Posted by: Bob Gilbertson, Rinnai Chevy
Happy Sunday ya'll, BB here with a special weekend blog for all of you diehard "GilbyManiacs."
First of all we were swamped by literally dozens of answers to the contest in our last blog asking who drove the blue Barry Setzer Vega at the 1973 NHRA Summernationals. Most of you were wrong, folks guessing Don Schumacher, Kelly Brown, Pat Foster and Richard Tharp until David Dunlevy of Davie, Fla., who knew ol' #704 was Tommy Grove. David, your super-deluxe prize package is on its way to you and we'll see you later in the show in the Showcase Showdown.
Moving on, while I was down in Orlando the week before last for the PRI show I had an opportunity to hook up with Bob Alford, who owns Pro Street Customs, Inc., and Pro Street Choppers, Inc. He's a former drag racer who used to run what you would call now Top Dragster using an alky-burning small-block Chevy on nitrous; it was a pretty cool car.
Anyway I got to see with my own eyes for the first time ever the 4-cylinder motorcycle engine he's building. It's named the Twin V HD Bonneville and the first one is going to the Bonneville Salt Flats in August to hopefully join the 300 MPH Club. If you want to know more go to: http://www.prostreetchoppersinc.com/aboutus.asp He's also building a version for the street. I mentioned to Bob that it would make a pretty cool power plant for a Jr. Dragster. huh?
Next in our last blog I posted a few photos from the '70s shot by one of the best photographers ever in the sport of drag racing, Tom West. Back then Tom was the man when it came to cut-away drawings of race cars and he sent me this:
Bob,
Thought I would send this 'Jungle' drawing as I am printing these things out on special orders for guys if they are interested. I have a bunch of them available from the old days so if you know anybody who would want one, give them my email.
As to the photos, I have something like 25-30,000 negs from back then, not including a ton of photo research stuff that I shot to be able to do the cutaways. If someone wants photos of their favorite racers from back in the day, they can contact me. Also, those new Lou Hart Archive books (the Altereds, Gassers, and the all-new Funny Car book) are primarily my stuff. I am working with Lou on getting prints done directly from the old negatives.
Thanks Tom, boy I'd love to spend some time digging through your archives. If you're interested what Tom has to offer contact him at twestxray@aol.com
That's it for now. Me and my main-primary squeeze are heading out in a few for a pre-game tailgate party at the local sports bar before the nationally televised NFL game between our Carolina Panthers and my former favorite team, the N.J. Giants, that begins this evening at 8:15 p.m. Both teams have 11-3 records and are leading their divisions in the NFC so it should be a pretty good game. The good thing is that it's a balmy 60 degrees here in Charlotte, so it's a good night to tailgate.
Type at you L8R…
BB