Custom Car – September 2019

■Wordsandpics:KeithLee

Thismonth,Keithremembersthe somewhatfunnybusiness

surroundingracepromotersandtheirown cars

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60 CUSTOMCARAUGUST 2019

O

neoftheanomaliesofBritishdrag

racing,foradecadeormore,was

thepracticeoftheSantaPodrace

promotersrunningtheirowncars

incompetition.Dependingonwhereyousat

atthetime,itcouldbearguedthiswasagood

orabadthingforthesport,butforracefans

itmeanttheygottoseesometop-drawercars

anddriversracingduringthatperiod.

ThereisnodoubtingthePhelpsfamily

spentanawfullotofmoneyimporting

thesewell-knownAmericanracecars,which

performedinthehandsoftheiroriginal

drivers,priortobeingleftintheUKforanew

life.Thisisinadditiontothehome-builtcars,

andotherswhoreceivedsupport.

Ithelpedthatthefamilyhadawell-

establishedglassfibrebusinessandworkshop,

FGR,whichproducedsomememorablerace

carbodyworkovertheyears.BobPhelps,and

sonRoy,werelaterjoinedbyAllanHerridge,

whowenttoworkforthem.Betweenthem

theyhadchassisandgeneralconstruction

capability,withRoyresponsiblefortheengine

tuningdecisions.

Fromthepromoters’perspective,itmade

perfectsense.Understandably,theywanted

tobeabletopromoteraces,andbesurethe

carstheywerepromotingwerethereonthe

day,readytorace.Astherewasonlyonetrack

inthelate’60stherewasnocompetition,but

whentheNDRCstartedrunningrivalevents,

thedynamicchanged.

CliveSkiltoncameonboardastheir

promoter,andalliancesobviouslyneededto

beformedtoensureeventswouldbewell

attended,andencouragethepayingfansto

keepcomingback.

Asnitroracingisexpensive,andmistakes

happeninaveryshortspaceoftime,one

positiveoutcomeofthiswholeprocesswas

thecarseventuallyfiltereddowntoother

Britishteams,whothenhadachanceto

learntorunthem,underawatchfuleye.

Lookingbacktothebeginning,itwould

effectivelystartwithinvolvementin

Commuter,thefirstUKfueldragster,raced

byTonyDenshamandPeterBillinton.Itwas

apowerfulpromotionaltoolindrumming

whocouldforgettheepicFunnyCarracing

upsupportfordragracingoffstrip,aswell

asbeingthequickestcarinitsday,andwas

supportedbythetrack.

Exhibitioncars

Royandhisfather,Bob,thenproduced

thewheelieStingray,whichRoyhimself

originallydrove.Thiscarhasenduredover

theyearsasanexhibitionmachineandstill

existstoday.Nowthisisanareawhereyou

wouldperhapsexpectapromotertobe

involved,asindeeddidhappentoabigger

degreearoundadecadelaterwhenthejet

carsstartedtoappear.Scorpionwasthefirst,

followedbythemuchsleekerHellbenderand

Vampire.Thesefinaltwoweretrueexhibition

machines,whichputonaspectacularshow,

butintheinterveningyearsitwasthe

FunniesandFuellersthatmadetheheadlines

indragracing.

TheinfamousFireflyslingshotwould

againseethePodsupportingtheCommuter

team,andwhenTonyDenshamretiredfrom

driving,Roy,withAllanHerridgedriving,took

overrunningthecar,whichagainfeatured

FGRbodywork.

PriortothearrivalofFunnyCarracing

proper,intheformofStardustandtheSTP

car,RoybuiltthefirstFunnyintheUK,which

wastheblownFord-poweredGloworm

Capri.Atthetimetheclasswasevolvingfast

intheUS,andin 1973 adealwasdoneto

buytheDonSchumacher’CudaandPaula

Murphy’sDuster,whichwasplacedinthe

capablehandsofNobbyHills’Houndog

team.OwenHaywardinHoundog,and

BootsieHerridgeinStardust,providedBritish

dragracingfanswithplentyofmemorable

racingaction.

NextinthePodstablewastheChadderton

andOkazakiVega,whichbecameGladiator,

inwhichHerridgewouldhavesomevery

excitingrunsoverthenextfewyears,while

theStardustrollingchassiswouldbesoldto

theStonesteam.

Thedragsters

WhiletheFunnyCarswereallUSimports,on

thedragsterfrontBob,RoyandAllangotbusy

producingtheAlleygatorseriesofcars,thefirst

ofwhichmadeitsdebutinearly1976.Allan

drovethis,andRonniePicardoracedasister

car,namedHighwayPatrol.Theydidalsobuy

theDonGarlitscarthatsameyear,butthatone

returnedtotheUSthefollowingyearaftera

returnvisitbyGarlits.

RozPriorwoulddrivethefirstAlleygator,

whichwasre-namedManeaterin1977,aftera

secondversionwasbuilt,whichAllanwroteoff

inHolland.

AnotherproductionwasthecarforRadio

OneDJ,DaveLeeTravis.

Comethelate’70s,andwhocouldforget

theepicFunnyCarraceswitnessedbetween

thetwoTexans,RaymondBeadleandGene

Snow.Originally,thecarswerekeptoverhere

forthemtorace,buteventuallyendedupwith

newteams,too.TheBeadleMustangwassold

totheStones,toreplacetheageingStardust,

whileSnow’sMonzabecameRonniePicardo’s

newdrive,TheForce.AddinthelaterBeadle

PlymouthArrow,andSnow’ssimilar-bodied

machine,andthenumberswererampingup.

Thefollow-upTransAmversionofGladiator

forAllanHerridgetodrivereceivedare-worked

frontendbyFGR,andprovedtobeveryquick.

Happily,theGladiatornameliveson,withRoy’s

son,Jason,currentlydrivingtheHawkRacing

entryofMarkandJackieHawkins.

OnemustnotofcourseforgettheDon

PrudhommeArrow,whichwouldbecome

Cannonball,drivenbyBillSherratt.Oh,andthe

TomHooverShowtime’Vetteaswell.

TheyweresomeheadytimesforFunnyCar

racingintheUK,whichwereexcitingwhilethey

lasted,untiltheeconomicdownturndrewitall

toaclose.

Whentheyfirstgotinvolvedinsettingup

theSantaPodtrack,IbetthatbothRoy,and

thelateBobPhelps,neverexpectedtobe

overseeingsomanyracecars!CC