Hot Rods Who was the best at speed shifting?

If you had to bet the farm on a driver (not the car), who would you go with? Jenkins, Sox, Landy or another?

 

Ken Dondero

 

Ronnie Sox and then Dick Landy. I'm prejudice though having been lucky enough to meet both of them.

 

at that level they were probably all about the same.you can only shift so fast. it is more about shifting at the right time.

 

"Dyno" Don Nicholson

 

SPEED shifting you let off the gas , POWER shifting you don't lift ...
dave

 

SPEED shifting you let off the gas , POWER shifting you don't lift ...
dave

 

Now I understand your handle : "2OLD2FAST" , you do everything twice.

 

Back in 1964 I spent about an hour in the pits at Cecil County Drag Way talking to Bill Jenkins about modifications to Muncie transmissions and he taught me a lot. He also carried several complete transmissions and spare parts with him.
I have seen all of the mentioned drivers and Ronnie Sox would have the edge. Bob Glidden was no slouch either and the Ford top loader was harder to get right.

 

there is more to winning than shifting. back when I was young and handsome I could shift as fast as any of those guys. you can only move that shift handle so fast even if you are superman

learn't to drive in a 3 speed column shift 49 Chevrolet. the very first time I drove a 4 speed was when my buddy bought a 56 Chevy and I had to drive him out to the back roads so he could learn to drive a clutch. as soon as we got off the main roads I took off in first gear and banged through the rest without ever lifting my foot off the gas.

damn, I just realized I have not had a car with a V8 and four speed in over 30 years

 

My wife Mia could beat me hands down on every speed shift. She initially ran a 140 HP Monza Corsa
convertible then followed that up with a '70 GTO Ram Air lll we bought new.
She was amazing. Had to replace a lot of valve seals, a couple of timing chains, and several sets of rocker arms but never lost a clutch or rear end. Oh yeah, had to replace the case on the Muncie but only because it had a porosity issue, not her fault.

I know A 1970 GTO isn't HAMB friendly or HAMB politically correct but I had to show you her weapon.
The Pontiac dealer was acting a little annoyed about the waaranty work she was providing them.
Hell, she was keeping them well fed. GM never refused any warranty work. I assume they always got paid.

The GTO held up waay better than that little frail Monza Corsa.

 

Gene Schwartz and his '52 Chevy E/Gasser. Motors by Ron Hutter.
Gene is now in his early 70's ...... an amazing driver with so much success.
His brother, Glenn Schwartz was a guitarist for the California group, Pacific Gas and Electric.

 

If you mean showroom stock with column shift 3 speed Tom McCahill would take some beating. Witnesses say he shifted so fast his hand was like a streak of light. No doubt road testing every car made had something to do with it. He claimed he learned his moves in a Parisian pickpocket school.

 

Gene himself is a bass player and still tours today. He won a grammy, which is no small feat and played with Robert Lockwood Jr. He can also bang some gears.

 

Ronnie Sox and Norwin Palmer are the best that I've seen.
Pete

 

Dave Strickler...With Herb McCandless, Dondero and Sox fighting it out for runner-up. Even Jenkins said Strickler was the best he'd ever seen.
Steve Collision told this great story about going for dinner with Jenkins and Strick in a 4 speed AMC Hornet SS/DI was road testing, and Jenkins driving first, then Strickler taking over.,,

 

Yes, I neglected to mention Gene's accomplishments on the guitar.
I last saw him in Ohio, two years ago, drag racing at a Nostalgic Gasser meet.
Still very good !

 

Ha! Years ago, I remember watching this guy power shifting this stock 3 on the tree '56 Ford at the Langley Loafers drags at Mission. Every time he went for second, it looked like he was going to put his fist through the windshield. He was really getting after it!

 

Me and I have enough blown up M21 transmissions to prove it
I said I was fast, not good.

 

This man right here. My dear friend, the late Rollie Gravel. He started driving for me on a fluke. We wanted to try his 301 small block in the roadster, and I told him it was his engine, take the first ride. We were blown away by his prowess with the T 10. In almost 6 years of driving for me, he never, EVER missed one shift. The car sounded like we had installed a hydro in it. In this photo from the '66 HRM race at Riverside, Rollie had to wade through 7 rounds in street eliminator, and never changed the dial in, and never varied more than .04 on the ET's. Dyno Don was good, he drove the car a few times, but Rollie was more consistent. When everyone was going to Hydros, Torque Flites, and clutch flites, we stuck with the good old T 10. Rollie's shifts were so precise, once we put in new syncro's, the trans was never even opened up again.

 

It's great to learn of guys who weren't the most well known. Thanks.

 

Those 4-speed syncros were not stock.. If you could have had the "dogs" in my Tex 101 back in those days everyone should been the king. On El Mirage runs guys come and see what kind of "automatic" I have

 

Anyone remember Shirley Steinmetz from Pocatello ? Very successful D/S Olds driver ...

 

they were all purdy good
so its just a list of the people we met and admired
and or knew well...

Lee Shepherd (R.I.P.)

 

Hopefully this works. Vid of The Grump in action.

 

NHRA allowed Lenco transmissions in Pro Stock to stop Sox from winning so much. I think that is a big endorsement for Ronnie as the Best.

 

I have heard that story before, but I think its a bit of a stretch. I do believe NHRA wasnt too happy about the hemis winning everything, but the tube chassis small block sub-compacts had Sox in real trouble before the lencos came...

 

I always bet on myself. If you don't believe that you are the best you should be working at being the best.

 

Gene Schwartz.......................

 

Fremont Drags, 1958-1963...Freddy Hawthorn, in his Corvettes...powershifted so fast I went through 11 T86 Ford boxes before I sounded 'close'... LAL (Live AND Learn!)
My son and I installed a 302 roller engine (B303 cam, 2X4 Edelbrock, 600s) in his '64 Mustang, with a 5 speed.
He was in shock with my shifts when we got the cable clutch perfected..."Wow, Pop...it's been 20 years since you've done anything 'stick'... I said it was like 'riding a bicycle'.
(Easier when it's not MY tranny!)