, including the 409 powered Chevy two door station wagon called the "Box Car" which might have been another Mike Robertson car, but I can't remember.
I think even Cordy Jensen and Bob McCabe (Woody Top Fuel car) were members and I appologize with the other dozen or so competetive racers from the Klan who I have left out.
The ironic thing is that those of us who lived in Eugene (U of O), thought of our neighboring city of Springfield as "Hoad Town" in that it was reliant on the many lumber mills and Logging as it's main source of industry.
At the same time, all of the "cool" car guys in "uppity" Eugene (including yours truley) would have given their left nut to be one of the Klan Racing Team members.
When these guy's pulled into McMinnville, Woodburn or Madras drag strips, they took up a big portion of the pit's, and if after way too many beer's any competitors had a bitch, they probably still wear the "scar's" inflicted by the millworkers and logger's of Springfield, Oregon.
"One Run Bob" Drury, Old Drag Racer, Old Hippie, and
still sniffing Nitro racing at Bonneville.

 

Yikes! To say the least! What is the Wheelbase of that thing anyway?

 

A long 104", the driver's feet were on the front axle!

 

onefaststude, or "One Run Bob", you must have bought a few of these! Are you ready for "Speedweek"? Please post some pics of your Stude on here.

 

In reply toONEFASTSTUDE, yes Cordy Jensen and I were members of the Klan Racing Team out of Springfield. Others were Vic Morse (alias Snidely Whiplash), Jerry Russell, and Jerry Weaver (ran altereds). Thanks for bringing back wonderful memories. Bob

 

Bob, I haven't had any luck locating Ron Salisbury. Do you remember who ran the yellow altered with the tall headers, I think it was sponsored by "Bob Cochran Auto Sales" ?

 

More from Scapoose ? Ken Austin's coupe and a couple of 32 sedans, Bob Jensen photos.

 

Hey there Marty ! Another name popped into my echo this morn,,,,,, Art Pollard,,,used to run in the jalopy circuit in S. Ore. I think,,,,,any memories of him ?

 

The speedway in Roseburg hosts the "Art Pollard" memorial race once a year. It features a nite of vintage racing, and the Pollard family are present. I posted pics of the Supermodified he bought from Rolla Vollstedt earlier. Here are more, some from the family's collection. He used to race at the "Salem Speedway", I never got to see him race, he clearly was one of Oregon's best!

 

Here is a thread from a couple of years ago about Mcminnville.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=228096

 

You missed a few but got most. I covered most of them at the start of this thread. I was a charter Member of the KLAN back then and was active till the draft board and US ARMY had other ideas and I departed for FT ORD in early 63. I was one of the "EAST SIDE HOODALUMS", from Fall Creek/Lowell area.

 

Davey, Didn't Allen May have a 61 Chev 2dr, "Little Red" with a 348, prior to the 57 wagon? The wagon was the first I ever heard of "Hooker Headers", he had a decal or it was painted on the front fenders.

 

Out of the McMinnville paper circa 1965

 

Two friends of mine were on Chet's team, Bobby Mead is on the left, Mike Grant is on the right, with Chet in the center. Chet was also sponsored by "George Black Motors" out of Canada. When Chet moved the engine back and ran C/A, he had some spirited battles with Gary Coe's "Gunfighter" 57 Ford. I think Chet's Cobra is owned by another racer I mentioned in earlier posts, Randy Francis.

 

Another one from McMinnville in 1961, I remember the car with the 348/409. It looks like a "square tube" version of a Chassis Research TE440. Anyone remember who it was ?

 

Marty, the Bob Cochran altered was Jerry Weavers and was featured in several Hot Rod Magazine and "Pocket Book" articles of the sixties as a example of long exhaust pipes and induction systems.
I was remiss in omiting Jerry, and remembered the car but not his name.
Also, I want to mention Harry Reinart from Eugene (Dave Pruett's ex father in law) who ran a killer roadster starting at the old Eugene Airport, Scapoose, Madras, and finally Woodburn in the 80's.
Over the years, many of the killer cars from Eugene were powered by engines built by Vern Colvin, Larry Payne, and Grant Springer (who built motors for several National Record holders including his and Barry Prices injected alcohol funny car, Paul Smith's 55' Chevy which won both the NHRA Winternationals and Bakersfield in 1971 (I think) and Veldon Kroff's topless 55" Chev B/Altered).
Incedently, Grant was one of the pioneer's of using a Enderle Hat Injector on a Tunnel Ram Intake, which is what I use on my own Bonneville 53' Studebaker which is currently (to blow my own horn) the fastest unblown Studebaker at 238 mph.
For the AG/S fans, we Oregonian's had Steve McGee (also a ex-Top Fuel and Alcohol racer), Mel Bryson (C/Gas 40 Chev Coupe, Blown Alcohol Dragster, and A/Gas Supercharged racer and if we cheat a little, Jack Coonrod from Vancouver, Wa. whose car toured with Portland, Oregon listed as it's home town because, as Jack put's it, "nobody had ever heard of Vancouver, Washington in 1965".
Also the late Pat Schellenberger of Coos Bay, Oregon briefly ran a AG/S 33' Willy's powered by a Blown 427 Ford about the same time.
Jim Rockstad put Jack Coonrod's early Hemi "Bear Motor" in his formerly A/G injected BBC which resulted in the untimley end of a beautiful chopped Anglia which I witnessed at Balboa Dragstrip ( aka T-Bird Airpark, aka Norpack Dragstrip all under the ownership of the late, great, Rod Orsmby (. who could sell the Brooklyn Bridge to the Pope).
This crash was caused by the use of Corvair front coil springs sitting in "cup" pockets for the rear end with no use of restraints (common for the time), and while they worked well with the injected BBC, when he installed Coonrod's Blown Chrysler it popped the left rear spring out on two consecutive run's, the last resulting in a multiple barrel roll at Balboa.
Sorry about the ramble, but once I got started, the memory's kicked in............ Bob
Last but not least was Bob Gibson, a master welder from Salem, who amongst other outstanding cars built the original Bryson, Bryson and Zeigler 33' Willy's (now known as the "Blown Hell" car of Brett Harris.
Bob built the "ultimate" chopped Thames (Anglia) panel powered by a Blown Mopar 426 Wedge motor, which was way ahead of it's time in engineering and Craftsmanship and featured a Independent front end which in my estimation (having witnessed it), led to its untimely demise due to (I feel) inadequate spring rate on the front.

The other killer motor builder (south of the Portland area) was Everett Hatch from Aumsville, who once held the National Record with his 56' Packard and went on to build motors for the SCCA TransAm series before his untimely death in a Airplane accident (the same fate that met Harry Eyerly of the famous racing familly from Salem).