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CALL 800.884.NHRAOR GO TO NHRATIX.COM
2014 RACING SCHEDULE
CHEVROLET CAMARO
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BY PETE WARDOVER CENTER
VOL18
NUMBER3
MAY2014
DRAG RACER (ISSN_1094-5547) Volume 18, Number 3 is abimonthly publication published January, March, May, July, Septem-ber and November by Beckett Media LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway,#200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. POSTMASTER Send address changesto: DRAG RACER c/o BECKETT MEDIA, 4635 Mc Ewen Road, Dallas, TX75244. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Drag Racer c/oPitney Bowes, Inc., PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B#855050365RT001. 2014 by Beckett Media, LLC. All rightsreserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or inpart is strictly prohibited.
This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that informationpresented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibilityby Beckett Media, LLC as to the legality, completeness or technical accuracy.
Kevin Wilson - Editorial DirectorPete Ward - Editor
Michelle Salcedo - Group Managing EditorEugene Pineda - Art DirectorJohn Cabral - Cover Design
EDITORIAL
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BECKETT MEDIA LLC
Nick Singh - Executive DirectorErin Masercola - Business Unit Editorial Director
ADVERTISINGGabe Frimmel - Ad Sales Director - (714) 200-1930,[email protected] The Mongoo$e McEwen - Motorsports Director -(714) 200-1936Brandon Lillie - Senior Account Executive - (714) 276-5279Bill Middaugh - Senior Account Executive (714) 200-1937Chris Crispell - Account Executive - (714) 200-1935Bob Hulsy - Account Executive - (714) 200-1940Gennifer Merriday - Ad Traffic Coordinator
Contributing EditorsJeff Burk, Bill Holland, Tom The Mongoo$e McEwen, Bob Mc-Clurg, Rod Short, Ian Tocher, Dave Wallace
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WHAT THE FLIPARE THEYTHINKING?
Iwhizzed away several hours of my life yesterday watching the Super
Bowl and as many say, the best partthe commercialswhich brings
me to my little rant: four freakin million dollars for 30 seconds of
advertising?! Are they insane?!
I did a bit of research and came up with this quote from the Feb. 3 web edition
of the International Business Times: In January, Advertising Age reported on a
study by the research firm Communicas that called into question whether the ticket
price of a Super Bowl commercial is money well spent: In 2014, a 30-second spot
is reportedly going for $4 million, up from $3.8 million in 2013. The study found that
only one in five Super Bowl commercials leads to a sale, or intent to purchase
these guys arent lightweights! They know of what they speak.
It never fails to amaze me how totally devoid of clear thinking most major com-
panies are, or by default, the agencies who handle their advertising/marketing. In
the late 70s my wife and I had a company, Nothing Ventured-Nothing Gained, Inc.,
which attempted to acquire sponsorships for drag racing teams. The same prob-
lem exists now as then: companies and their agencies just dont get it! If a promo-
tional concept is a bit out of their comfort zone (stick and ball sports, electronic or
print media) they just cant seem to get their heads wrapped around it. For ad agen-
cies it gets more complicated. Its harder for them to make a buck on a race deal
rather than on conventional ad placement. Of course theyre supposed to be good
shepherds of their clients money.
Now, $4 mill may not be Force, Shoe, Johnson or Kalitta territory, but it sure would
be a real nice hit for a competitive one-car pro team. Who knows what that kindof money might do for say, Tim Wilkerson, Clay Millican or Larry Morgan?
Drag race fans vote with their pocketbooks. Theyre very brand loyal. Bud, Miller
and Coors got a ton of irate Ill never drink your bleepin beer again, because you
dropped Kenny, Snake, Goo$e
letters. We buy stuff advertised
on the side of race cars. Shotgun
blast advertising, the idea of lets
spend a ton of money on this one
round on ammunition, shoot a
wide pattern and hope one of the
pellets might wing someone who
could be vaguely interested in our
product, doesnt really make any
sense. Aaaarrrggghh! It drives me
freakin crazy. In the grand-
scheme of things, drag racing is
such a cheap buy for companies,
compared with other forms of
advertising/marketing. Especially when you bear in mind how faithful we are to
those who support our sport. Thankfully there are companies out there who do get
it, and we see their product/company logos on race cars. To those companies,
thank you!
Ill get off my soapbox now, but just one more thing before I go: All of you out
there, if you have a friend or family member whos in a decision-making position for
a company who could benefit from a connection to drag racing, put a bug intheir ear!
/ABOUT JIM WHITES PHOTO: Goo$e and Snakebrought the corporate world to motorsports and
John Force has done a masterful job of maximizing
drag racings marketing potential.
MAY.20144
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co
ntent
sMAY2014V
OL.
18NO.
03
Visit Drag Racer online: Dragracermag.com | Follow us on Facebook: Facebook/Drag Racer Magazine
ON THE COVER SNAKE AND GOO$E HIGHLIGHT THE BARRETT-JACKSON AUCTION Photo by
4 Over Center
76 Behind the Scenes
82 Collectible Keepers
86 Carb Class
88 The Mongoo$e Journals
8 Quarter-Mile Updates
12 Power Brokers
13 Strange Engineering Quiz
14 Bells and Whistles
90 Parting Shot
The Snake, in
conjunction with Brett
Hajek, is restoring the
fabled Shelbys Super
Snake T/F. Thelegendary Don Long is in
charge of the chassis
and the Old Master Ed
Pink, who built its
original Ford Cammer, is
again the engine builder.
PHOTOGRAPHERUNKNOWN
COLUMNS
DEPARTMENTS
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White
DRAG RACER (ISSN_1094-5547) Volume 18, Number 3 is a bimonthly publication published January, March, May, July, September and November by Beckett Media
LLC, 22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, #200, Yorba Linda, CA 92887. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: DRAG RACER c/o BECKETT MEDIA, 4635 McEwen Rd.,
Dallas, TX 75244. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Drag Racer c/o Pitney Bowes, Inc., PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B #855050365RT001.
2014 by Beckett Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
PANDEMONIUM!Return With Us to the Roots of Funny Car Racing24
LS1 POWER TRIP, PART 2LS1 Engines: Reasonably Priced, Easy to Find,Eager to Respond32
WAR PONY EXPRESSFRONT LINESFixing the Front End58
THE IVO FILES, ACT IIIFor Love Not Money18
THE PERFECTDISTRACTIONEd Leaboughs Chevy IITakes Him AwayQuickly!
70WHEN TIMEWAITS FORNO ONEJim Oddy is Resurrectingthe Golden Days
48EUROBOOSTEDTero Laukkanen IsBlowin Big Power44
BACK TO THEFUTURE WITH
YET ANOTHERNEW IHRANew Faces, Big Plans
42MILLIONDOLLARBABIESBarrett-JacksonHighlights
64
DRIVER PROFILES AND FEATURED PERFORMERS
SPECIAL FEATURES
TECH
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The Great Wall of Fontana
The American Auto Racing
Writers and BroadcastersAssociation announced Force as
a member of the All-America
First Team for the sixteenth time.
Force is also the Jerry Titus Memorial Tro-
phy winner for the driver having the most over-
all votes. This is the fifth such award for Force.
No other motorsports professional has won
more than three times.
MAY.20148
QUARTER-MILE UPDATE
Ace race photog Roger Rohrdanz recently
visited the long quiet Fontana, California,
Auto Club Dragway located at the Auto
Club Speedway. Shuttered due to noise
issues, its now scheduled to reopen this season,
thanks to the newly constructed sound barrier wall.
SoCal racers and fans, rejoice, and give a big thanks
to the Automobile Club of Southern California. Stay
posted for the race schedule.
Yet Another Big-Time Award(Actually Two) for John Force
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PAT MUSI KNOWS VENOLIA WILL DELIVER A WINNING ADVANTAGE.......
www.venolia.comww venolia comwww.venolia.comQuality and Serviceuality and ServiceQuality and Service2160 Cherry Industrial Circle Long Beach, CA 90805Tel: (562) 531-8463 or (323) 636-9329 Fax: (562) 633-9439
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POPEYE POWER!!!POPEYE POWER!!!
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QUARTER-MILE UPDATE
You Can AlmostHear the Thunder
and Smell the Nitro!
Remember the bitchin
muscle car stamps the
U.S. Postal Service issued
last year? Tom Fritz, the
artist who created them, also does
drag race images. Be sure to check
out his website, Fritzart.com.
Taking Artistic LicenseOil on canvas; 27 x 48 inches Tom Fritz 2003
Automotive Fine Arts Society Best In Show,Pebble Beach Concours dElegance, 2003.Prints are available.
//My depiction of Don Prudhomme in the Greer BlackPrudhomme dragster. Besides capturing the gut-twisting drama
of the moment, my real challenge in this painting was describing
the sparkle of spinning spokes without relying on visual clichs.//TOM FRITZ
Steve Gibbs, friend to racers during his 25-year tenure as NHRAs Director of
Competition, now Vice President-Director of the NHRA Motorsports
Museum and key player in the Museums Hot Rod Reunions and wildly
popular Cacklefests also possesses serious artistic skills. Fortunately for
us, Steve elected to pursue drag racing instead of art. He recently came upon some of
his early works and was kind enough to share with us.
TheArt Worlds LossDrag Racings Gain
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SEND YOUR ENTRIES TO:Drag Racer Magazine Quiz
22840 Savi Ranch Parkway, Suite 200Yorba Linda, CA 92887
Drag RacerMarch 2014
Who is the driver?
Who are the car owners?
QUIZ ANSWER
Owner/driver:
Gary DenshamName of car:
Teachers Pet
333 West 48th Avenue
Denver CO. 80216
Phone: (303) 935-7565
www.grpconrods.com
Designed in House CNC Machined Radial Serration Caps
TECH TIP
THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER
ROD BOLT STRETCH
The clamp force holding a rod together needs to
be greater than the tension load pulling it apart.
To obtain the correct amount of clamping force a
fastener should actually be stretched a measured
amount. This is done with a stretch gauge not a
torque wrench.
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The adapters are also available in Earls Ano-Tuff
black finish which provides superior resistance to
wear and corrosion. This hard anodizing process
forms a thick, hard coating that will not de-bond
from the aluminum surface over time. Check outEarls.com or call 270.781.9741 for
more info.
MAY.201414
BELLSAND WHISTLES
Strange Engineerings heavy-duty lines of S-series transmission and pinion yokes
were designed by Strange and are manufactured from USA-made, high tensile
strength nodular iron castings. Transmission and pinion yokes are CNC-machined
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Yokes are machined
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yokes to most O.E.M. applications. For
more info, call 847.663.1701 or visit
Strangeengineering.net.
Strange Yokes are No Joke
When running a late-model engine with
factory fuel rails in a performance appli-
cation, youre faced with the challenge
of connecting to AN fuel lines. Fortu-
nately, Earls Performance Plumbing has the solutionwith its new quick connect adapter fittings.
The adapters connect to popular GM, Ford or
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To ensure a secure connec-
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Earls DisconnectsQuickly
QA1's Ultimate ball joints are now available in
bolt-in, press-in and screw-in styles. The ball
joints come preassembled with standard and
up to 1-inch longer studs. These longer length
ball joints can help to improve the overall geometry of
the car by increasing straight line stability and improving
roll center and can also help to free up bind, allowing the
suspension to operate smoothly through the entire rangeof travel.
Designed to provide infinite preload adjustment, break-
away torque on these ball joints can be as low as 0 ft-lbs,
enabling completely smooth, bind-free operation. Engi-
neered to withstand years of use, QA1's ball joints feature
precise ball-to-race conformity that provides an even
load distribution for unbeatable wear resistance and
increased longevity. With their simple construction and
assembly, these ball joints can easily be owner rebuilt,
cleaned and inspected, and can even be adjusted whilestill installed on the vehicle. For more info, call
952.985.5675 or visitQa1.net.
Get on the Ball With QA1
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All features are standard with no
additional upgrade costs!
Consistent closed loop fuel control
4GB internal data-logging
Intuitive software
Integrated wideband oxygen sensors(HP=1, Dominator=2)
3 Integrated rev limiters & user
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User programmable inputs/outputs
(HP=8, Dominator=86)
24 injector capability (Dominator), 16 injector
capability (HP) - High or low impedance
Multiple power management tuning options
Fully featured time, speed or gear based
boost control
4 stage wet/dry progressive nitrous control
Traction control via external Davis Technologies box
Integrated water or water/meth injection
Dominator - electronic trans control, dualdrive-by-wire capability
All trademarks listed are property of their respective owners.
in the laneswith optionaltouch screen!
www.holley.com | 270-781-9741
NO-COSTSOFTWARE & FIRMWARE
UPDATES AT HOLLEY.COM!
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If you need a better automotive or industrial parts washer, a
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azine readers discount 800.698.0440.
MAY.201416
BELLSAND WHISTLES
RevolutionaryStepper ThrottleStop FromDedenbear
Got Dirty Parts?
The Original Dougs Headers
announces the D336 long tube race
header. Engineered to fit 265-400
small-block Chevrolet engines in a
variety of General Motors cars that camefactory with Chevrolet 265-400 small-
block engines. They offer excellent fit and
maximum ground clearance.
These headers are built with 3/8-inch
thick flanges at the cylinder head and three-
bolt outlet flanges. The long tube tuner
under-chassis exit is made from 16-gauge
tubing for durability with 1 -inch primaries
and 3-inch collectors for increased horse-
power and torque throughout the power-
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This system combines the consistency of an electric stopwith the adjustability of an air stop for unprecedented
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while belted in the car in the staging lanes round out this
advanced feature set. For more info, call 866.518.0939 or visit
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FILMS
2013 Snake and Mongoose Productions, LLC All Rights Reserved.
SMOKING
THROUGHOUT AND
SOME LANGUAGE
AvailableOn Demandand DigitalDownload
MARCH4TH& on
Blu-rayand DVD
APRIL8TH!
www.snakeandmongoosemovie.com Donate today at www.lls.org
The incredible true story of the most amazing drag racers in history.
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Text by Alan Paradise
Photos courtesy of Tommy Ivo
By the winter of 1965, the landscape of drag racing was changing. Tommy Ivo
had established himself as one of the sports primary architects. However,
he could feel the sand shifting beneath his feet as the activity was rapidly
evolving from a garage mentality to a full-blown professional sport.
Ivo had long been the teacher, but now the students were challenging him for the status of
head of the Top Fuel class. To stay at the pinnacle, he needed to push the limits, and not just
in horsepower. Decisions, often difficult ones, were becoming more and more frequent. The
game had changed from simple tire pressure and nitro mixture to factors no one dreamed
would come into play. Added to the situation was the growth of the NHRA as well as smaller,
sometimes more aggressive competitors. These factors allowed drag racing to rapidly become
the fastest growing participation sport. For Ivo, this was both a blessing and a curse.
THE TRIALS OF ERROR
When Ivo and Don Prudhomme hooked up for the first side-by-side, seven-second pass, it
was clear that the ability to change, adapt and (most importantly) innovate would need to
become a constant companion. For the upper echelon, it was time to lead into new levels of
discovery. Aerodynamics was an idea that looked like it held promise.
During NHRAs England Tour a year earlier, Ivo met Steve Swaja, a talented young man who
was crewing for Top Fuel driver/builder Tony Nancy. During the Atlantic crossing, Swaja, a stu-
dent at the Pasadena School of Design, sketched sleek-looking dragster bodies using aerody-
namic principles seen on land speed-style cars of the day. The bodies were stunning. They were
narrow in the front and wide in the rearlike a reverse teardropwith graceful, flowing lines. We
had no idea if any of these principles would do anything, but they looked so good I had to give
one a try, Ivo said. He thought that even if it didnt go any faster, the look would surely result in
/The Videoliner looked better than it handled. Theproject was scrapped before any damage was done.
/Not all the lessons of the Videoliner were invain. The Red Wing benefited from small
aerodynamic wings on the tail.
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more packed grandstands. Using one of the
sketches, the Videoliner with a swoopy alu-
minum body, was built. On the first test run
Ivo discovered the wind currents made the
car handle like he was wrestling a raging bull.
The second run was no better. But Ivo and
team kept trying to fine-tune the concept in
hopes of discovering the secret.
Meanwhile, other builders were also
experimenting with aerodynamic, stream-
line designs. One night at Lions the answers
were tragically revealed. I was heading
down the fire-up lane toward the staging
area. Another driver in a streamliner was in
mid-run when he lost control and slammed
at full speed into a telephone pole. The car
was heavily damaged and the driver killed. I
got out of my streamliner right then and
there. Ivo concluded. That event, along with
a near fatal crash by Tony Nancy in his
experimental slipstream dragster, put a
quick end to the idea.
The quest to harness the wind was not
completely lost to the ill-fated, full-bodied
/ABCs Wide World ofSports followed the
construction and progress
of the chartreuse car in 66.
On his first run, Ivo pulled a
major wheelstand at 160-
mph as the cameras rolled.
streamliners. It took Ivo and team only a few weeks to recycle some of
the ideas to build the next generation of a TV Tom beauty. The Red
Wing was a more conventional dragster that could double as a piece
of art. The stars, however, would not align for the car as it met with a
comedy of errors. Ivo recalled its rocky beginning. Before my first run,
my over-excited push car driver slammed into the rear of it, sending me
and the car up onto the hood of my Cadillac. The heavily damaged
aluminum deck was hastily repaired, but couldnt hold up to the strains
of touring. A fiberglass replacement unit was made in mid-summer and
used for the remainder of the season.
SHOW AND GO
During the mid-60s, drag racing had a clear-cut pecking order: there
was Top Fuel and then everything else. Prudhomme, Ivos former side-
kick, had established himself as one of frontrunners of the sport along
with Don Garlits and Tom McEwen. It was a colorful time in the sport.
There was a Snake, a Mongoose, Big Daddy and TV Tom, said Roland
Leong, known for his Hawaiian dragsters and his tuning abilities. All of
them could be the fastest at any time. But, it was Ivo who knew how
to put on a show, he added.
For 1966, Ivo constructed a new and improved dragster using the
fiberglass tail of the Red Wing. In true TV Tom style, he one-upped
everyone when he arranged forABCs Wide World of Sports to follow
the building process. It brought unprecedented exposure, not only to Ivo,
but the entire sport as well. Adding to the impression, Ivo painted the
car green. We called it chartreuse because it was bad luck to paint a
race car green, remarked Ivo. While the new 150-inch wheelbase drag-
ster was drop-dead gorgeous, Ivo added another showmans touch, a
glass trailer. It was a simple yet effective idea. Make the rig like a rolling
storefront. Man, did that cause some highway excitement, he added.
In 67 Ivo went from chartreuse to psychedelic. It was the age of
incense and peppermints and there was no one more ready to be
more far out than Ivo. As he put it, I told custom painter George Cerny
about drawing amoeba shapes on my school notebooks a decade ago.
So he did up the body in white pearl with candy apple red blobs. Man,
that car was a real crowd-pleaser. In 68, Ivo moved the process for-
ward by building a second rail and a trailer capable of hauling both.
By this time the NHRA and AHRA were competing for the top driv-
ers and tracks. Both sanctioning bodies also increased the number of
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shows. The second car minus rear bodywork was lighter and
quicker, thus it was his choice at national events or during match
races with the heavy-hitters of the day.
Time on the road takes its toll, especially after a decade. It
was important to stay loose and try to have fun. Otherwise the
rigors of living out of a suitcase nine months a year would drive
a person to the edge. While Ivo was as famous as a drag racer
could be in the 60s, he was also infamous for his practical
(and often elaborate) jokes.
One night, while at a national event, he and a crew member
were leaving the hotel parking lot. At the time, nearly every
team had a Chevy truck. There were dozens of them in the park-
ing lot, so I decided everyone needed a new hood, he recalled.
Ivo and team removed all of the Chevy hoods and swapped
them around. The next morning, red hoods were on white
trucks, white were on blue and black on red. It was a slight to
see. I think it took three months for everyone to get the original
hoods back in place, he said with a chuckle.
Ivo was the biggest prankster there was back then. I remem-
ber the hood gag. The only ones that got off that one were Prud-
homme and I because he was running a Ford and I had a Dodge,
said Tom McEwen. Ivo wasnt immune to retaliation and often
found himself blockaded in his hotel room by a vending machine
or with a lump of Limburger cheese hidden in his rooms air vent.
McEwen summed in up this way, It was all in good fun and was
part of the camaraderie of the sport.
THE TIMES OF CHANGE
The next two years were filled with massive transition. In one
genius move major sponsorships were brought into the sport
via the growing popularity of Funny Cars. Suddenly, Top Fuel
was no longer the top draw. McEwen and Prudhomme opened
the floodgates with their Hot Wheels deal. Coupled with Gar-
lits tragic clutch explosion and subsequent invention of the
rear-engine dragster, it seemed the entire sport was being
turned upside-down. TV Tommy, always on the leading edge
of innovation, was suddenly seen as a man in the past. He
had two conventional front-engine dragsters, no plan to get
into a Funny Car, and was only able to land small sponsorship
deals with Fram Oil Filters and AMT. Drag racing, as he knew it,
was over. Funny Cars were the touring draw and he knew he
would have to adapt or die. He would not only adapt, be once
again lead the charge.
Change for Ivo came in 1972 when he arrived with a new
rear-engine dragster. Style and attention to detail were just as
important as performance. Rear-engine design became a
standard cookie-cutter look. I wanted to stand out, not only by
being faster, but to have a distinctive style, said Ivo. To achieve
this, Ivo ran body panels connecting the front and rear of the
car. The wing supports were also unique at the time. When it
came to performance, Ivo quickly set the bar. On his first offi-
national events and developed a points sys-
tem. In the face of mounting pressure to run
quicker, engines were being pushed to the
limit. Sponsorship was still a dicey situation
and never enough to fund the building and
campaigning for a full season, not even for
drivers as successful as Ivo.
THE POINT OF TOURING
The final season of the 60s proved to be a
tale of two extremes. First, the two Top
Fuelers from 68 were repainted and carried
over for 69. The cars were in a rainbow
scheme. Once again Ivo was a top con-
tender at every national event. But, it was
running on the touring circuit that paid the
bills. It had become a question of ego or
economics. Ivo explained. I knew I could
make more money touring than earning
points. But it cost me when it came to being
part of the history books, he added.
It was during this time that Ivo pulled off
one of the most iconic off-track tricks in rac-
ing history. He convinced Dodge to supply
him with a cab-over truck on flatbed rails.
He commissioned Swaja to design a glass-
sided truck to haul both dragsters plus all
necessary parts, equipment and nitro. The
kicker was it also would carry a tow car on
top. I bought a Corvette to use as the push
car. When the Dodge people saw that, they
were very upset. They wanted me to use a
Dart. I told them the only American car low
enough to clear the interstate bridges while
on top of the rig was a Corvette. The truth
was there was no way I was going to use an
old mans car as a pusher. The Corvette was
more my style, recalled Ivo. The rig had a
celebrity status of its own, being made into
model kits and featured in magazines.
The desire for a double life of racing was
tempered by a decade of being the most
popular driver in the sport. Fans from coast
to coast looked forward to Ivo coming to a
track near them. His warm personality, Hol-
lywood good looks, and beautiful dragsters,
trailers and tow cars had made him a big
attraction. It was here where the two-car
system paid major dividends. The full-bod-
ied dragster was used for the majority of his
touring appearances and at custom car
//As in yearspast, Ivo the
showman took
over the class and
became a fan
favorite. Duringnon-national
events, Ivo was
known for his
long, near
quarter-mile
smoky burnouts.//
/The intro of Ivos first rear-engine dragster was historic.
On his first pass, he recorded arecord-shattering 5:9. He was
the first in the fives.
/ Ivo debuted a new car at the 74 Winternationals. The resultwas a spectacular crash. He escaped with minor injuries.
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cial run in the car, he recorded a 5.97the
first time anyone had ever traveled the
quarter-mile in less than six seconds. In just
a few weeks, Mike Snively and Don Moody
joined the five-second club. In contrast, 16
years passed before, Eddie Hill broke the
four-second barrier.
In his never-ending quest for discovery,
Ivo added front wheel covers in 1973. He
would have an entirely new car built in 1974
that resulted in the ride of his life. At the
NHRA Winternationals, Ivo debuted his new
dragster. It had all of the flair of previous
models, but offered a rear wing that was
lower and pushed further back on the chas-
sis. It look great but was unproven. On his
fourth pass, all would be revealed. As he
reached the 1,200-foot mark, the engine
exploded in a ball of flames. The heat
instantly destroyed the lower rear wing. At
the same time the rods blew out of the
block sending oil onto the rear slicks. Now
Ivo was on fire, with no down-force and
traveling 240-mph sideways. In a blink of an
eye, the dragster flipped and rolled. Id been
in many a bad situation before, but this one
was different. I knew I wasnt going to walk
away from this one. I just surrendered to the
terror and closed my eyes. I was dead, he
recalled. Slamming the guardrail, the
engine separated from the chassis. That
sent Ivo, strapped in the cockpit, into flight.
At that moment, I was calm and opened
my eyes to see the timing tower upside
down. I felt death was at hand, so I just
decided to enjoy the ride, he added. Then,
as quickly as it started it was over. Ivo,
wrapped in a mangled heap of aluminum
and steel, regained his hearing and pres-
ence. He was alive, or so it seemed. As he
freed himself from the wreckage, he ripped
open his leg on a jagged piece of aluminum.
That was the extent of his injuries. Hed sur-
vived one of the most spectacular crashes in
NHRA history and in the process was the
first to travel 240 mph through the traps
backwards, upside down and on fire. A true
Ivo moment if there ever was one.
GAINING SPONSORSHIP,
LOSING FREEDOM
Since the advent of big money sponsorships,
Ivo had resisted the temptation. He preferred
to remain pure to the roots of the sport. In
1975, the lure of funding became too great. I
signed on with The Rod Shop. I liked the
instant cash but soon found the restrictions
suffocating, Ivo lamented. Unlike those who
secured non-automotive sponsors, such as
Wonder Bread and Bubble Up, at least the
Rod Shop was a company that was about
the sport. However, this relationship thrust
him deeper into contractual obligations.
Sponsors want you to run all the big events,
which meant sacrificing a great deal of paid
appearances. In the end it was more like
trading dollars, he recalled.
By the end of 1975, though Top Fuel was
still considered the premier class, Funny Car
had long surpassed it in popularity. Every-
one had switched over to Funny Cars. I was
ready for a new set of thrills and decided to
make the move as well, he said. This meant
that he was behind the engine again and
reunited in battle with his old Southern Cal-
ifornia rivals Don Prudhomme and Tom
McEwen. Rod Shops remained his primary
sponsor. It was decided to build a Dodge
Dart-bodied car. Unfortunately Darts
werent being molded, so a Plymouth
Duster body was used and disguised as a
Dart that rode on a Jamie Sarte chassis.
The car debuted at a Fremont Funny Car
meet. The day before the event, while
preparing to test the car for the first time, an
ignition malfunction forced Ivo and crew to
abandon any shakedowns. It was not the
first time Ivo would go into battle in an
untested ride. But never had the field been so
formidable. It was trial by fire. Unlike my Top
Fuel dragsters, this Funny Car had to be man-
handled down the track. Ivo said. Each round
Ivo learned more about the handling of his
new ride. One by one, the competition fell un-
til only he and the Mongoose remained.
We talked between each round. It was
clear that Ivo was getting the hang of how to
get the most out of his car. I knew then
another big time contender had entered the
class, said McEwen. The Mongoose bested
Ivo in the finals. But for the next three years
the Funny Car field had to contend with a
rejuvenated, smiling Ivo.
As in years past, Ivo the showman took
over the class and became a fan favorite.
During non-national events, Ivo was known
for his long, near quarter-mile smoky
burnouts. He would then return to the line in
reverse at speeds far beyond anyone else in
the game. One of the other drivers once
said I owned the record for traveling the
quarter-mile in reverse, Ivo joked. Indeed,
he ran backwards so fast some wondered
how the transmission gears held together.
The jump to Funny Cars rejuvenated the
once-weary Ivo. The only downside to the
accompanying sponsorship was being told
where and when to be. It was odd switch-
ing from being the captain of my own ship
to having a commander. I knew it wouldnt
last, Ivo recalled. In 1978, Ivo would once
again be the author of his own fate. This
freedom wasnt a deterrent, as he reached
the Winternationals finals before falling to
Prudhomme. But the sport was now so
money driven that an unsponsored car
even in the hands of Ivowas a losing
proposition. I had to back off from running
the car as hard as needed. That cost me a
lot of championship opportunities, he said.
That year Ivo was involved in another near
fatal crash. In the shutdown area at the New
England Dragway, Tim Kushi slammed his
Yankee Sizzler into the back of Ivos Arrow.
The two cars and drivers ended up in the
nearby brush and trees. Both cars were sal-
vaged but at great expense. Although Ivo
regrouped, the mental, physical and finan-
cial toll of the sport forced him to face a
new reality. His long love affair with drag
racing and its fans was coming to a conclu-
sion. And, it deserved to end with all the
flash and in style it had started with.
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN
In the early-70s, racing pioneer Art Arfons
gave Ivo a ride in his two-seat, jet-powered
/ Ivo was known for his glass showroom onwheels. The glass-sided Dodge cab-over
sported living quarters, housing for two
dragsters and penthouse parking for his
Corvette support vehicle.
/The 73 T/F sported a new nose and frontwheel fairings. Ivos fiery burnouts became one
of his signatures during the 70s.
/ Ivo made the switch to Funny Car in 76. TheRod Shop remained his major sponsor. Wanting
to remain loyal to Dodge, since Dart bodies were
nonexistent, a Plymouth Duster in disguise was
used. His signature fiery burnouts continued.
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Cyclops. Ivo was thrilled by the ride and always kept the idea of driv-
ing a jet car in his thoughts. All the fun of touring was gone. The way
the sport had developed, there was no longer match racing and lit-
tle time for anything other than work. I wanted to do something fun
again; perhaps a new exhibition car was the ticket. But, instead of
four Buick engines, something a little more modern, like a Jet engine,
Ivo explained.
Jet cars werent new, just unrefined. In true Ivo style, he changed all
that. Jet-powered cars were not much more than a basic frame with
an engine attached. I designed a body that looked like a Can-Am
racer, he said. At the time, jet engines could be had for less than a
hundred dollars. Ivo traveled to Arizona and plunked down a couple
of Franklins for a pair of 8,000-hp engines. With old friend Ron
Attebury crafting the chassis, Ivo was like a kid again. I loved com-
ing to the line and hitting the afterburners. That would throw out a
huge fireball. The crowd loved it.
Like hed done so many times before, Ivo set up a coast-to-coast
tour. With his reputation and fan following, it was an easy sell. The
car accelerated like a Super Stocker off the line. But, as the air mass
increased into the engine, it accelerated to 300-mph in a heartbeat.
It was the most exciting car I ever drove, he said.
The Jet Car excitement took on a new meaning in Thompson,
Ohio. On a Saturday, post-rainstorm, Ivo did a 250-plus-mph pass.
Unlike most tracks where the shutdown area featured an incline, this
tracks shutdown area was downhill. When I hit the shut-down area,
the jet engine was still making enough significant power to send the
entire car airborne. It lifted over eight feet into the air. The crosswind
sent me to the side before crashing into a muddy shoulder, said Ivo.
The landing didnt cause injury to car or driver, however the thick mud
from the rain caused the car to dig in. This resulted in instant resist-
ance and slammed the car from 200 to zero in about 6 feet. It was
the same type of negative force that killed Dale Earnhardt at Daytona
in 2001, he added. The force sent Ivos head forward, crushing three
neck vertebrae. He was in great pain but drove the car the next day at
Englishtown, New Jersey. Ivo was fiercely loyal to the track owners that
promoted him throughout the years as well as his fan base. Despite
injury and pain he fulfilled his remaining commitments. He sold the Jet
Car at the end of the year and took 1981 off to heal from his injuries.
During his recovery, a jet-powered Funny Car was built and tested but
Ivo felt it wasnt capable of touring and abandoned the idea.
What Ivo really longed for was the fun days of touring. By a twist
of fate, he was able to live the clich, it was the best of times, it was
the worst of times. With 30 years of racing under his belt, he wanted
to make one last farewell tour. Hed grown weary of cutthroat com-
petition and had no interest in fielding a Top Fuel or Funny Car. By
chance, he drove by the old speed shop in Glendale. In back was a
familiar long lost friend. It was the old enclosed trailer that once
housed the four-engine dragster. After some inquires, he discovered
the car was still inside. Itd been there for more than a decade after
one of its old Nailhead engines had blown apart. It didnt take but a
moment for Ivo to have the answer to his farewell tour dilemma.
Within a few hours he was able to purchase the car and trailer. In his
Burbank garage, the same one where he built the four-engine car allthose years ago, he brought the past back to life.
The previous owner had fitted the rig with a body resembling a
Buick station wagon. Ivo liked the idea of the WagonMaster and
called every old track owner to replicate the tour of years past. Over
the final months of 1981, the four-engine car was restored beyond its
earlier glory. With the signature Ivo glass-sided trailer, he was on the
road one final time.
It was early spring and Ivo was crisscrossing the map. He recalls a
time in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, when his good time tour turned
sour. A harsh winter can do awful things to a racing surface. To a
packed house, Ivo gave the crowd what they came to see, a full chat,
four-wheel drive burnout from line to line. In the barrage of smoke and
noise, Ivo didnt see the remains of a frost heave leftover from the sub-
zero winter. The car bottomed out, delivering a severe thud to the still
healing Ivo. Near blackout pain followed, but in showmans style, Ivo
pulled it together, exited the car and waved to the adoring fans.
The next morning Ivo flew home to get checked out. The news
wasnt good. While his spinal cord wasnt damaged, three vertebrae
below the shoulders had been crushed. I was put into a body brace
and told to make a choice, drive a race car or walk. I chose to walk,
he said. And so, the man who had innovated the sport, survived mul-
tiple high-speed crashes, traveled across the country and overseas
to promote the sport he loved, was faced with forced retirement.
Again, Ivo was concerned more with his fans than himself. He
hired Rick Johnson to drive the four-engine car for the remainder of
the tour dates. He accompanied Johnson and the car, but it wasnt
the same. He was thankful when it was over.
In the years that followed, Tommy Ivo received numerous honors.
TheHot RodMagazine Lifetime Achievement, NHRA Lifetime Achieve-
ment, named to the Car Craft Magazine All-Time All-Star Drag Rac-
ing Team, and he was enshrined in the American Motorsports Hall of
Fame. To me, being inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame was
better than winning an Academy Award, Ivo proclaimed.
Today, with the resurgence of nostalgic drag racing, Ivos as big a
draw as ever. His T-bucket, two engine, four engine and Barnstormer
dragsters live on at events from coast to coast and at the Wally
Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California. And as for
the man himself, hes still smiling and forever in love with the sport
he helped build and the millions of fans he thrilled. DR
/The Rod Shop and Ivo parted ways in 78. It was also the year he switchedto the more aerodynamic Plymouth Arrow body.
/For two years Ivo returned toexhibition runs with the most
advanced jet-powered dragster. In
Ohio, a crosswind pushed the car
into a muddy area where it suddenly
went from 200-0 in fewer than 10feet. He was severely injured by the
negative G-force.
/ Ivo 3-V: In 1982, Ivo made hisfarewell tour using the same vehicle
that made him the most famous
driver in drag racing history.
/New England Dragway inEpping, NH, Ivo was hit at 240
mph after defeating The Yankee
Sizzler. Ivo rebuilt the car and
completed the season, but the
crash and more than 20 years of
racing had taken its toll. His final
competitive season was 1978.
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PANDEMRETURN WITH US TO THE ROOTSOF FUNNY CAR RACING
MAY.201424
/Thanks to Greg Sullivan and allinvolved, Pandemonium V is alive and
well, once again rattling the troops.
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NIUM!
25
Text by Pete WardPhotos by Jim White and Courtesy of Greg Sullivan
In the late 50s through the 60s, drag racing was in many ways a regional sport.
From the mid/southwest roared the Top Fuelers of Bob Creitz, Jimmy Nix,
Bobby Langley, Vance Hunt, Lou Cangalose and from Kansas City, Kansas,
Bob Sullivan.
Bob, with wife Shirley by his side, terrorized the region and frequently beyond, especially
in AHRA competition, with a series of nitro diggers. All were beautifully constructed and
finished in gorgeous candy burgundy and gold leaf, featuring their little devil character and
aptly named Pandemonium.
By late 64, Sullivan crystal balled the sport and visualized a major shift, well ahead of
his Top Fuel brethren: Detroit factory-bodied race cars powered by blown and injected ni-
tro-burning engines. He purchased a stock 65 Plymouth Barracuda, and with the help of
friend Ralph Suman, and to some degree noted race car builder Rod Stuckey, modified it to
accept the 392 Chrysler Hemi from his Top Fueler. The stock 106-inch wheelbase, 3,700-
pound steel-bodied racer looked amazingly stock save for the Enderle injector hat bulging
from the hood and long traction bars. Reports of the day state the headlights, turn indica-
tors and windshield wipers were still functional. At Indy in 65, running as a B/FD on 100%
nitro and direct drive, it brought the fans to their feet, blazing the slicks for a full quarter mile.
/ Indy Nats 65, with F/C Eliminatorstill years away, Sullivan pairs off
against another B/FD!
By the end of the year, he was regularly reel-
ing off 9.70s at over 160 mph.
The stubby wheelbase was quite a
handful, so for 66 the car was length-
ened 18 inches and fitted with a fiberglass
front end and doors. The modifications
sliced the weight to 3,195 pounds and fit-
ted it with a TorqueFlite transmission,
elevated performance to a best of 9.43 at
177 mph. With no official Funny Car class,
Sullivan wreaked havoc on the run
whatcha brung match race circuit. But
with Funny Car technology advancing at
light speed, in 1967, the Sullivans built a
flip-top fiberglass Camaro roadster and
eventually the Barracuda went down the
road and into oblivion.
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In 2000, automobile aficionado Greg
Sullivan (no relation to Bob and Shirley)
stumbled upon a for sale ad in Hem-
mings Motor News for Pandemonium V.
As a kid, Greg formed an instant attach-
ment to the race car after seeing its pho-
tos in a drag race magazine. Of course the
shared surname welded the connection!
He contacted the seller and a deal was
quickly consummated.
MAY.2014
//With the Pandemonium up and running, a driver capable ofgetting this ill-handling beast down the track and returning in
one piece was needed.//
/The Rod Stuckey-installed straightaxle has been replaced with something
more appropriate for high speed runs.
/Bob Sullivan (with cigar) and friend/fabricatorRalph Suman during the Pandemonium V build.
/Bob and wife/crew chief Shirley prepare the392 nitro Hemi for another blast.
/Hansen Race Cars of Montclair, CA, handled the restoration, butupdated the suspension for safety and to accept the new infusion
of power.
Sullivan commissioned Hansen Race
Cars in Montclair, California, for the restora-
tion, but with a hitch. Being the hardcore
car guy he is, Sullivan frequents Englands
annual Goodwood Festival of Speed
where vintage race cars, some worth mil-
lions, are raced and occasionally wrecked.
He wanted Pandemonium V to return to
its roaring glory days, not collect dust as a
museum piece. To that goal, he saw to the
installation of a modern full roll cage and
the suspension was modified with safety in
mind, though the long ladder bars were
left in place, as a nod to the original con-
figuration. For performance and reliability,
fabled engine whiz Gene Adams recom-
mended a 572-ci TFX aluminum block
with Indy Hemi heads, a Kuhl blower and
MSD ignition; basically a snappy alcohol
motor that can take a nip of nitro upon
occasion. A Hughes two-speed Powerglide
replaced the Torqueflite. Hemi Under Glass
pilot Bob Riggle, whom Sullivan had
assisted on one of his trips to the Good-
wood Festival, helped complete the fin-
ishing touches and provided tuning advice.
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With the Pandemonium up and running
a driver capable of getting this ill-handling
beast down the track and returning in one
piece was needed. Fortuitously through
mutual friends, Dave and Linda Adler,
owners of Pantera International, an organ-
ization for owners of De Tomoso Pantera
sports cars, he connected with Big Show
Funny Car shoe Cory Lee. Cory had estab-
lished a reputation as not only a first-rate
driver, his first ride coming with TomHoovers Pioneer-sponsored flopper, but
also a clutch artist and tuner. Prior to
piloting, hed plied his talents with the likes
of Ed McCulloch, John Force, Del Worsham
and Hoover just to name a few. Lee is the
perfect fit, not only does he have the skills
(and huevos) to pilot the beast, hes a true
student of drag racing, fully understanding
the historical significance of Pandemo-
nium V. With its high center of gravity and
short wheelbase, Lee describes the driving
experience as more like piloting a boat on
choppy seas. You sit high, in a big open
cockpit, not tight and low as in a modern
ride. Its quite an experience to be able to
step back in time and drive one of the first
Funny Cars.
From 2005, through 2007 Sullivan and
Lee with assistance from Jerry Gibson, Dan
Messner and Don McReynolds unleashed
Pandemonium at select events from coast to coast, thrilling fans at every stop. At the 07 Bak-
ersfield March Meet, the lads bumped the nitro load to over 10%, sending Cory on an epic ride
to the tune of 8.60/175 mphits final pass. You see, Greg Sullivan is a very busy guy in the aero-
space industry and unfortunately at times, business trumps racing, so for now the beast is at
rest. But hes always open to the possibility of once again unleashing PANDEMONIUM!
The history of the evolution of Funny Cars is murky, but those well-schooled in the subject all
agree that Bob and Shirley Sullivans Barracuda played a highly significant role in the develop-
ment of the class. All those who love drag racing owe Greg Sullivan a debt of gratitude for
returning Pandemonium V to life.
/The original 392 Hemi has been replaced by a572-ci TFX aluminum block and Indy Cylinder
Hemi heads.
/Big Show (now Nostalgia F/C) driver Cory Leeshabitat is a far cry from modern floppers. Major
changes were made for the sake of safety.
/Several years ago, the Cragar Wheel folks gavethought to a series of special race events to be
held in covered venues. Greg Sullivan had a
relationship with Cragar and did some preliminary
testing. This was at the Phoenix fairgrounds.
//Its quite an experience to be able to step backin time and drive one of the first Funny Cars.//
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1955 Clear ................... #486 ............ $10.95/pr.1955 Amber ................. #486A ......... $10.95/pr.1956 Clear ................... #490 ............ $10.95/pr.1956 Amber ................. #490A ......... $10.95/pr.1957 Clear ................... #494 ............ $10.95/pr.1957 Amber ................. #494A ......... $10.95/pr.
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POWER
TRIPLS1
MAY.201432
Last issues LS1 power trip began at 299 hp
and ended at 354 hp, a 55-hp increase lit-
erally achieved without removing the
valve covers. That was just the beginning.
Removing the valve covers opened the door to an
additional 100-hp increase.
One of the unique aspects of an LS-series engine is that
in spite of extremely mild cam timing, horsepower does-
nt fall off dramatically between 6,000 and 6,500 rpm.
Thats a tribute to the flow characteristics of the cylinder
heads. And its also an indication that power output canbe dramatically increased with more aggressive cam tim-
ing. Of course, the effect of more aggressive cam timing is
compromised if an engines cylinder heads cant provide
adequate air flow capacity.
In case you havent figured where this is going, its
directly to a cam/head package approach to power
enhancement. Even the most mild-mannered
LS-series engine has excellent cylinder heads. How-
ever, LS6 heads are a step above and are the most
popular option when upgrading an LS1 engine.
An even better option is a set of LS3 heads, but they can
only be installed on engines with a 4.00-inch or larger
bore. The LS1s 3.898-inch bore diameter is simply too
small to provide the clearance necessary to accommo-date the LS3s 2.165-inch intake and 1.590-inch exhaust
valves. So the best option for 5.7L and smaller LS-series
engines is a pair of cathedral port LS6 or equivalent
Text and Photos by Dave Emanuel
DIGGINGDEEPER
FORMOREPOWER
The LS1 in this 01Corvette respondedenthusiastically tothe cam and headsswap. It producedmore than 450 hp atthe wheels.
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aftermarket cylinder heads. The LS6 heads,
which are identical to LS2 castings, features
2.00-inch intake and 1.550-inch exhaust
valves. These are available through a variety
of sources and listed as P/N 12629049 for
bare castings, and P/N 88958622 for CNC-
ported, fully assembled heads, which include
hollow stem intake and sodium-filled
exhaust valves. Unfortunately, as assembled,
these heads will accommodate a maximum
valve lift of .570 inch, so different valve
springs and/or spring seat machining is
required if valve lift exceeds that figure.
The cylinder heads on LS-series engines
are held in place by torque-to-yield bolts.
These bolts are designed for a single tight-
ening sequence and once theyve been
tightened to the yield point, they shouldnt
be reused. Rather than using a set of stock
replacement head bolts, the preferred
alternative is a set of traditional (when
they yield they break) bolts from ARP.
Although there are a number of options
for high quality head gaskets, GMs stock
replacement LS6 gaskets are excellent
and usually available at a very reasonable
cost. Listed as P/N 12498544, these multi-
layer steel gaskets have a compressed
thickness of .056 inch.
If youve never swapped a cam in an
01The first step in performing a cam swap on an LS-series engine is to remove the vibration damper and front cover,providing access to the cam sprocket. The oil pump mounts in front of the crankshaft sprocket.
02The cam is held in place by a retaining plate that must be removed before the cam can be pulled out ofthe engine.
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LS-series engine (also called a Gen 3 and
Gen4 small-block), youre in for an eye-
opening experience. You can remove the
cam without removing the lifters, which is
a good thing because you cant remove
the lifters unless you first remove the
cylinder heads. Unlike traditional GM
small- and big-blocks, with lifters acces-
sible when the intake manifold is
removed, the lifters in LS-series engines
are housed in separate chambers that lie
between the central valley and the cylin-
der walls. Those chambers are covered
by the cylinder heads.
Preparation for a cam swap involves
removing the front cover and timing chain
along with the valve covers and pushrods.
With those components out of the way,
when the camshaft is rotated a few revo-
lutions, it pushes all of the lifters up into
the plastic trays that keep them properly
positioned. After the lifters are retained by
the trays, theres nothing to prevent the
cam from being pulled out. If the thought
of 16 lifters hanging in the air makes you
nervous, you can use pencil magnets for
better retention.
There are a few caveats. If the engine
has many miles on it, its possible for a
lifter to slip down out of the plastic tray;
in which case, it might be necessary to
remove a cylinder head to retrieve it.
Another consideration is that the lifter
dynamics of a high-performance cam
are significantly different from those of a
stock cam and can put additional stress
hydraulic roller cam with 233 degrees of
intake and 237 degrees of exhaust duration,
along with a lobe separation of 114 degrees.
By current standards, those specifica-
tions are relatively mild, but as is apparent
from the accompanying dyno chart, they
provide a relatively flat torque curve and
maximum power at 6,600 rpm. Consider-
ing that 6,600-6,700 rpm is the maximum
advisable engine speed for an engine with
stock bottom end and hydraulic roller
lifters, longer camshaft duration would
bring a minimal increase in top end power
while reducing low speed and midrange
on the plastic retainers. If an engine has
more than 20,000 miles on it, its advis-
able to replace the plastic trays, which
requires removal of the cylinder heads.
As for an appropriate camshaft, there are
dozens of choices. The fuel and ignition con-
trol systems used on LS-series engines can
be tuned to provide very good drivability, so
camshafts that might create low speed and
idle problems with other engines can be eas-
ily tamed when installed in an LS. For this
particular engine a good selection would be
something along the lines of a Crower
04Since the camshaft was fairly aggressive, it wasappropriate to change valve springs. We used dual
springs with titanium retainers and a steel spring seat toprotect the spring seat areas of the heads.
03In addition to removing the camshaft retainingplate, the oil pump must also be removed if the
cam sprocket is to be changed.
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torque. As the dyno
chart shows, a cam
with the above refer-
enced specs will result
in a loss of 15-22 lbs-ft
of torque between
2,200 and 3,500 rpm.
The payback for the
loss in torque is a horse-
power increase ranging
from 40 to 109 between5,000 and 6,300 rpm.
Obviously some of this
power increase is a result
of the ported heads,
however the basic
shape of the power
curve is determined by
the camshaft.
Following a head
and cam swap, the
first order of the day is
a tuning session. The
preferred system for
this operation is EFI-
Lives FlashScan. This
system includes a
cable to connect a
laptop computer to a
vehicle along with
scanning and tuning
software. Although fine-tuning cant be
done until after the engine is started,
some preliminary work can be done
before then. As an example, a perform-
ance-type camshaft typically requires an
increase in idle speed and idle air flow, and
more low speed spark advance. Addition-
ally, if the stock injectors have been
replaced, injector flow rate must be
changed accordingly. It may also be ad-
visable to alter the torque limiting and
torque control settings before the first
test drive.
In this case, the engine was already
equipped with headers, high-flow catalytic
converters, a ported throttle body and
Bosch Platinum Plus 4 spark plugs.
Although its not necessary to have these
types of modifications before a cam and
head swap is completed, they are essen-
tial to achieving maximum performance.
One of the benefits of electronic fuel
injection systems is that they allow a
modified engine to run smoothly across a
wide range of operating conditions. On the
street, the engine in our test car will oper-
ate smoothly at 1,000 rpm with the trans-
mission in sixth gear (5:1 ratio with a 3.42:
rear axle). And through the gears, it pulls
smoothly all the way to redline.
An interesting aside is that with the
stock engine and only bolt-on modifica-
tions, the engine would challenge the
traction control as soon as the throttle
was pushed to wide open. After the
cam/head modifications, there is no
wheel spin when the throttle is first
cracked, but when rpm hits approximately
3,000, the traction control system is seri-
ously challenged. At the strip, there are a
number of other tricks that the electronic
control system provides to limit wheel
spin without compromising 60-foot
times. That makes for a great power trip
no matter where you drive.
07This dynochart tells the
story. The cam andhead modificationspushed horsepowerover the 450 markand also producedan impressivetorque curve.
06LS6 exhaustports
obviously differ fromthose in an LS1 head.They feature a trueD shape and largercross-sectional area.
05In addition to having better-flowing ports, LS6 heads also have uniquely shaped combustion chambers. A modifiedLS6 head is shown below with a stock LS1 head above.
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Its been almost 45 years since Ten-
nessee mover and shaker LarryCarrier formed the International
Hot Rod Association (IHRA). In
1970, Carrier and Carl Moore elected to
launch their own drag racing sanction-
ing body after years of feuding with
both the NHRA and AHRA. Carrier over-
saw the operation of the IHRA for 17
seasons prior to selling it in 1987. The
IHRA has been innovative in its cars
and classes. It was the first to have a
true nitro Funny Car class and invented
both the mountain-motored Pro Stock
and Pro Modified classes.
Now 25 years after Mr. Carrier sold the
IHRA, there is yet another new owner
IRG Sports + Entertainmentand an-
other new presidentScott Gardnerand
yet one more reinvention of the IHRA.
In order to understand whats happen-
ing now you must look at the history of
the second oldest international drag rac-
ing sanctioning body. In 1987 Funny Car
racer and track owner Billy Meyer pur-
chased the IHRA from Carrier, moved the
headquarters to Texas and installed him-self as president. During his one-year
IHRA ONCE AGAIN HAS NEWOWNERS/MANAGEMENT ANDA PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
tenure the IHRA got credit for the first
sub-five-second V-8-powered pass in thehistory of the sport, thanks to Top Fuel
legend Eddie Hill. Meyer wanted to chal-
lenge the NHRA as Carrier had, but never
was able to do so, and after a disastrous
season (six races rained out), the IHRA
was sold again; this time to a group of
racers who made former Carrier right-
hand man Ted Jones the president.
Throughout the years the sanctioning
body added and subtracted various nitro
and doorslammer professional classes,
signed and lost R.J. Reynolds as its title
rights sponsor, and often didnt fare well
financially. After the initial sale of the
company a litany of unsuccessful owners
followed, and IHRA struggled to be a force
in big-time drag racing.
In 1998, Bill Bader Sr., the extremely
successful Norwalk, Ohio, track opera-
tor/promoter, bought the IHRA. He basi-
cally returned the IHRA to its original roots
by featuring Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock
and Pro Mod as the headliners for the
series. After a relatively shortand what
must have been financially successfulrunBader sold the IHRA to media and
entertainment giant Clear Channel Com-
munications but remained as presidentuntil 2004. His then vice-president, Aaron
Polburn, assumed the position of presi-
dent when Bader left and retained that
position even though the company con-
tinued to change hands. During his tenure,
the IHRA was bought and sold by Concert
Promoter Live Nation, then a spinoff of
Clear Channel Communications who sold
it to Feld Entertainment.
When Feld Entertainment, owner of
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Cir-
cus among other entities, took over the
IHRA it was once again reinvented under
the guidance of Polburn. This time there
were no traditional nitro classes, no Pro
Mod or Pro Stock, and no qualifying.
Costs were cut to the bone and the IHRA
was basically a booked-in Night of Fire-
type program designed to start and finish
in a few hours with stand-alone pro-
grams on two days. Race tracks lined up
to get the shows because the track and
the IHRA shared costs and profits. IHRA
management claimed the unique pro-
gram (for a national sanctioning body)was financially successful.
Text by Jeff BurkPhotos Courtesy IRG Sports + Entertainment
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In 2013, the IHRA once again had new
owners, management and a change in its
program. It was acquired from Feld
Entertainment by IRG Sports + Entertain-
ment, who originally got into the drag rac-
ing business by acquiring what is now
Palm Beach International Raceway from
the Moroso family about three years ago.
The IRG group hired drag racing busi-
ness veteran Jason Rittenberry to run theFlorida track and serve the president and
CEO of IRG Sports + Entertainment, and
reinstate the IHRA as a force in profes-
sional drag racing. That group immedi-
ately started acquiring tracks as they
came up for sale.
Soon after the purchase of the Florida
track, Rittenberry announced that IRG
was looking to acquire more. They bought
the Memphis, Tennessee, race complex
formerly owned by Dover Intertainment
and signed a long term lease on the Tuc-
son, Arizona, track.
As soon as the IRG group closed on the
purchase of the IHRA Rittenberry made it
clear there would be drastic changes
ahead. The changes included the return
to a more traditional racing series with its
own professional nitro Funny Car, Harley-
Davidson motorcycle and Fuel Altered
classes. The series went back to a pro-
gram of qualified fields and eliminations
on Sunday. But he is adamant in saying
this newest iteration of the IHRA isnt try-
ing to compete with the National Hot RodAssociation (NHRA). That statement was
proven by the fact that it doesnt have
NHRA Top Fuel, Funny Cars or Pro Mods
as part of its race day lineup.
In an interview in Dragracingonline.com
he stated: Shortly after coming onboard
as president of PBIR, we started looking
for additional tracks to acquire. Our busi-
ness plan was also to own the content and
the venues. While the IHRA was not ini-
tially for sale, we were persistent with Feld
Entertainment. The idea is that the group
would both own tracks and a race series to
race at those tracks, so that the tracks and
the organization would be self-sustainable.
It actually took three years from the time
we started working on buying the IHRA
until we actually got the company bought
43
/ JASONRITTENBERRY,
president a nd CEO
of IRG Sports +
Entertain ment
/SCOTTGARDNER,
president of t he
International Hot
Rod Association
this year. Let me be clear: We are not going after the NHRAs pro-
fessional cars. We are not planning on going head to head with the
NHRA. Well have our own teams, rules and tracks. We are, however,
going to concentrate on our IHRA sportsman racers and servicing
the one hundred plus tracks that are IHRA-sanctioned.
In late 2013, Mr. Rittenberry made a decision that will have a
major impact on the future of the International Hot Rod Associ-
ation. He replaced Polburn, who had been president since 2004,
and was now experiencing health issues, with well-known Mid-
west track operator Scott Gardner. Rittenberry on behalf of the
IRG also entered into an agreement to buy (in the fall of 2014)
Gardners Cordova Dragway Park in Illinois, which annually hosts
the World Series of Drag Racing, the oldest continuous national
event in professional drag racing.Gardner brings a wealth of experience in this sport to the job.
Hes a racer, having owned a variety of cars, including a UDRA Pro
Stock in the late 80s. Hes worked extensively with track opera-
tors and series in management positions, and his tracks have
been sanctioned by both NHRA and IHRA. He currently owns
and oversees three successful tracks in the Midwest: Cordova,
Cedar Falls and Eddyville. He will be able to understand the
issues the 100-plus IHRA-sanctioned track owners and their rac-
ers face going forward.
So how is the new IHRA different from the previous versions?
The most significant difference is that this version owns two of its
tracks, holds a long term lease on a third (Tucson) and an agree-
ment is in place to buy a fourth. This gives the new IHRA a finan-
cial powerbase similar to the NHRAs, something none of the
previous iterations of the IHRA had. It also has wealthy and
aggressive owners whove proved they will spend money to sus-
tain and grow the business.
As we go to press Gardner has been president of the IHRA for
less than two months and Mr. Rittenberry the CEO for less than
a year. To date, the major changes are the return to a more tradi-
tional format using its own unique Nitro and Doorslammer
classes plus the return of the mountain-motored Pro Stock class,
traditional world championships and a well-funded point series
for all classes. Only time will tell if the new IHRA will be better
than the last, but with the IRG, Jason Rittenberry and Scott Gard-ner the IHRA faithful certainly have the right to be optimistic.
//...themajor changes
are the return
to a more
traditional
format using its
own unique
Nitro and
Doorslammer
classes plus the
return of the
mountain-
motored ProStock class,
traditional
world
championships
and a well-
funded point
series for all
classes.//
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TERO LAUKKANEN IS BLOWIN AWAYHIS PRO MOD COMPETITION
/Smokin em up at Swedens Tierp Areena, on theway to setting a 400-kmh European speed record.
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For our geographically chal-
lenged readers, Finland is not
the final resting place of late-
60s, tail-finned American iron.
This lovely nation, tucked in the north-
ern most point in Europe is, however,
home to the Turbo Terror Tero Laukka-
nen.
Teros drag racing career began in 1997
with a single-turbo, near 700-hp 72 BMW02 coupe. The little four-banger was good
for 10-second, 130-mph laps. He massaged
the combination for the next five years, end-
Text and Photos by Heikki Malinen
/These are the people who make ithappen, from left to right: Sami Salminen,
Kettil Rautio, Tapio Haaksi, KristianNystrm, Mika Eloranta, Jari Soini and
finally Tero Laukkanen owner/driver.
ing up as the unofficial European E.T./mph
record holder (8.48 E.T./131 mph) for cars
with original chassis and body style. Travel-
ling throughout Europe, he thrashed the
competition, no matter the number of tur-
bos, blown, four- or six-cylinder or rotary,
they threw at him.
During this period, his ability to crank over
a thousand horsepower from a boosted 2.1L
BMW four-cylinder, without it becoming animprovised explosive device, got the atten-
tion of BMW Motorsports in Germany; not
just the M-Division, but also those at the true
Motorsport Division, who were responsible
for BMWs Formula 1 projects. A Finnish drag
racer in the hallowed halls of Germanys
BMW Formula 1 program? Impressive!
Lusting for more, Tero sent his 02 down
the road and began construction of an SFI-
spec chrome-moly-chassised BMW E46
330i coupe full-on racer, featuring all of the
best go-fast parts. Two years into the build,
the real world interrupted. His family con-
struction business, marriage and two lovely
daughters became priorities. Although
unable to compete personally, he assisted
longtime friends, the Eloranta Family Racing
Team. These Finns have been drag racing
turbocharged cars, mainly Toyotas, in North-
ern Europe for more than 30 years.
During his hiatus, the construction of Teros
E46 continued on at the top flight body, chas-
sis and paint shop Brander Race Cars in Fin-
land. Tami Brander, the owner, is one of the
most experienced racers and race car buildersin Finland, with years of success piloting both
Pro Stock and Pro Mod cars. Early in 2010,
Tero and his Bimmer were track-ready and
undergoing licensing passes, but Tami had
other ideas for Tero: Pro Modified!
Tami had constructed a Pro Mod chassis,
located a local Mustang body and a twin-
turbo 572-ci Chevy. Since Tero was a big
boost enthusiast, it was an easy sell. Of
course this meant hed have to step way
out of his single-turbo, four-cylinder comfort
zone. Tami gathered everything together for
the new project, painted the chassis and
body, and had the Mustang ready for the
track by April 2011. In the interim, Tero
assembled a new crew for this ambitious
project. Plans called for shakedown runs
and licensing during 2011, but parts avail-
ability issues from the U.S. and teething
problems with this radically different race
car and engine forced a change of plans.
The short race season in this part of the
world was also a complicating factor.
The year 2012 found Tero and crew
thrashing this new combination, competingin the ultra-competitive Finnish Super Pro
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TEC
HI
NFO
Street category and getting licensed in Pro Mod. Tero traveled to Tierp
Arena in Sweden and attempted to qualify for the tough FIA European
Championship Pro Modified 16-car field, but failed to do so. Their
respectable 6.68/208 was more than satisfactory for Tero and team.
Though the big Chevy was strong, Tami, Tero and crew wanted more.
Before the season ended, an order was placed with Brad Anderson
Enterprises for two turbo-spec 520-ci engines. Post season, Tero andtwo of his crew members ventured to Andersons Southern California
facility, where Brad and Jeremy Evrist thoroughly schooled them on the
engines theyd soon be receiving. The flow of info back and forth con-
tinues between BAE and Team Tero.
The BAE engines arrived in Finland in early 2013, and the Mustang
was quickly prepared for the much different power plant. Just how
much different Tero and team were quick to find out upon their return
to Tierp in May for a test and tune weekend. The new combo was put-
ting out so much more power, their previous setup data was now use-
less; they were starting from scratch. Following two more test races,
they entered the FIA European Championship round in June at Tierp.
Here, Tero first experienced severe tire shake at near 200 mph. The
extreme vibration caused the ECU to malfunction, creating a massive
explosion in the engine intakethis run seriously got Teros attention!
At this point decisions had to be made as to which direction they
wanted to take the Mustang. Enter Finnish ex-Pro Mod racer Kristian
Nystrm, with strong contacts in the race community in the U.S.A.
friendship was quickly formed, and soon he and Tero were on a
plane headed west. Their first stop, courtesy of Brad Anderson, was
with Harry Hruska and Pete Barton at Precision Turbo. After collect-
ing their new Big Stuff ECU, a set of wastegates and a control unit,
they received a 10-hour tech and tune session during which their Big
Stuff ECU was set up according to Teros engine specs. The session
was so intensive the Finns only left the room for restroom breaks. The
six-day trip included stops at BAE, TF Clutches and Classix Graphixfor team gear, including T-s