Folks Of Interest Missouri's Greats....

I would just like to start a thread on all the great hot rodders of Missouri.

M.K. John - Montgomery City - Pinstriper and Artist, you may have seen his art in Rod and Custom, One of the greatest pinstripers around.

Jerry Dawson - St. Louis - Builder/Owner of Dawson's Demon, held the track record at MAR until it closed, Lots of good memories of this car screaming down the track and disappearing over the hill.

The more the merrier, also anyone have pics of Dawson's Demon?

 

anyone?

 

Well, I live in Missouri, but I wouldn't refer to myself as a "great" anything.

I'm pretty good at a lot of things, but my ego is sufficiently in check that I can tell the difference between myself and someone who's truly great at what they do.

I think you'll find a lot of guys here are very reluctant to declare themselves great, and if you live out in the sticks like I do, you may not even know any big time hot rodders from your area.

Before I found the HAMB, I only knew two other guys who were into hot rods. Many racers, but very few hot rodders around here.

 

Fuel racer/chassis builder Rod Stuckey, pioneer custom revivalist Jack Walker, Rod builders Curt Cunningham and Jerry Slover, customizers Ray Farhner, Jim Green and Doug Thompson, biker artist Dave Mann, USAC racer/wheel builder Greg Weld.

And that's just the ones from Kansas City!

 

shit, i'm pretty great, and i don't do anything!

 

I'm famous from being from Missouri, only because I live in NY now. It's mostly stuff like hey you missery hick, where do you learn those sayings.

 

M-I-S-S-O-U-R-I. Did they teach spelling in Rhineland?

Kurt McCormick has restored an amazing collection of historic rods and customs, Gary Kessler built a little yellow roadster a few years back, Bob Rothenberg has a 33 Willys and 32 roadster that are classic hot rods, the Stirnemann Bros. have built many cool hot rods, and Dave Conrad has an eye for building awesome traditional deuces. All from the StL area.

Read "Fuel for Thought" in the January 2011 Goodguys Gazette, p.14 - story about Missouri folks who have done notable things on the salt.

 

No sir, there's a hunnert people and no school here.

 

Metalman supreme,Jimmy Hervatin..All aluminum A pickup best known project, but contributer to many more.

 

That thing was friggen' KILLER, I almost forgot he's from Missouri.

 

How about the members of what I believe was the first Hot Rod Club in Missouri, THE KLEEN KLUNKERS out of Springfield Missouri.
As I remember we formed it in about 1947 or 8. Gene Brake was the first President. Gene later bought a new 49 Merc Convertible. We put a big OHV Cadillac under the hood and a 51 Dodge Hard top on it that was removable. When the Dodge top was removed the original cloth top then worked. It had a record player in the glove compartment as did Bill Tabor's new 53 Mercury. Bill also drove a 1923 "Now called a T Bucket" that he cut the back seat off a 23 T touring and put a shortened Model A Pick up bed on the back. It was powered by a full house Ford 60 that would scream.
Lots of great guys and lots of even greater rods and customs.

 

Jim Pike from Springfield, Bob Perault,from Springfield, Don weber, Lohman, are some of the outstate old timers.

 

Wasn't Doug Thompson, who built the Hirohata Merc clone, out of Missouri?

 

How about our very own choptop Kenny Baker, Saved many a ditch car.

 

Anyway that you can scan the article? I'm not a GG's member and I can't think of anyone local that I could borrow the mag. from to read the article.

Chris

 

That article is amazing! In fact I was lucky enough to have met almost every St. Louisan mentioned in that. Lets not forget the late Wayne Arteaga of Arteaga & Helmuth Gasser fame!

 

And don't forget Breeder, promoter of the best little car show in the country, The Rust Revival

 

Well I wasn't born and raised here but I had a famous cousin that was.

I'm nobody and like it that way. When I'm gone maybe everyone will forget me and not tell too many lies about me either good or bad.

Good lord instead of kissing someone else's ass get out and do something on your own. Maybe someone will recognize it or maybe they won't but at least you'll be your own person.

 

Gary Glasgow should be on the list. Besides being a founder of Night Prowlers Kustom
parts & accessories. He is a diehard fifties kat that lives it everyday. I remember him
telling me stories when he married Molly and all they had was two forty fords for their
daily drivers. Boy wouldn't that suck. Very Kool!!

Happy Trails, Mick

 

What about Pete and Jakes in Peculier, Missouri?

 

I wasn't kissing anyone's ass, just paying homage to the greats that came before. And that doesn't preclude me from doing things myself. Y'ass.

 

That's Slover he was a purveyor of bit n pieces way before he bought Pete n Jakes or Bell Axles. Pretty good sort or he always has been to me.

 

That's called kissing someone's ass. I have managed to know several the the "Fathers of Hot Rodding" at one time or another. They are just people.

But thanks for the complimant I am an Ass.

 

porknbeaner, that's what I like about this place, a lot of people I can look up to. I am just a butthead (according to my wife), but i am working hard to be an Ass.

 

well i am interested in hearing more about the THE KLEEN KLUNKERS from springfield and not about what everyones def of what kissing butt is. man they need to run this whole site thru a strainer and sift out about 2/3 of it. i waste more time reading worthless junk on here.

 

What? No love for Missoury's own BenD??? Hauler to the stars.....cross-country cruiser,swapper of meets, mover of metal and (reportedly) mayor of Crane? He's a MO hot rodder(not a street rodder, no sir)....and everybody's pal

 

Fuck it, I nominate Beer Billman! errr wait Bill Bierman!

Bill will go down on history some day....yes he is that kinda guy!

 

I raced in Wentsville a few years back as far as I,m concered everybody down in the neck of the woods is GREAT!!!! they always made us feel very special just for being there at the nostalgia races sure miss it it was the best thanks foe the memorys ! gord O.F.T.A. Minn

 

Bill Kuhlmann, "Mr.200" First guy to go 200 MPH in a door car. He pretty much invented Pro Mod cars. First guy to put a wing on the back of a Top Sportmans car. And almost got laughed out of the track. Till he went 202 that nite. He was way ahead of everyone else. He went 200MPH in the quarter 12 times before anyone else did 14 months later.

Anyone that knows anything about these types of cars knows he was the king in the mid-late '80s ,up till he quit racing a few years ago.

<DD>Bills "official" track and national records

1986
1. Union Grove,WS, 7.64et
2. Union Grove, WS, 185mph
3. Muncie, IN, 7.70et
4. Muncie, IN, 186mph
5. Kaukauna, WS, 7.78et
6. Kaukauna, WS, 185mph
7. UDRA Pro Stock, 185mph
8. Byron, IL, 7.72et
9. Byron, IL, 182mph
10. Byron, IL, 187mph (different event)
11. UDRA Pro Stock, 187mph

1987
12. Darlington, SC, 7.21
13. Darlington, SC, 202.24mph
14. Byron, IL, 7.54et
15. Byron, IL, 194mph
16. UDRA Pro Stock, 194mph
17. Rockingham, NC, 7.27et
18. Rockingham, NC, 202mph
19. W. Salem, OH, 194mph
20. Marion, SD, 191mph
21. Bristol, TN, 193mph
22. Atco, NJ, 198mph
23. Cordova, IL, 201mph
24. Cedar Falls, IA, 187mph
25. Kaukauna, WS, 7.56et
26. Kaukauna, WS, 191mph
27. Milan, Mich, 7.24et
28. Milan, Mich, 202mph
29. Thompson, OH, 191mph
30. Bowling Green, KY, 189mph
31. Kaukauna, WS, 7.42et
32. Kaukauna, WS, 194mph
33. E. St. Louis, IL, 7.21et
34. E. St. Louis, IL, 198mph
35. Ennis, TX, 7.13et
36. Ennis, TX, 200mph
37. Cordova, IL, 7.46et
38. Cordova, IL, 203mph
39. Union Grove, WS, 7.30et
40. Union Grove, WS, 198mph
41. Bristol, TN, 204mph

1988
42. Fulton, MS, 4.76et
43. Wentzville, MO, 7.30et
44. Wentzville, MO, 193mph
45. Martin, Mich, 191mph
46. Kansas City, MO, 7.33et
47. Kansas City, MO, 207.37mph
48. UDRA Pro Stock, 7.40et
49. UDRA Pro Stock, 204mph
50. Martin, Mich, 7.20et
51. Martin, Mich, 191mph (faster than ealier)
52. Cordova, IL, 7.40et
53. Kaukauna, WS, 7.34et
54. Indianapolis, IN, 7.32et
55. Indianapolis, IN, 192mph
56. Xenia, OH, 7.67et
57. Xenia, OH, 182mph
58. Clay City, KY, 188mph
59. Bowling Green, KY, 7.53et
60. Bowling Green, KY, 191mph
61. Martin, Mich, 194.8mph
62. Eddyville, IA, 4.99et
63. Eddyville, IA, 144mph

1989
64. Commerce, GA, 7.15et
65. Tulsa, OK, 7.52et
66. Tulsa, OK, 189mph
67. Suffolk, VA, 7.19et
68. Suffolk, VA, 195mph
69. Bristol, TN, 6.97et
70. Beaver Springs, PA, 7.30et
71. Beaver Springs, PA, 193mph
72. Joplin, MO, 7.60et
73. Joplin, MO, 189mph
74. Indianapolis, IN, 7.07et
75. Indianapolis, IN, 201mph
76. Maple Grove, PA, 6.93et
77. Maple Grove, PA, 206mph
78. Englishtown, NJ, 6.87et
79. E. St. Louis, IL, 202mph
80. Kansas City, MO, 7.15et
81. Norwalk, OH, 210mph
82. Cleves, OH, 7.24et
83. Houston, TX, 6.90et
84. Houston, TX, 204mph
85. IHRA Pro Modified, 7.02et

1990
86. Memphis, TN, 7.05et
87. Memphis, TN, 203mph
88. Englishtown, NJ, 211mph (tied Mike Ashley)
89. Rockingham, NC, 7.09et
90. Commerce, GA, 7.06et
91. Bristol, TN, 7.01et (6.97 was as T/S, this was PM)
92. IHRA Pro Modified, 7.01et
93. Gainsville, FL, 6.88et

1991
94. Maple Grove, PA, 6.85et

1992
95. Huntsville AL, 4.33et (nitrous record)

1993
96. Norwalk, OH, 6.54et
97. Houston, TX, 6.34et
98. Houston, TX, 219mph

1994
99. Huntsville, AL, 4.20et
100. Huntsville, AL, 177mph
101. Norwalk, OH, 6.44et
102. Norwalk, OH, 219mph
103. Houston, TX, 6.32et

1995
104. Norwalk, OH, 4.10et (1/8 mile that year)
105. Norwalk, OH, 170mph
106. Tulsa, OK, 6.51et

1996
107. Eddyville, IA, 4.24et
108. Eddyville, IA, 170mph

1997
109. Maple Grove, PA, 6.43et
110. Maple Grove, PA, 218mph

1998
111.Tucson, AZ, 6.47et
112. Ennis, TX, 6.38et
113. Ennis, TX, 222mph
114. Super Chevy, Nitro Coupe, 222mph
115. Memphis, TN, 223mph
116. Super Chevy, Nitro Coupe, 223mph
117. Houston, TX, 6.27et
118. Houston, TX, 225mph
119. Super Chevy, Nitro Coupe, 225mph
120. Pomona, CA, 6.28et
121. Pomona, CA, 222mph
122. Denver, CO, 6.42et
123. Joliet, IL, 220mph
124. E. St. Louis, IL, 4.14et
125. E. St. Louis, IL, 172mph
126. Richmond, VA, 220mph

1999
127. Denver, CO, 220mph
128. Columbus, OH, 6.25et
129. Columbus, OH, 224mph
130. Montgomery, AL, 6.40et
131. Montgomer, AL, 218mph
132. Richmond, VA, 6.17et
133. Richmond, VA, 226mph
134. Gainsville, FL, 228mph
135. Super Chevy, Nitro Coupe, 228mph

2000
136. Pomona, CA, 6.24et
137. Phoenix, AZ, 6.24et
138. Phoenix, AZ, 227mph
139. Ennis, TX, 6.23et
140. Ennis, TX, 228mph
141. Bristol, TN, 6.23et
142. Bristol, TN, 227mph
143. Epping, NH, 227mph
144. Commerce, GA, 6.20et
145. Commerce, GA, 227mph
146. Super Chevy, Nitro Coupe, 6.20et
147. Kansas City, MO, 6.80et
148. Indianapolis, IN, 6.20et
149. Indianapolis, IN, 228mph
150. Super Chevy, Nitro Coupe, 6.20et (quicker than Commerce)
151. Super Chevy, Nitro Coupe, 228mph (faster than Gainsville)
152. Maple Grove, PA, 6.20et
153. Maple Grove, PA, 230mph
154. Super Chevy, Nitro Coupe, 230mph
155. Norwalk, OH, 6.23et
156. Norwalk, OH, 225mph
157. Wentzville, MO, 6.43et
158. Wentzville, MO, 215mph
159. Topeka, KS, 6.32et
160. Topeka, KS, 225mph
161. Denver, CO, 6.22et
162. Denver, CO, 229mph
163. Joliet, IL, 6.16et
164. Super Chevy, Nitro Coupe, 6.16et
165. Columbus, OH, 6.001et
166. Columbus, OH, 234mph
167. Super Chevy, Nitro Coupe, 6.06et
168. Montgomery, AL, 6.26et
169. Montgomery, AL, 227mph
170. Richmond, VA, 6.14et
171. Richmond, VA, 235mph </DD>

[ Left for dead in this fire by "rescue" people. Another racer coming up the return road ran past the "rescue" people ripped the door off and pulled Bill to safety. He was in a induced coma for 10 days to heal from injuries. This was a Super Chevy Event in Virginia 2000.

I know these are off topic cars. But he is a Missouri Great.
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