Dan, I always thought you were a Ford guy! Can't believe a Dodge would be your favorite! HA! HA! Just kidding of course.................
Well, here goes, my own 10 favorite race cars (subject to change). They are in no particular order..................................
Doug Thorley's 1967 Corvair Funny Car (got to love a guy with the guts to run Ralph Naders favorite car!). Looked great, fast too!
Keeling and Clayton's "California Charger" front motored Top Fueler, driven by Rick Ramsey (circa 1970). A beautiful car! Could have won any car show, and it ran as good as it looked.
Craig Arfons "Green Monster" #33, side-saddle Jet Dragster from the early 1980's (ran over 300 way back then, in the low 5's). It was quicker and faster than the Top Fuelers of that era.
J.C. Agajanian's "Old Calhoun" #98 Watson Indy Roadster, driven by Parnelli Jones. The first car to qualify at the Indianapolis 500 at over 150 m.p.h., and the winner of the 1963 Indy 500. The second to the last front motored car to win the Indy 500. Looks like a race car should!
Steve Bagwell's SS/CA 1965 Belvedere, with the always colorful Terry Earwood behind the wheel (the old Butch Leal "California Flash" car). Great wheels up leaves, especially before wheelie bars in S/S!
Don Green's "Rat Trap" AA/FA (circa 1970). A beautiful car that ran as good as it looked! Got to love fuel alterds, they were fun to watch from a safe distance! Don is no relation to me.
The Wayne County Speed Shop A/G Opel GT, driven by David Hutchins. Lots of inovations on this car. It proved small cubic inches, high RPM and light weight beats big cubic inch heavy weights, hands down! It was incredibly quick for it's time.
Don Garlits Swamp Rat XXX. The first car over 270 miles per hour. A car which looked like it was from another world compared to the competition when it debuted at Gainesville in 1986 and ran 270, which stunned everyone in attendance! Garlits has never been afraid to try something different, and this one worked!
Jack McClure's Amalie Motor Oil Rocket Go-Kart. Without a doubt the most insane racing machine I have ever seen!!! 6 second, 220 m.p.h. plus runs at will with no belts, no roll cage, hard to believe he lived to tell about it. Too bad NHRA banned rockets long ago, they were spectacular!!! Drag racing was a lot of fun in the 1970's.
Conway Witten's 1969 ZL-1 Corvette SS/BA. It ate Hemi cars for lunch! The Hemi guys hated it so much they all bitched until NHRA would not let him run it anymore. Too bad, a big block Corvette is a lot more of a "production" car than any of the Hurst built Hemi stuff is. I love Hemi cars, good too see someone rattle their cage though, and Witten did it!
Well, there it is, just my opinion. Flame away! Happy Easter everyone! - Aaron
Posted on Apr 23, 2000, 7:27 AM from IP address 207.69.102.133