Sherwood Allen: Three Generations of a Drag Racing Family

Wheels-up launch is typical for driver Michael Allen in dad Sherwood’s Pontiac Firebird. The 1969, 427, 425 hp engine places the car in SS/GTA Automatic. (Photo by Quarter Mile Brothers)  Story by Jim Hill Drag racing has always been more about how fast your car is and less about skin color. For Sherwood Allen, patriarch […]


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Ron Colson: Still In The Driver’s Seat

Colson had a successful stint in the Chi-Town Hustler, one of the most popular and famous Funny Cars on the match race circuit. Story by Jim Hill There are only a few drivers who have driven more different types of top-level drag race cars as Illinois’ Ron Colson. Colson grew up in tiny Oregon, Illinois, […]


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Pat Bilbow, Joe Tucci & Lyndwood Chassis: Part 2, The Joe Tucci Saga

Quantico, Virginia’s Joe Tucci (in car) readies himself for a push-start in his 454 CID Chrysler Hemi powered AA/Gas Dragster. Tucci’s Lyndwood Welding chassis shows its robust construction. Tucci later replaced the front wheels with a pair of spoked motorcycle rollers.  Story by Jim Hill Joe Tucci And The Leatherneck Missile Joe Tucci’s success at […]


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Pat Bilbow and Joe Tucci: The Rise Of Lyndwood Dragsters and Altereds

Lyndwood dragsters were simple, sturdy-built cars that handled well and were tough enough to survive the often rough drag strip surfaces of eastern tracks. Story by Jim Hill Much of the performance advancements in drag racing speeds and ET’s can be credited to those uniquely specialized vehicles known as “dragsters”, and the art of designing […]


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White Pants & Shirts, Car Clubs And Drag Racing’s Innocence Lost

Dean Moon’s famous Mooneyes dragster featured all-white clad crewmembers in 1961. Model car maker Revell made a plastic kit of this car, which used a Potvin front-mounted blower and a small-block Chevy in a Dragmaster chassis. Story by Jim Hill Next time you’re watching a major drag racing event, in person or on TV, take note of […]


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Mr. Gasket: From The Trunk Of A ’57 Chevy To Wall Street

Joe Hrudka (left) turning the wrenches on the Hrudka Brothers’ ’33 Willys panel truck, C/Gas Supercharged, in 1966. The Willys used a blown, small-block Chevy with Hilborn injection and a manually-shifted, four-speed trans. (Todd Wingerter Photo) Story by Jim Hill These stories typically deal with drag racing’s wildly varying personalities rather than with speed equipment businesses. For the […]


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