World's Saltiest 1966 Barracuda!   Normally when you see a car in impound, the crew attends the race car's mechanical needs, if any, then starts cleaning and removing the salt from the last run. Don'tcha wanna look your best? (going to impound's a good thing! Look here for Setting a Record at Bonneville)   These are a couple cool-lighted morning shots of Robert (Bob) Dally's 1966 Barracuda on the way back to the starting line to backup their record run on Sunday morning. Bob landed in impound since they went 113 mph on a soft 100 mph F/CPRO record. On Monday, the record was set at 115 mph, then again on Tuesday at their top speed of Speed Week 2013: 132.85 mph.  F-size engines are only up to 183 cu. in, so Bob's Barracuda wasn't running a Hemi, it was a little old slant 6. Salty Grille! Bob and his crew didn't spend much time cleaning, so it was an opportune time for me to grab some shots! As you could have guessed, some people complained about wet conditions out on the track and the 'Cuda certainly shows that.   ...

Looking Back on Hemi Cuda Funny Car Development   By Moore Good Ink Photos courtesy of Jim White Forty-eight years ago, toward the end of the 1965 drag racing season, Chrysler and their Southern Californian Plymouth Dealers Association underwrote the costs of constructing and operating a blown nitro 426cu in rear-engine Plymouth Hemi Barracuda Funny Car. The proposition that brought together the Chrysler Corporation and the Southern Californian Plymouth Dealers Association was conceived by the late Lou Baney. Lou, who was already running the Mongoose in the Yeakel Plymouth Center’s Fuel dragster, could see the potential for exploiting a new Hemi Barracuda Funny Car in exhibitions and match races. The moment was right and the deal was struck and B&M Automotive were contracted to construct the car, Dave Zeuschel to prepare the engine and Tom “Mongoose” McEwen to drive it.   The origins of the Funny Car The term Funny Car had derived from the appearance of Chrysler’s Ram Chargers a year earlier. The corporation’s competition department had moved the rear axle assembly forward on the chassis in an attempt to improve weight transfer under acceleration, thus increasing the...

Going to Impound - That's a GOOD thing! 2011 Bonneville Speed Week sponsored by Spectre Performance It's a thing of beauty. The 1969 Plymouth Barracuda built by Rad Rides by Troy. So imagine that everyone's happy they're off to impound! You should remember that when you run faster than a record, the car goes to impound, then the next morning you back up the record or start over. Review: Setting a Record at Bonneville The thrash is on! In impound, the team has 4 hours to make any changes and get ready for the back-up run. Blowfish is owned by George Poteet and nobody's more excited to see what the team has almost accomplished in the B/BFCC class. The record is held by a family everyone knows, the Burkland's. Tom Burkland set the record way back at Speed Week in 1985 with a coupe named "411 to Bonneville" at 294.868 mph. Blowfish ran 303 and change, so a new record, and a coveted blue hat (300 mph club) are within reach. Stay tuned for an update... Update! I caught up with Lawrence Laughlin, the shop manager from Rad Rides...

Story Submitted by John C. Hill or MoparMagic Virtually everyone who has an interest in automobiles knows who Richard Petty is. "The King" is considered the very best NASCAR driver fomr the early era, about the early 60s through the late 70s. Richard went on to win hundreds of NASCAR races, and multiple NASCAR Championships until his retirement from active driving in the early 90s. But, did you know for a very brief period in the mid-60's, King Richard was a drag racer? It's true, and not only was he a drag racer, but Petty Enterprises created and built one of the earliest "F/X" cars, which could arguably be considered the first Hemi powered funny car. It's also quite possible that without this particular car, the Chrysler 426 Hemi as we know it may have been eliminated from production in early 1965, never to be produced again! If this doesn't peak your interest, nothing will! So read on about "43 jr" and find out how a Plymouth Barracuda with Richard Petty at the wheel, saved the 426 Hemi from extinction. "NASCAR, If you can't outrun 'em, outlaw 'em." On...

You're walking around a show and when you see a car cruise in that makes you stop in your tracks. You're stunned and instantly curious. You're hear it and feel it as it drives by. Time for a closer look. Cars that make you feel that way have alot to see, but it's all skin deep. What'd he do for the rear axle setup? Are those custom engine mounts? Unless the builder took great pics and brought them, it's tough to fully appreciate what it took to bring that car to the show. That's where Build Book comes in. BuildBookUSA.com has published 5 books covering 5 cars built by some of the top builders in country. I met Scott and BJ Killeen (long time auto journalists) at the Grand National Roadster Show and they were kind enough to let me preview the complete series of books. You gotta check these out! The first book, and my favorite, is about Joe Rogan's "Sick Fish" 70 Barracuda. Built by the legendary Troy Trepanier & Rad Rides by Troy, this book oozes coolness page by page. What do you want to know...