This post is long overdue. I figured since easter is resurection season this was a good time to post this. last june at the Thompson Gasser Reunion my model a was totalled due to a freak accident. about mid track something must have broken and the car decided to make an abrupt right hand turn across both lanes and into a concrete barrier at about 80 m.p.h.. Luckily for me two of the best friends a guy could have were there to help me get out of this mess and help shovel the remains of my car into the trailer. DAVE LOHR(littleman) and DAVE MAHYER(chrome daddy o) there were also several hambers there to help unfortunately i was so disoriented that i cant remember who they were.if you were one of them please post here so i can personally thank you all for your help and get details of the aftermath.(i remember very little) here are some pics.
Does this mean there is a re-build in progress? Glad to see you made it out ok. Keep your dream Alive!
Sorry to see your car get cracked up. Any form of motorsports is dangerous....by the time you know something is wrong, it is too late. What does your car usually run? Gonna have her back together for teh HAMB Drags?? -Abone.
thanks bob, just to clarify things my best friend Doug Nickoson(formerly a Mr. Gasket pro stock driver)was driving because we were still trying to iron out some electrical gremlins in the car. if it were'nt for his 40 + years of racing experience the car would have rolled for sure and i would probably be dead right now. thanks Doug.
thanks, it usually runs between 10.90 and 11.20 a rebuild is in the works but due to the amount of money and parts it will take to put it back together it probably wont be out this year.
Special thanks go to Doug Nickoson. He is one of the few true stand up guys out there. Doug busted his ass to re do the car and in the process extended the wheelbase to 110 and made several other improvements to the car. vega steering stronger frame better steering geometry better brake pedal assembly and in general made the whole car a lot safer to drive the motor mounts and frame horns were made by Mike Bellino and welded by doug here are some reconstruction pics
Hey Kenny I was there in the stands on the pit side. I think the the track was still "weeping" moisture about 300 feet out from the line on the left lane. A lot of guys were breaking loose and getting squirly at that same spot and had to pedal it. All that rain we had sucked. It looked like that is what happened to Doug and he tried to drive out of it. Glad to see you are talking about it now.
yeah, it only took me 10 months to get myself to be able to stand looking at the pictures without going completely insane
the new chassis engineering i beam was given to me by dave lohr(littleman)and i drilled it at work and painted it. i told him i dont want to be a mooch and he told me"I just bought it for my next project but decided you need it more than i do" but that is just the kind of guy dave is. I was floored. thanks dave! here are some more rebuild pics red striping was done by my buddy kevin moore(57 gasser)
We all know what can happen every time we launch, but when reality hits (so to speak), it's always a shock. Thanks for posting this. Good to see you and the car are bouncing back so nicely, thanks to your passion and the help of some really good friends. This may sound crazy from where you sit, but I think you're a really lucky guy. Hope you're out there havin' fun again, soon.
I watched the run from the starting line in his lane and would have to agree with you, when the car got out of the groove and went left it got in the moisture.. as you said it looked like Doug tried to drive out of it but once the rear started around it just shot across the track.. JMO CC
Man what an ugly day! I've Been watching the progress of the rebuild, slow going but the car will be better, safer, and cooler than it was. Kenny, Good luck finding the right rims. Dave
Actually the car looks to have held up very well for hitting at 80 mph. I would have expected far more damage.
think you're right, Doug told me "it was like the steering didnt work until i got in the right lane.but by then it was too far gone to correct.i looked out the drivers door,saw the asphault coming closer to my head, and said THIS IS GONNA SUCK.so i smacked the brakes and cut the wheel to get the rear wheel down.once it came down, i let off the brakes and cut it back to try to steer away from the wall .but i just ran out of track".
Glad to see the car going back together. I was standing at the fence right where it hit the wall. It took a good lick when it hit. Good to hear the driver is ok.
Doug is o.k. from the accident which is a miracle unto itself . but he is in the hospital for congestive heart failure. he has had it for years and now its getting really bad. Doug is currently at university hospital being evaluated for a heart transplant. the guy is like a father to me and i just hope they can fix him up enough to return home. as it is he is going to have to be in the hospital over easter to which Doug says "Well,...This really FUCKING BLOWS!" but he is in good spirits and is doing as well as can be expected.
here is a pic of the repaired headlight. the one the rotor cut through. theres nothing some beating and bondoing cant cure. unfortunately the white pinstriping doesnt show too well in the photo. it is really kick ass in person. thanks kev!
Kenny, Please send Doug my very best wishes!! Does he have internet access - maybe some HAMB enertainment could help take his mind off things.
Now you know why Milner never let The Toad drive! Sorry your car was wrecked, but hey at least it didn't roll! Put it back together and run it!
I got loose in my 32 summer before last and used up 2 lanes gatherin it back up.Luckily didn't touch anything,Wheww,until it was over.lol Cut wheel left backed up,popped it in low turned right and headed out pissed off and tapped the guardrail with the left front disc and put a divit in it.(watta putz) Glad you 2 were ok and the car is on the road to recovery. Hope your freind gets what he needs to get better.
I don't know anyone with more stubborn determination than Kenny. He won't rest until he's back on the road and better than before. This will make a great resurrection/re-build thread if the pics keep coming.
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