NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Recent passings of notable figures from within the NHRA world. The NHRA extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of those we have lost. Notices of passing can be sent to nhra@nhra.com.

1977 NHRA Comp Eliminator world champ Dennis Ferrera has passed away. Ferrera, who competed or assisted in a multitude of NHRA classes over a long career, won six NHRA national events, all in Comp, including the 1977 World Finals, which crowned him as the season champ. It was Ferrera’s third win that season following earlier conquests at the Gatornationals and SPORTSnationals.

***

Past national event-winning Comp eliminator driver Darren Davis, known as "the California Kid," passed away recently after a long illness. Son of Jack Davis, whose company, Davis Step Headers, Darren ran until his passing, scored for NHRA national events wins from his first, in Montreal in 1986, to his final victory at the 1997 Sonoma Nationals.

***

Sid Waterman, one of drag racing’s most renowned fuel-system geniuses, passed away Nov. 16.

Waterman, whose experimentative nature and unflagging desire to always help create more horsepower through increased and improved fuel flow, opened a small speed shop, Speed Inc., in San Jose, Calif.

His on-track career began with a partnership "Jet Car Bob” Smith on an A/Fuel Dragster, which competed regularly at Fremont Drag Strip and later crewed for Sid Masters and Rick Richter on their powerful Top Fueler. He was hired by C-T Automotive in 1961.

"I wanted to learn how to compete against the top cars, and the Southland had six tracks in operation (Long Beach, San Gabriel, Pomona, Riverside, Fontana, and San Fernando),” he said. “There would be times when 30 or 40 cars would show up for a 16-car show. So, when C-T Automotive offered me a position in 1961, I closed Speed Inc. and took my tools to SoCal."

He tuned the Ronnie Goodsell-driven Waterman-Foley-Goodsell Clearspark Spl. Top Fuel dragster, and was hired by Mickey Thompson and worked with him until 1967, when he opened Waterman Racing Engines in Gardena, Calif., before relocating to its longtime home in Gualala, Calif.

Waterman’s client list would grow to include many of drag racing's top stars like Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, and Bob Glidden. In 1979, Sid sold the engine-building part of the business, moved back to Northern California, and opened a new enterprise specializing in fuel delivery systems. Waterman Racing Components turned out state-of-the-art fuel pumps and components for more 30 years, not only for drag racers, but also for Indy, NASCAR, and USAC customers. He was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2017.

***

Other recent notable passings: Nick Agresta, co-founder of the Wabash Valley Rodders Club, and former co-operations promoter of Coles County Dragway, and longtime employee at VP Racing Fuels; eight-time NHRA Super Stock winner Abe Loewen; 1974 U.S. Nationals Stock winner Dwight Cox; Helen Leverich, matriarch of the fuel-racing family; Studebaker legend Ted Harbit; George Reese, of George's Corvette Funny Car fame; former nitro crew chief Andy Nering; longtime Division 2 Alcohol Funny Car racer Jim Alesio.

***

Don McElroy, one of the most prolific winners in Division 3's Stock and Super/Stock ranks, passed away Sept. 30.

A 2007 Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee, McElroy started drag racing a ‘57 Chevy two-door 2 in the old NHRA Gas classes in his native Spokane, Wash., region, and later moved into Modified Eliminator. After relocating to Michigan to take an engineering position in the Climate Control group at Ford Motor Co., McElroy began bracket racing and then graduated into championship-level NHRA Stock Eliminator racing.

McElroy won four Division 3 Stock championships and three NHRA national events, including the prestigious U.S. Nationals in 1975, and set numerous National Records in various classes. After his big success at the ‘U.S. Nationals, Chrysler came calling with a major racing sponsorship tied in with Jack McCormack’s racing team. 

In 1986, McElroy was involved in what turned out to be a career-ending crash in Bowling Green, Ky. 

***

Bob Huettman, an important member of the successful Ambrose Argenta and Huettman Comp eliminator team, passed away Aug. 23. He was 80.

Huettman’s love of drag racing began at a very young age at Detroit Dragway, where his enthusiasm for speed and engines quickly grew into a lifelong passion. He went on to enjoy a very successful racing career with his best friend, Steve Ambrose, and Reynald Argenta, competing together on the NHRA Division 3 circuit. The team shared countless victories, including the 1988 U.S. Nationals, memories, and lifelong friendships forged at the track.

He is survived by his daughter Bridget Wilkie; his treasured grandsons Jackson Robert Wilkie and James Maxwell Wilkie; his brother David (Pat) Huettman; his sister Dr. Elizabeth Roberts  (Alan Collins) ; his sweet dog Reesie; along with many nieces, nephews, and dear friends who will miss him greatly.

***
 

Ken Black, the Las Vegas-area businessman whose support helped launch the Pro Stock career of six-time world champion Greg Anderson and the Pro Stock powerhouse KB Racing engine-building business, passed away Aug. 27. He was 79. [Full story]

***

Forrest Lucas, the self-made entrepreneur who turned a small startup into the global brand Lucas Oil and became one of NHRA Drag Racing’s most influential benefactors, passed away Aug. 23. He was 83. [Full story]

***

Chic Cannon, the last surviving member of the original NHRA Drag Safari that traversed the nation in the mid-1950s to spread the NHRA gospel, passed away Aug. 20. He was 96.

Cannon, along with Bud Coons, Bud Evans, and photographer Eric Rickman, were the consistent members of the Safari, which from 1954-56 showed early hot rodders how to stage events from safety inspection through trophy presentations. [Full story]

***

Veteran race announcer and motorsports public-relations expert Ernie Saxton passed away Sunday Aug. 17.

Saxton, a former columnist for NHRA National Dragster magazine, in which he shared sponsorship-hunting tips with the readership, was involved in public relations and marketing for more than 50 years, from 1967 until his complete retirement in 2021.

He was also very well known for his marketing and public relations work, from which he formed his own company, Ernie Saxton Communications.

***

Veteran NHRA Super Stock driver Don Kennedy passed away Aug. 16. He was 78,

Kennedy grew up in Farmington, N.M., where he ran a Pontiac dealership. Afte he sold the dealership, he moved to Dahlonega, Ga., and went to work for Barry Grant Fuel Systems, working for a company servicing the drag racing community. After a few years in Georgia, he moved his family back out west to Phoenix Ariz., where he became an insurance consultant.

Kennedy started drag racing as a teenager and started racing the NHRA circuit with his wife, Sharon, and daughters, Jeni and Kati, by his side. They traveled all throughout the west competing in events and building amazing memories as a family. One of his proudest moments is that he was one of the innovators of the Super Stock GT class, which made the class enjoyable and attainable for many up to this day. The last few years, he was able to combine work with his passion and began selling race car insurance. He had hundreds of clients and loved that he got to really know his customers and build a relationship with people who had the same passion as him.

Kenndy is survived by wife, Sharon Lee (Pate), daughters Jeni Lee and her husband Mike (West), and Kati Lee and her husband Brian (Van Poppel), along with grandchildren Ashley, Jason, and Troy. He is also survived by his twin brother, Ronald Leroy Kennedy and his wife Claudia and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites contributions to:

Peer Place: A Day program for adults with disabilities that his granddaughter Ashley attends. Gifts may be made through First Baptist Church at https://fbchville.com/give or by check, with “Peer Place” noted in the memo.

Darrell Gwynn Foundation: A foundation that works to prevent and cure spinal cord injuries and other debilitating illnesses by funding research and providing assistance to those affected. https://darrellgwynn.com/
 

***

Longtime aftermarket industry leader Chris Raschke passed away Aug. 3 as a result of a racing accident on the Bonneville Salt Flats. He was 61.

Raschke joined Automotive Racing Products, Inc (ARP) in 1996, bringing with him solid experience working at the side of master engine builder Kenny Duttweiler. In the scope of his duties as Director of Sales and Marketing at ARP he interfaced with engine builders, engineers, designers and competitors the world over. He was very much hands on and had a remarkable ability to look at an assembly or a design from a practical point of view and offer suggestions to improve it. He was very much trusted and respected for his depth of knowledge and experience in the industry.

Raschke was a familiar sight at performance industry trade shows and many racing events, always with a big smile on his face. Chris was always ready to jump in and help anyone in need of parts, instructions, and/or assistance. He got to know so many new people through his job, but also remained friends with them due to his upbeat personality, his positive, “will find a way” attitude, and love of the sport. All ARP employees and friends are in shock at the news of his passing and there will be a noticeable void at all the ARP manufacturing shops.

Raschke became enamored with Land Speed Racing a few decades ago through his friendship with Steve Watt, who built the fabled “Speed Demon II” streamliner. The streamliner was owned and driven by the late George Poteet and he subsequently became part of the dedicated crew. He also aspired to drive, getting his racing license, driving the popular White Goose Bar Modified Roadster. He earned his popular “red hat” (given by the SCTA for setting a record in excess of 200 mph) driving the Dodge Ram pickup owned by his close friend, Wayne Jesel. Chris was seldom seen without his treasured headwear, which he proudly carried with him everywhere he went. In 2024, Chris, Wayne and a team of three friends won the SCTA points championship based on the year’s record-setting performances at the historic El Mirage dry lake. When George Poteet opted to retire from driving the “Speed Demon” in 2023, he named Chris as his replacement. Chris would go on to set the B/BFS record at 459.734 mph and also earn the prestigious Hot Rod Magazine trophy for the fastest time of the meet —the 12th time the team had won it. The feat also earned Chris his famous “black hat” from the SCTA for setting a record in excess of 400 mph.

Chris certainly had a passion for racing, but his greatest passion was for his wife, family and close friends. He was a great grill master and loved to entertain at home with family and friends. Raschke is survived by his wife, Connie, and children, Kenneth, Kristoph, Carley, Brooke (Chris) and Kiley and grandkids, Colt, Piper and Renley.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Chris Raschke  Legacy Scholarship, established by SEMA. This new scholarship will ensure that his legacy continues by providing opportunities for students who share his passion in performance, engineering, and excellence.

You can donate in his memory using this link: https://sites.sema.org/scholarships/donate.php#!/SEMA-Scholarship-Chris…;
 Checks made out to the SEMA Memorial Scholarship Fund can be mailed to 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765 (attn: Joe Escobar).

***

Long-time Division 5 Top Fuel and Funny Car pioneer driver Earl Binns, “the Fuel’n Farmer” from Winterset Iowa, passed away Aug. 5. He was 87.

Binns was a gentle giant, standing 6-foot-four, but he was a terror in Division 5 pretty much from the beginning of time until 1979. Binns was one of the first in the division to have a rear-engine Top Fuel car, which was built by Don Garlits. 

Binns started racing at the Des Moines Dragway in 1958 and was a member of the Iron Duke car club. He drove Top Fuel cars through the ‘60s and ‘70s. Binn had all of his own Top Fuel before teaming with Ralph Rowe in Top Fuel and Funny Car, racing against the likes of Junior Kaiser, John Abbott,, Bruce Hagested, and Doc Halladay.

After his racing career, he continued farming in Winterset and had a love for country music, and played and sang in many bands.

***

West Coast Top Fuel racer Stan Shiroma, best known for his victory at the 1977 Fallnationals in Seattle, where he not only scored his first and only win but also the last Top Fuel win for a Chevy-based engine, passed away July 30. Shiroma’s Rodeck-powered machine, prepared with partners Dwayne Lidtke & Ray Zeller, defeated Frank Bradley, James Warren, and Northwest favorite Ernie Hall to reach the final to take on Rance McDaniel, but McDaniel was unable to fire his similarly motivated “Valley Fever” entry, and Shiroma soloed to victory. Sandwiched around a Top Fuel career that began in the late 1960s, Shiroma also raced Funny Cars, including the Midnight Skulker, Pure Hell, and the Warlock. Shiroma also drove a few races for fellow Hawaii native Roland Leong in the famed Hawaiian dragster.

***

Fred Mandoline, NHRA’s 1983 Top Alcohol Funny Car world champ, passed away July 22. He was 76. The innovator and sometimes gruff Illini was a star on the UDRA circuit with his Wheeler Dealer entries, with both unblown nitro and supercharged alcohol combinations, before he took the NHRA stage by storm in the 1983 season with a trio of wins — the SPORTSnationals, Springnationals, and Summernationals — that led to the championship. 

In 1984-85 he was part of the Team Strange super squad alongside the likes of Chris Karamesines, the Chi-Town Hustler, Don Coonce, and Al DaPozzo. Mandoline, who also was a cylinder head designer with his Bac Mat Rat line, later served as a tuner and consultant in the nitro ranks, most predominantly with Tim Wilkerson.

***

Jimmy Waibel, a veteran NHRA drag racer who began his career in the late 1950s and raced in Super stock and Stock through the early 1990s, passed away July 14. He was 84,

Waibel’s first race was in Lake Wales, Fla., in 1958 with his '57 Chevrolet, and won the Florida state championship is 1964, '65, and '66 and an NHRA Division 2 championship in 1968 and was inducted into the NHRA Division 2 Hall of Fame.

He then joined the Smothers Brothers racing team in the King Oldsmobile and ran a string of Oldsmobiles throughout the 1960s and ‘70s followed by his famed yellow Super Modified '67 Camaro before retiring in 1979-1992 to be a dad. 

He later revived Waibel Competition which is still competing to this day through his grandson Jacob Waibel. 

Waibel is survived by his wife of 65 years, Margaret; brother Ken Waibel; daughter Debbie Hannifan and husband Jay Hannifan; son Jeremy Waibel and wife, Ramona Waibel; grandsons Noah and Nathan Hannifan; Jacob Waibel and wife Jennipher Waibel; Joshua Waibel and fiañce Victoria Klein. 
 

***

Judy Bear, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable member of the NHRA team, passed away July 6.

Bear worked with the staff of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, helping to provide logistics and hospitality for Hot Rod Junction displays at the Wally Parks Nostalgia Nationals in Bowling Green Ky,, the NHRA Gatornationals and NHRA U.S. Nationals, and at local nostalgic and vintage events. She also would compete at nostalgia events in her 1970 Dodge Coronet and a blown 1940 Willys Gasser, A close friend to many and a great co-worker, Judy is survived by her husband Fred Bear. 

***

Jerry Ruth, whose amazing Top Fuel career spanned 20 years and included the NHRA Top Fuel world championship in 1973, passed away July 1. He was 87. [Full story]

***

Don Grotheer, who competed in NHRA’s Pro Stock, Super Stock, Stock, and Modified Eliminator classes, passed away June 29. He was 86.

Grotheer collected two NHRA national event victories, winning in Super Stock at the 1969 Winternationals and in Modified at the 1971 Summernationals, and scored three runner-ups, including two in Pro Stock in the 1972 season, losing both times to class master Bill Jenkins. Grotheer was mainly known for running Mopar entries, but also competed in Pro Stock in a Ford Pinto.

Grotheer is survived by his wife Joan; sons Randall and Steven; six grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Don's memory be made to Karman Legacy Hospice, 1311 S. Western Rd., Stillwater, OK 74074 or on-line at https://smc-foundation.org/projects/karmen-legacy-hospice-fund/

***

Larry Minor, the Southern California potato magnate who rose from his sand drag racing roots to become a successful multi-car team owner in NHRA competition and even an event-winning Top Fuel driver, passed away June 25. He was 85. [Full story]

***

Longtime NHRA competitor Joe Welch, who most recently competed in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class, passed away June 25. He was 76.

"His time racing with the NHRA brought countless memories and proud moments to our family, the family said in a statement. "Joe’s passion for drag racing and the NHRA community was a defining part of his life. In 2023, he set a speed record at the Gatornationals that became a point of great pride for him, and for all of us."

Welch is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Clare. His 5 children, Ann Welch, Jennifer Welch, Jessica (Pete) Uher, Clayton (Katie) Welch, and Brad Andrews, and his 10 grandchildren. His nieces Johnni-Kay (Rob) Smiley, Joy (Barry) Rons, and Jeanene Boswell. As well as his brother-in-law John Boswell.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Joe's favorite charities: University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital, Wounded Warriors, Tunnel to Towers, March of Dimes, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

***

Longtime Division 1 Stock and Super Stock class competitor Spence Turner passed away June 17 after a long illness. Turner was a class winner at the 1968 and ’71 Summernationals class and the 1973 SS/MA national record holder 

***

Longtime Division 6 track operator Jim Livingston, who operated Woodburn Dragstrip in Oregon for decades, passed away May 31. He was 86.

Livingston purchased Woodburn Dragstrip in 1971, 10 years after it was founded, and provided the guidance and excitement for the premier racing facility ever since. This family tradition of excellence continued under the same dedication and perseverance of the current owners, his daughter, Cherie Severance, and her husband, Joey, and their daughters, Preslie and Kinzley. 

Under Livingston’s guidance. Woodburn Dragstrip was named NHRA Division 6 Track of the Year on multiple occasions and helped developed some of the most competitive participants in the sport who have gone on to become NHRA divisional and world champions, including Joey Severance, who for years called Woodburn his hometrack.

Livingston, a former Comp eliminator racer, was an inductee in the inaugural class of the NHRA Division 6 Hall of Fame in 1994.

***

Bob Gottschalk, the 1982 NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion, passed away May 31. Gottschalk was a prominent figure in Top Alcohol Funny Car racing in the early 1980s and later transitioned to nitro Funny Car.

Gottschalk collected four NHRA national event wins, three of which came in his championship season and included a victory at the prestigious U.S. Nationals.

***

Tom Kasch, a Midwest standout in Stock and Super Stock for nearly 70 years, died May 31. He was 87. Kasch was a winning and world record-holding Stock and Super Stock racer in AHRA, NHRA, and IHRA competition, and the loss of his right leg early in life never kept him and his beloved wife, Ruth, out of the winner's circle or the teardown barn. 

***

Steve Huff, who made global headlines in 2020 as the designer, builder, and driver of the world’s first 200 mph electric dragster, passed away May 21 from cancer. He was 58.

In a professional racing career spanning more than 30 years, Huff set more than 20 national and world speed records but earned international exposure through exhibition passes at NHRA national events and established himself as a pioneer and innovator of drag racing’s electric future.

In 2020, after being diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic upper tract urothelial cancer in 2020, he rechristened his dragster “Faster Than Cancer” and met the challenge with the same determination and grit he brought to all aspects of his life and racing career.

***

Robert Nickens, one half of the Texas-based Nickens Bros. Racing engine-building dynamos, passed away May 12 of liver cancer. He was 76.

With brother David at the wheel, the siblings were also extremely successful on the racetrack, claiming 29 national event wins and the 1991 world championship in Comp eliminator and another event win in Pro Stock Truck. Robert’s son, Buddy, also was a winner under the guidance of his father and uncle, claiming eight wins and the 1996 world championship.

Robert is survived by his wife of 57 years, Naomi Nickens; son Robert “Buddy” Nickens and wife Sissy; siblings Shirley Van Slyke, David Nickens and wife Karenina, Carlos Bales “Mr. Bull” and wife Patty; Charles “Butch” Bales and wife Candy, plus his 4-legged couch partner Chiquita, and a host of nieces, nephews, friends, and drag racing family.

***

Jacques Guertin, founder of the legendary Sanair International Raceway motorsport complex, longtime home of Le Grandnational, passed away April 27. The Sanair track hosted drag racing, road racing, rallycross, and much more. 

***

Other recent notable passings: Longtime Midwest Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and Sportsman racer "Dyno Dave" Heitzman passed away May. 1. Longtime Mopar Super Stock racer Bill Weakley. Division 5 Super Stock racer Dave Smith. Longtime Midwest announcer Chuck Scrimpsher passed away April 21.

***

Danny Gracia, former longtime NHRA National Tech Director, passed away on April 28. He was 80.

Gracia joined NHRA in February 1990 as Technical Services Manager.  After taking a yearlong break in mid-1991, he was rehired as National Tech Director in July 1992, and held that position until his retirement in December 2018, although he continued to serve as a part-time event worker through last season.

Gracia, who opened his paint and body shop back in 1976, where he painted custom cars and motorcycles and raced in NHRA Super Stock and Stock until he met Division Director Wayne McMurtry, who was friends with racecar painter to the stars Tom Stratton, both Colorado natives. Gracia was helping Stratton with some paint work, and one thing led to another, and Gracia came to NHRA.

Gracia is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Ellen; sons Jeff and Robert; brother Art, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
 

***

Ed Pink, the iconic engine name that became synonymous with horsepower and precision in the golden age of drag racing, died April 27 at the age of 94. [Full story]

***

Fuel Altered icon Rich Guasco passed away April 14. He was 88. 

In a rodding and racing career that spanned seven decades, Guasco found his passion for fast cars as a post-war teenager growing up in the family salvage yard in Tri-Valley region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Hot rods, roadsters in particular, were Guasco’s passion. He built two iconic versions - a purple 1929 Ford that won the coveted America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award in 1961. Ironically, Guasco wasn’t able to attend the event as he was serving in the armed forces in Germany at the time. What followed the trophy show car was a more popular roadster. 

Both powerful and fast, Guasco’s Pure Hell 1932 Austin bantam “altered” literally altered the course of the drag strip as one never really knew which direction it would go once the throttle was mashed and the clutch fully engaged down track. Despite being unruly, it won or set performance records at nearly every race in which it was entered.. With a supercharged V-8 engine pumping out incalculable horsepower, Pure Hell roared down drag strips and took fans' breath away. 

Driver Dale Emery thrilled race fans with impromptu wheelies, tire smoke, and 200-mph top speeds. One afternoon at Fremont Raceway, it went upside down into an irrigation ditch. Rebuilt in just two weeks, it set a class record later that spring in Los Angeles. After the bantam was retired following a crash during transport, Guasco switched gears. 

His purple Dodge Demon funny car was a popular entry on the national event trail and won the Funny Car Championship at the 1973 NHRA Springnationals in Columbus, Ohio. In the late 1970s, Guasco transitioned into a mechanic role for some of drag racing's top professional teams. He joined his former driver, Dale Emery, on Raymond Beadle’s Blue Max Funny Car before joining Dan Pastorini’s Coors Light Top Fuel dragster, all while raising his children, Gina, Rusty, and Jill, with his late wife Dody. 

In the 1990s, Guasco sold the salvage yard property, pulled Pure Hell out of storage, and had original builder Pete Ogden update the car’s safety features to run it on the nostalgia drags circuit. With Larry Huff driving, the car displayed its famed ill-handling characteristics. Rich parked the original car and had longtime ally Dave Uyehara build a modern version, which enjoyed tremendous success, even winning the top fuel class at regional races. Just like the 60s and 70s, Guasco barnstormed the entire country with the new Pure Hell. 

With Brian Hope at the wheel, the car achieved its best performance, eventually running as quick as 5.92 seconds on the quarter mile with a blistering speed of 244.7 miles per hour. When Rich and his daughter Jill weren’t racing, he was driving his hot rods, going as far as New York from his Pleasanton, Calif. home. 

Guasco found strength in keeping Pure Hell’s legacy alive, running the car at select events during the racing season. Guasco fell ill earlier this year. 

Guasco is enshrined in Don Garlits’ International Drag Racing Hall of Fame as well as the Grand National Roadster Show Hall of Fame. He was honored as Grand Marshal for dozens of historic races and other events, including the California Hot Rod Reunion. 

Guasco is survived by his daughters Gina and Jill, and their spouses Jeff and Phil, his son Rusty, grandchildren Dante, Grace, Hannah, Will, and longtime girlfriend Annie Taylor. A public celebration of his life will be announced as soon as details become available. 

***

Maynard Rupp, who will live forever in NHRA annals as the association's first Top Fuel world champion, passed away April 8. He was 84. In 1965, Rupp defeated Danny Ongais, driving the Broussard Garrison-Davis Mangler, in the final round at Southwest Raceway in Tulsa, Okla,, for that distinction. [Full story]

***

Bernie Fedderly, whose mechanical magic propelled drivers to winner’s circles and world championships over a Hall of Fame career, passed away March 15. He was 83. Among Fedderly's teammates were Terry Capp, Gary Beck, Ed McCulloch, and John Force. [Full story]

***

Celebrated NHRA engine builder Don Ratican passed away on March 18. A true icon in the world of drag racing, his remarkable contributions have left an enduring legacy that will forever be remembered.

Ratican’s career in the NHRA began in 1957, where his unmatched expertise quickly earned him recognition as one of the sport's most skilled engine builders. In 1958, he teamed with Ron Stearns and Bill Jackson to create the legendary Ratican, Jackson, and Stearns Fiat, a car that would go down in history as one of the early pioneers of drag racing. His ingenuity continued to shine in 1962 when he placed his engine in the Safford, Gaide, and Ratican dragster, The Sour Sisters. What was originally planned as a short test turned into an incredible run, as the car won 17 of its first 22 races over the course of two years.

His influence extended far beyond his own projects. In 1968, he began working with the legendary Mickey Thompson, building engines for Thompson’s renowned Funny Cars, further solidifying his reputation as one of drag racing’s most respected and innovative engine builders.

In 2015, his exceptional contributions to the sport were honored with the prestigious NHRA Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition of his decades of dedication and his profound impact on the evolution of drag racing.

Later in his career, his passion for preserving drag racing history led him to restore several iconic cars, including the Albertson Olds for the NHRA Museum in 1994, the Ratican, Jackson, and Stearns A/A Fiat Coupe, and the Chi-Town Hustler, ensuring that these legendary vehicles would live on for future generations to appreciate.
 

***

Michael Bartone, who with his fast-driving brother Tony ran roughshod over the Top Alcohol Funny Car class in the mid-1990s, winning the 1996, and himself won the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals in 1995 in Top Alcohol Dragster, passed away March 14. He was 65.

***

Longtime NHRA event worker and tech expert Dale Schafer passed away March 14. Schafer, a founding member of Albuquerque Dragway, was a member of the NM Timing Association and a long-time NHRA tech inspector at many national events.

Schafer began his racing career in 1952, attending his city’s police department-sanctioned “street racing.”  In 1961, Schafer and some associates formed the New Mexico Timing Association, which led to a very aggressive, revenue-generating program that furnished the funds to build Albuquerque Dragway. Schafer was elected President of the NMTA, and the new track began operation in the spring of 1964 where he managed the track until 1974 that’s when the bond issue and improvements were paid off.

In 1964, Schafer was introduced to NHRA President Wally Parks, and was invited to work the first Winternationals. Schafer attended the race and was put to work with Dr. Dean Hill at fuel check of the race contestants. Some 40 years later, Schafer was still working the national event circuit on fuel certification.

During the 1964 Winternationals race, Schafer was also introduced to the soon-to-be first ever Division 4 Director, Dale Ham. Ham asked him if he would be interested in working on his Division 4 certification team, a position that he still held some 44 years later.

***

Steve Schmidt, a former NHRA Pro Stock and Comp racer, passed away March 4. He was 74.

Schmidt, who won three NHRA national event Pro Stock titles in the mid-1990s, was also a respected engine builder for a number of classes and it was in one of Schmidt’s cars that Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden made some of his last passes.

***

Bill Shrewsberry, who for decades entertained and thrilled fans with his L.A. Dart and Knott Berry Wagon wheelstanders, passed away Feb. 19, following a long period of failing health. He was 86. [Full story]

***

Ray Franks, who competed in NHRA’s Pro Stock class for nearly 15 years, from 1990 through 2004, has passed away.

Although Franks, from New Carlisle, Ohio, never reached the winner’s circle, he appeared in two final rounds, both in 1996. He was runner-up to Mike Edwards in Houston and to Jim Yates in Topeka.

Franks was also a member of both of Pro Stock’s great performance clubs, the Holley 6-Second Pro Stock Club and the Speed-Pro 200-MPH Pro Stock Club.

Franks, who was a renowned clutch builder in the class, became the 14th member of the Holley 6-Second Pro Stock Club with a 6.997-second pass at the 1997 Gatornationals and then, surprisingly, was just the fourth driver to exceed 200 mph with a 200.22-mph clocking in Houston in 1998.

***

Other notable passings: AA/FD legend Roger Gates

***

Melvin Heath, who in 1956 became just NHRA’s second national champion, passed away Feb. 17. He was 94.  Heath won Top Eliminator at the 1956 NHRA Nationals in Kansas City, Mo., to claim the title. [Full story]

***

Former NHRA Competition Director Lynwood Dupuy passed away Feb. 4. He was 85.

Dupuy spent his early years working at a number of dragstrips in his native Louisiana, including LaPlace Dragway, Southland Dragway and State Capital Dragway. This led to a career change when he accepted the position of General Manager of State Capital Dragway. He was known as the kind of guy who could perform nearly any function at a drag strip from starter to race director and earned a fair but firm reputation and was beloved by racers from coast to coast.

Dupuy’s work ethic and dedication to the sport was recognized by Dale Ham, the former Division Director, who recommended him to the NHRA for the open position of Competition Director, a position he held for 14 years. 

After retirement from NHRA, he remained embedded in the sport through stints with Houston Raceway Park, NMCA/NMRA and as an industry consultant.

Dupuy is survived by his wife, Mary, children David, James "Jim" Jr. (Gale), Wayne, Deanne (Evan Conravey) and Janine; his stepchildren, Sammy (Janice) and Tom Ragusa, his grandchildren, Ashleigh (Byron Blair), Brad (Courtney), Jessica, Hillary (Dax Hampton), Zachary (Kimberly), Dakota Conravey (Kelsey), Chloe (Corey Albert) and 10 great grandchildren.

***

John Rasmussen, a Southern California racer who grew up in the hotbed of drag racing and who spent a lot of time with some of the future greats of the sport like John Peters and Gene Adams, passed away Jan. 21. Peters, whose "Freight Train" dragster was legendary in the 1960's, tabbed Rasmussen, as one of the drivers for the famous car. And Gene Adams, a wizard in the tuning department, added Rasmussen, to his team and they competed in both the fuel and the gas classes.

***

Other recent passings:

Gary Watson, "the Texas Wheekstanding King," who thrilled fans with two-wheeled antics with memorable machines like the "Paddy Wagon."; Leo Dunn, driver and racecar builder from the 1960s and '70s, best known for his two-engined cars; longtime Division 1 bracket racer Carl Vrucher; John Macey, driver of the Lead Zeppelin Super Stocker;