<![CDATA[Jalopnik: Funny Car]]> http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png <![CDATA[Jalopnik: Funny Car]]> http://jalopnik.com/tag/funny car http://jalopnik.com/tag/funny car <![CDATA[O.J. Simpson In A Funny Car Is Stabbingly Funny]]> Yes, this is a photo of O.J. Simpson in a funny car at SEMA circa 1969. If the dragster does not fit... (Hat tip to Aaron J!) More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5726872&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[This Is Why Drag Racing Is Awesome]]> Eyeball-rattling grunt and cars launched by the hand of God: Drag racing is one of the most awe-inspiring things on wheels. Wired.com's Chuck Squatriglia recently took a closer look at Top Fuel racing — the pinnacle of the sport. —Ed. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5598856&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Man-Eating Dragster Swallows Driver's Son]]> A pre-race check nearly turns disastrous when this rip-snortin' funny car goes out of-control, ingesting the driver's son and sending him face-first into the belly of the bazillion-horsepower V8. Miraculously, the kid survived without any injuries. Here's how it happened. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5600795&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Welcome Back To Model Hell!]]> One advantage Model Hell has over Project Car Hell is that you can fit a lot of the little suckers in your garage. How about a vintage, unassembled 1972 AMC Hornet funny car kit? Yeah, you need this one! More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5503970&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Drag Racing Photographer Has Steel Balls, Death Wish]]> Andy Willsheer is aptly named, as it took the sheer force of his mighty will to keep snapping photos of this Mustang funny car as it hurls towards his camera. His great photos and video of the accident below. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5427221&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[VIDEO: Dragster's Clutch Blows Up]]> Ever wonder what it looks like from a funny car driver's perspective as something goes very wrong? Well, here's a video showing the clutch blowing up as the driver grabs second. We think someone needs a clean Nomex suit. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5420536&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Scott Kalitta, NHRA Champion, Killed In Qualifying Incident]]> UPDATE: We've now posted the Scott Kalitta crash video. Funny Car driver and two-time Top Fuel champion Scott Kalitta died after injuries sustained in a fiery crash during the final round of qualifying of the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway park saturday. According to reports, his Toyota Solara Funny Car experienced an engine explosion at around 300 mph, causing his car to hit a sand trap and eventually crash. Kalitta, age 46, had a long and successful career, including back-to-back championships in the NHRA POWERade Series Top Fuel series in 1994 and 1995. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=396757&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ashley Force Wins Funny Car Race, Seriously]]> After Danica Patrick won her first Indy race, there was a lot of noise from talking heads, with serial bloviators like Pedro de la Rosa and Gregg Doyel weighing in on the topic of women in motorsport. So, to shut up all the skeptics, Ashley Force won at yesterday's NHRA Southern Nationals to become the first female driver to win a national Funny Car event. The victory came against her dad, the legendary John Force, denying him of what would have been his 1000th career win. Her final 1/4-mile run was 4.837 seconds at 320.36 MPH— lets see you macho guys do that without needing to change your underwear. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=384812&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Super Nova Melt Down at CHRR]]> The bad news is the Randy Walls Super Nova exploded in a horrific fireball at half track during Chicago style first round action at the California Hot Rod Reunion. The good news is Randy walked away with only minor burns and smoke inhalation. The MaxChevy crew were down at the top end and captured the full destructive power of nitro in photo sequence. [Walls Goes 'Super Nova' at CHRR via MaxChevy.com] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=311179&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Monday! Monday! Monday! CHRR Funny Cars!]]> The mayhem that was the Chicago-style Nostalgia Funny Car battle at the California Hot Rod Reunion wrapped yesterday with Bucky Austin driving his 1977 Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste Plymouth Arrow-bodied Funny Car to the king of the hill spot. The struggle to the finish was as heavy in the pits as it was on the track, as crews blew apart what was left of engines to repair damage from the horrors of nitro in time for the next round. Out of nineteen cars entered only one could trip the win light in the end. Vegas, Mustangs, and Firebirds all eventually fell victim to the power of Plymouth. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=311056&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Nitro Floppers to Hit Famoso]]> As some of our earliest memories are of fiery roots superchargers tumbling free of their engines down the grassy median between the grandstands and the race track at the New England Dragway, '60s and '70s era Funny Cars still occupy a hallowed portion of the old grey matter. The California Hot Rod Reunion has a 22 car Nostalgia Funny Car field set to run more or less Chicago style on Sunday. No qualifying round. 1st round everyone runs. Quickest eight of those cars run 2nd round. The pair with the lowest semi-final ET will do battle for the final. Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Be there! [Nostalgiafunnycarnews.com] [California Hot Rod Reunion Event Schedule] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=309925&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ed "The Ace" McCulloch Grand Marshall of California Hot Rod Reunion]]> The Crew Chief of the Brut Racing but no longer by Faberge Funny Car driven by Ron Capps is coming back to Bakersfield this weekend as Grand Marshall of the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion. The Ace's qualifications for the job include hammering the Northwind Top Fuel dragster to the number one spot on the Drag News Mr. Eliminator list in the late '60s, and running the Revellution Plymouth Duster Funny Car to five out of seven finals victories in the '70s. The Ace hopes to have some good times in Bakersfield like they did on the road back in the day.
Today's drivers have a different role than in the old days. They have sponsor commitments and race press all week, and then drive on the weekend. Not many of them work on the car. Not only did we drive the race car, we worked on them, and drove the tow vehicles down the highways. Today we race 23 three-day events. Back then we could race 100 one-night stands!
McCulloch's old pal Jack Coonrod has rebuilt the Northwind and is his on the way to Bakersfield with the dragster. So are we. Stay tuned as the week unfolds and we head up to Famoso Raceway to catch all this weekend's action. Full press release and event information after the jump. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=308985&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Straight Arrow or Fancy Arrow? Plymouthsubishi!]]> Before he left for vacation, Ol' JC Whitless threatened an onslaught of obscure models from the womb of Ma Mopar. Today he kicked over the Plymouth Arrow, a Mitsubishi-derived model available with the Silent Shaft mill that in turbocharged form later powered the Mighty Starion. Of course, the Astron-powered model was known as the Fire Arrow, a car which we touched on about six months ago. Plus, it was covered by a warranty so strong, ChryCo referred to it as "The Clincher." And let's face it, if the stylish stripes and the ability to run leaded or unleaded gas don't get you, well, The Clincher will. Click through for a picture of Don Prudhomme. – Davey G. Johnson More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=225927&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Best Funny-Car Sponsorship Idea Since The Hot Wheels Snake/Mongoose Thing]]> From the mind of Bumbeck comes a completely amazing/revolutionary idea regarding racing-car sponsorship: More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=199255&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Frank Pedregon Adds Second Funny Car to Run IHRA]]> We're sitting at a Starbucks on Watt Ave. in Sacramento, and across the street they're trimming trees. The sound of the chipper reminds us simultaneously of Fargo and of a Fuel car doing a burnout from a half-mile away. With that in mind, we thought we'd let you know that Funny Car vet Frank Pedregon, one of the Famed Flamin' Pedregons, has added a second car to his Funny Car team. Which will not be driven by a pregnant Frances McDormand, although maybe it should be. Heart Like an Overinflated Wheel, anyone? Joel, Ethan, hit that shit. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=138889&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ronn Capps to Run Vintage Funny Car]]> Ron Capps, driver of Don Schumacher's Brut Dodge Stratus Funny Car, will race Jeff Gaynor's '70 Barracuda flopper at the Goodguys VRA race in Pomona. Coming right off the Western Swing of the NHRA's POWERade tour, Capps heads to Pomona August 5-7. The car's regular throttle jockey, Jeff Utterback, will be driving Gary Turner's car instead. While not as fast as today's Funnies, the '70s cars look infinitely cooler, and are generally more unpredictable. Plus, you know, they resemble actual cars, instead of like, the Space Shuttle or something... More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=121896&view=rss&microfeed=true