A friend of mine here in the Northwest named Earl Floyd, started racing AA/FD in 1962. He returned to racing with a Flathead Dragster in the 80's, injected, 180 crank, alcohol with light loads of Nitro. He traveled to Denver for a big Flathead race, and with the thin air, the car was short on performance. A guy came to his pit, started visiting and offered his help, that guy was Dick LaHaie. Dick convinced him to "Sweeten it", being sensible about it, and the results were great ! When Earl returned to a sea level track, the car ran 8.7 at around 160. Dick said to Earl, "It's Funny What A little Chemistry Will Do". Dick was a true LEGEND ! R.I.P. Mr. LaHaie.
It's a shame to read about the passing of Dick LaHaie. The very first thing that came to mind when I saw this thread was "intensity". He always looked like his brain was running wide open but when things were at a lull Dick had time for a fan. He and Kim LaHaie were quite a team. Notice the #1 on the wing.
As others have mentioned ... After retiring from professional drag racing in 1991 (as a driver) & in 2005 (as a crew chief), Dick built and/or owned several “Street Rods”. He (& wife Claudia) would often drive these cars to various motorsports events "near" their home in Michigan or Florida (e.g., local car shows, Goodguys events, Hot Rod Power Tours, NHRA drag races, etc.). Most of these cars are pretty off-topic for the H.A.M.B., but were always well built and tastefully done. Here's Dick's '39 Mercury Convertible (purchased in 1997 and chopped & customized by Teddy Z in the late ‘90s or early 2000s): Here's LaHaie's '49 Merc "WOODEE" at the 2008 Rebel Run in Lima, Ohio: photos by @OhioRiv Here's the '52 Crosley Station Wagon he built: Dick & Claudia at the 2011 NHRA GatorNationals in Gainesville, Florida Claudia with her Crosley (circa 2013)
LaHaie’s supercharged flathead-powered ‘50 Ford F1 pickup was probably his most “HAMB-friendly” (post-retirement) build: NOTE: The (Dick Lahaie built) F1 was For Sale in September of 2017:
jf you get a chance, a good read, is to go to the Michigan racing hall of fame, and read about noah canfield. he was dicks mentor. he was a sharp quite guy. I got to meet him and Charlie Johnson, and didn't know all the history. now I wish I did.would really like to have talked to them more.
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