“People ask if I would go back and do it today, and I say, ‘Give me $5 million and I’ll be back out there tomorrow,’ he says, before adding with a big laugh, “if Sheryl (his wife) didn’t kill me first.”
Still runs a paving business in Central Pa. Recently sold his original Hemi Road Runner that he bracket raced at Beaver Springs for many years. Got a nice buck for it.
Berserko Bob is living in Florida, pretty much retired, and he shows up at drag races in the state frequently. I hooked up with him at an IHRA race in Orlando a couple of years ago. It was Mike Dunn's first race as President of IHRA as I recall.
Berserko Bob is living in Florida, pretty much retired, and he shows up at drag races in the state frequently. I hooked up with him at an IHRA race in Orlando a couple of years ago. It was Mike Dunn's first race as President of IHRA as I recall.
And apparently Orlando's last with IHRA. Orlando's Ozzie Moya must have saw the IHRA future coming under CL management. I don't think Mike Dunn could have done anything to fix the IHRA problems coming. But unfortunately he will probably be forever tarnished by it.
I was at that race and wish I had gotten a chance to talk with Berserko Bob.
"Some of my race friends have been wondering why Mark Pappas has been posting pictures of me smiling. Mark and a select few friends knew what the smiles were about. Without my friend Danny Estep none of this would have been possible. But................. Ted Peters racing is the proud owner of the Championship winning Dodge Daytona campaigned by Wayne County Speed shop and driven by Darrell Alderman! More news on this project later. Just wanted to post this pic and drop the mic goodnight!"
The plan is that this car will be raced in NHRA's 2020 50th Anniversay Celebration of Pro Stock when cars from the Midwest Nostalgia Pro Stock association will take to the track at selected NHRA Nationals Events. They posted another pic today with some car info from WC speed:
"There's two things i don't like to do. 1: Write long post 2. Have public disputes with people. But I need to set the record straight early. So my buddy Danny Estep was trying to correct a guy named Jason Kieffer about my car being the Alderman car and not the Geoffrion car. So here are the FACTS. There were only 3 Dodge Daytonas ran by Wayne County(WC) The red and white car which was first the Exide car then the Mopar car is in the Don Garlits museum. That car won the championship in 1990. 1991 they switched cars and paint jobs to the black and white with a 1991 front end on the car. That car which is mine won the championship in 1991. In 1992 dodge changed front ends and so did WC on my car. Geofferion raced a 92 also, that car was sold to a race team in Australia and won the championship the first year it was raced over there. It was crewed by a guy name Simon Lazarevski. It was later destroyed in a wreck over there. My car wasn't raced in 1992 or 1993 because Darrell was suspended. When he came back he raced my car half the season and then he got an Avenger after Geoffrion got his. Darrell finished first and Scott second. I have a signed letter by WC, and the build tag on the car from Jerry Haas that it was built in 1990 and WC verbal word to Danny and myself. I hope this clears up any confusion YOU might have on my car. My friend Rick Lucas said this would happen......... Thanks Danny Estep for keeping things straight."
Naturally, some interesting comments from fans and former racers, like Robert Patrick: "I respect everything Scott and Darrell did before and after WC but to me and most in the sport the history of WC speed and all those cars your referring to is nothing but a huge embarrassment to pro-stock and the sport of drag racing . Personally I was #17 at many races those two cheating nos injected B-1s were in the field .. You have a nice Jerry Haas Daytona and that’s about it."
The info is kind of accurate but kind of not. I can agree with there being 3 total Daytonas. The 88-90 Daytona is in the museum. The 1991 Daytona was used from 1991 up until the Mopar Parts Summernationals of 1992. It was partially driven by Darrell (1991) and Scott (1992 Winters to Montreal). Then Scott ran the new body style Daytona (with the new white and black and rainbow scheme) from that point until Seattle 1994. He did not receive his Avenger until Brainerd of 1994. Darrell came back at the 1994 Winters with this Daytona so they updated the paint scheme from the old red scheme to the current white and black and used Chrysler Service Contracts as the sponsor. He drove it until his final round Runner up to Larry Morgan at the 1994 Mopar Parts Nationals and took delivery of his Avenger in time for Columbus. (I'm sure they wanted to debut it at E-Town.) The car itself is the 1991 Daytona, but the front end Ted got with it was the 1992-1994 nose. That should clear up which car is what and who did what. The original Daytona is in the museum. This is Daytona #2. Scott's 1992-1994 Daytona went to Australia and got crashed.
Someone else commented on Ted's post and said they had the #1 Avenger, but not in original paint.
The lettering being changed around some and the front end being different is likely what lead to all the confusion.
From Mat Thomas yesterday: "That car lives in Wichita Falls, TX now. My buddy has it sitting in his shop...still in P/S trim (500” w/ 5 speed). It hasn’t been to the track in a few years now but used to run the 4.70 circuit down here while the class was still active."
When Ted Peters runs that car at Pomona will he run the Nitrous ? Because I’m sure he wants to keep it authentic. Glad to see the vandals didn’t lay a sledgehammer on it . That car represents the lowest point of PS history .
It wouldn’t have been good at all for NHRA to rub Mother Mopar’s nose in “nitrous” over the championship winning team they sponsor getting caught for cheating.
I would think the nice fat Mopar checks to NHRA would stop for a long while. Plus the Wayne Co. contract with Mopar surely had a morals clause so Wayne Co. goes away quietly. Mopar saves some face, NHRA doesn’t have a negative publicity scandal and the Mopar checks to NHRA keep coming.
A win for everyone involved as all their lawyers stay on the bench and the legends of Mopar fans and racers aren’t “proven” to be scum for supporting cheating.
The only “scandal” turned out to be a break-in with NOTHING stolen and... for some odd reason, Wayne Co. who built the engines, just can’t seem to remember how to do it again.
Nope, never happened. Mopar and NHRA still don’t know what nitrous cheating you possibly could be talking about.
(Bobby, Willy, Yvonne... It sure was hard to keep politics out of this. 😇 )
Someone asked about Frank Bradley? Frank is living in Santa Rosa Ca married to Maggie. They travel with there sand cars with really nice engines as you can imagine with Frank. He and Maggie are enjoying retirement and doing well. You might be able to catch him at Sonoma.
NHRA today seems to be a better (tighter) run organization than it was during that time period. If NHRA had been doing its job, the scoop fires probably wouldn't have happened to begin with. I can't remember hearing of any backfires since the Wayne Co. breakin... Humm, must have scared people straight. (Is it OK to say that anymore? Serious.. I don't know.) At the same time, I can't say how hard it would have been for NHRA to police it 100%.
We've all heard of nitrous bottles in the oil pan and seen Summit and Mopar scoops blown off... and don't forget Billy or Rusty Glidden's confession. It really doesn't make much difference who was the first to use nitrous illegally as apparently many took NHRA's lack of diligently policing it as giving their OK to cheat a bit. NHRA utilizing the "Pro Stock Six Second Club" and "First to 200 MPH" marketing helped keep manufactures. sponsors and fans interested and NHRA surely wouldn't want to offend those that write NHRA big checks or buy tickets.
Gen. Disarray is right... This era was Pro Stock's historical low point even beyond the period that brought in the all Chevy field, shorter wheelie bars, no scoops and the all important windshield banner facing out of the pit space.
MILLICAN, KLOEBER REUNITED WITH OLD DRAGSTERS BUILT AHEAD OF THEIR TIME
by Thomas Pope; Photos by Roger Richards Fri, 2020-01-03 21:39
"Clay Millican and Mike Kloeber hadn’t laid eyes on a pair of old friends for more than 13 years when they were reunited in McLeansboro, Ill., as autumn 2019 approached.
Yet when each racer walked into the room and saw those with whom they had enjoyed record-breaking performances, it was almost as if they’d never been apart.
Those ‘friends’ were the Top Fuel dragsters campaigned by Millican, Kloeber, and their team in 2001 and 2002 -- vehicles they won the first of what would eventually be six consecutive IHRA Top Fuel crowns."
Pic I took 25 years ago at the Mid-South Nat's shutdown curve of what would be the '95 champ's car:
And the car now posted by Jeff Conley at Pro Stock:
"Here it is running super gas this past season at National event at New England Dragway. He went to the finals with it this was post race inspection. Driver filling out paperwork rear of car. Bob Blackwell Pro Stock tech inspector standing there wishing it was his. I took the picture":
"Here's some progress pictures from over the past year of the rebuilding of the original Galt Strokers "Purple People Eater" dragster that ran from 1957 to 1959. I still have lots more to do, but it's hard to believe the last photo is of what I started with when I found this early historic dragster.....it had been out in a field close to 50 years. Fingers crossed the rest of the work goes well and I can have her running this summer."
Comments
https://www.facebook.com/burkartauto/
Phil raced in Pomona in Feb. I see him when he's on West Coast.
By Jerry Bonkowski
Feb 15, 2018, 1:18 PM EST
http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/2018/02/15/all-hail-his-majesty-catching-up-with-nhra-great-kenny-the-king-bernstein/
“People ask if I would go back and do it today, and I say, ‘Give me $5 million and I’ll be back out there tomorrow,’ he says, before adding with a big laugh, “if Sheryl (his wife) didn’t kill me first.”
Berserko Bob is living in Florida, pretty much retired, and he shows up at drag races in the state frequently. I hooked up with him at an IHRA race in Orlando a couple of years ago. It was Mike Dunn's first race as President of IHRA as I recall.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10211159523652669&set=gm.398843483914138&type=3&theater
And apparently Orlando's last with IHRA. Orlando's Ozzie Moya must have saw the IHRA future coming under CL management. I don't think Mike Dunn could have done anything to fix the IHRA problems coming. But unfortunately he will probably be forever tarnished by it.
I was at that race and wish I had gotten a chance to talk with Berserko Bob.
http://theamericanageradio.com/1960s-drag-racing-with-funny-car-star-sidney-foster/
From Theodore Peters FB yesterday:
"Some of my race friends have been wondering why Mark Pappas has been posting pictures of me smiling. Mark and a select few friends knew what the smiles were about. Without my friend Danny Estep none of this would have been possible. But................. Ted Peters racing is the proud owner of the Championship winning Dodge Daytona campaigned by Wayne County Speed shop and driven by Darrell Alderman! More news on this project later. Just wanted to post this pic and drop the mic goodnight!"
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3023820084297771&set=a.195677720445369&type=3&theater&ifg=1
Yeah that's really awesome! Can't wait to go see that car in person!
The plan is that this car will be raced in NHRA's 2020 50th Anniversay Celebration of Pro Stock when cars from the Midwest Nostalgia Pro Stock association will take to the track at selected NHRA Nationals Events. They posted another pic today with some car info from WC speed:
"There's two things i don't like to do. 1: Write long post 2. Have public disputes with people. But I need to set the record straight early. So my buddy Danny Estep was trying to correct a guy named Jason Kieffer about my car being the Alderman car and not the Geoffrion car. So here are the FACTS. There were only 3 Dodge Daytonas ran by Wayne County(WC) The red and white car which was first the Exide car then the Mopar car is in the Don Garlits museum. That car won the championship in 1990. 1991 they switched cars and paint jobs to the black and white with a 1991 front end on the car. That car which is mine won the championship in 1991. In 1992 dodge changed front ends and so did WC on my car. Geofferion raced a 92 also, that car was sold to a race team in Australia and won the championship the first year it was raced over there. It was crewed by a guy name Simon Lazarevski. It was later destroyed in a wreck over there. My car wasn't raced in 1992 or 1993 because Darrell was suspended. When he came back he raced my car half the season and then he got an Avenger after Geoffrion got his. Darrell finished first and Scott second. I have a signed letter by WC, and the build tag on the car from Jerry Haas that it was built in 1990 and WC verbal word to Danny and myself. I hope this clears up any confusion YOU might have on my car. My friend Rick Lucas said this would happen......... Thanks Danny Estep for keeping things straight."
Naturally, some interesting comments from fans and former racers, like Robert Patrick: "I respect everything Scott and Darrell did before and after WC but to me and most in the sport the history of WC speed and all those cars your referring to is nothing but a huge embarrassment to pro-stock and the sport of drag racing . Personally I was #17 at many races those two cheating nos injected B-1s were in the field .. You have a nice Jerry Haas Daytona and that’s about it."
The info is kind of accurate but kind of not. I can agree with there being 3 total Daytonas. The 88-90 Daytona is in the museum. The 1991 Daytona was used from 1991 up until the Mopar Parts Summernationals of 1992. It was partially driven by Darrell (1991) and Scott (1992 Winters to Montreal). Then Scott ran the new body style Daytona (with the new white and black and rainbow scheme) from that point until Seattle 1994. He did not receive his Avenger until Brainerd of 1994. Darrell came back at the 1994 Winters with this Daytona so they updated the paint scheme from the old red scheme to the current white and black and used Chrysler Service Contracts as the sponsor. He drove it until his final round Runner up to Larry Morgan at the 1994 Mopar Parts Nationals and took delivery of his Avenger in time for Columbus. (I'm sure they wanted to debut it at E-Town.) The car itself is the 1991 Daytona, but the front end Ted got with it was the 1992-1994 nose. That should clear up which car is what and who did what. The original Daytona is in the museum. This is Daytona #2. Scott's 1992-1994 Daytona went to Australia and got crashed.
Someone else commented on Ted's post and said they had the #1 Avenger, but not in original paint.
The lettering being changed around some and the front end being different is likely what lead to all the confusion.
What are they up to now?
At the PRI Show:
Pic I took in Atlanta Southern Nat's 1999:
From Mat Thomas yesterday: "That car lives in Wichita Falls, TX now. My buddy has it sitting in his shop...still in P/S trim (500” w/ 5 speed). It hasn’t been to the track in a few years now but used to run the 4.70 circuit down here while the class was still active."
When Ted Peters runs that car at Pomona will he run the Nitrous ? Because I’m sure he wants to keep it authentic. Glad to see the vandals didn’t lay a sledgehammer on it . That car represents the lowest point of PS history .
has it ever actually been proven they sprayed?
It wouldn’t have been good at all for NHRA to rub Mother Mopar’s nose in “nitrous” over the championship winning team they sponsor getting caught for cheating.
I would think the nice fat Mopar checks to NHRA would stop for a long while. Plus the Wayne Co. contract with Mopar surely had a morals clause so Wayne Co. goes away quietly. Mopar saves some face, NHRA doesn’t have a negative publicity scandal and the Mopar checks to NHRA keep coming.
A win for everyone involved as all their lawyers stay on the bench and the legends of Mopar fans and racers aren’t “proven” to be scum for supporting cheating.
The only “scandal” turned out to be a break-in with NOTHING stolen and... for some odd reason, Wayne Co. who built the engines, just can’t seem to remember how to do it again.
Nope, never happened. Mopar and NHRA still don’t know what nitrous cheating you possibly could be talking about.
(Bobby, Willy, Yvonne... It sure was hard to keep politics out of this. 😇 )
Someone asked about Frank Bradley? Frank is living in Santa Rosa Ca married to Maggie. They travel with there sand cars with really nice engines as you can imagine with Frank. He and Maggie are enjoying retirement and doing well. You might be able to catch him at Sonoma.
Has it been proven? Many times in many ways from time slips to hood scoop fires to competitors proof. Has anyone ever admitted to it? No.
The Summit cars have had their share of scoop fires.
NHRA today seems to be a better (tighter) run organization than it was during that time period. If NHRA had been doing its job, the scoop fires probably wouldn't have happened to begin with. I can't remember hearing of any backfires since the Wayne Co. breakin... Humm, must have scared people straight. (Is it OK to say that anymore? Serious.. I don't know.) At the same time, I can't say how hard it would have been for NHRA to police it 100%.
We've all heard of nitrous bottles in the oil pan and seen Summit and Mopar scoops blown off... and don't forget Billy or Rusty Glidden's confession. It really doesn't make much difference who was the first to use nitrous illegally as apparently many took NHRA's lack of diligently policing it as giving their OK to cheat a bit. NHRA utilizing the "Pro Stock Six Second Club" and "First to 200 MPH" marketing helped keep manufactures. sponsors and fans interested and NHRA surely wouldn't want to offend those that write NHRA big checks or buy tickets.
Gen. Disarray is right... This era was Pro Stock's historical low point even beyond the period that brought in the all Chevy field, shorter wheelie bars, no scoops and the all important windshield banner facing out of the pit space.
Someone posted a pic of Scott's car and a response from Aaron Smith at Pro Stock:
"That car is currently sitting in a shed in South Australia. Was last raced at Willowbank Raceway in the 90’s"
MILLICAN, KLOEBER REUNITED WITH OLD DRAGSTERS BUILT AHEAD OF THEIR TIME
by Thomas Pope; Photos by Roger Richards Fri, 2020-01-03 21:39
"Clay Millican and Mike Kloeber hadn’t laid eyes on a pair of old friends for more than 13 years when they were reunited in McLeansboro, Ill., as autumn 2019 approached.
Yet when each racer walked into the room and saw those with whom they had enjoyed record-breaking performances, it was almost as if they’d never been apart.
Those ‘friends’ were the Top Fuel dragsters campaigned by Millican, Kloeber, and their team in 2001 and 2002 -- vehicles they won the first of what would eventually be six consecutive IHRA Top Fuel crowns."
Full Article:
http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/millican-kloeber-reunited-with-old-dragsters-built-ahead-of-their-time?fbclid=IwAR3ljEc77zNNr2zV7AA_TSd5xq9mALfMXe8o_0iCMBEllC7X3T7ey4VvFN4
Danny Gruninger
https://www.screenweb.com/article/meet-rising-stars-danny-gruninger
Pic I took 25 years ago at the Mid-South Nat's shutdown curve of what would be the '95 champ's car:
And the car now posted by Jeff Conley at Pro Stock:
"Here it is running super gas this past season at National event at New England Dragway. He went to the finals with it this was post race inspection. Driver filling out paperwork rear of car. Bob Blackwell Pro Stock tech inspector standing there wishing it was his. I took the picture":
From mark Rogerson at Front Engined Dragsters:
"Here's some progress pictures from over the past year of the rebuilding of the original Galt Strokers "Purple People Eater" dragster that ran from 1957 to 1959. I still have lots more to do, but it's hard to believe the last photo is of what I started with when I found this early historic dragster.....it had been out in a field close to 50 years. Fingers crossed the rest of the work goes well and I can have her running this summer."
Just posted from Rachelle Splatt:
Finally behind the wheel of @ddlandspeedracing landspeed car Rosie @gulfwesternoil #landspeedracing #queenofspeed
Video:
https://www.facebook.com/RachelleSplattRacing/videos/496465504351230/?sk=h_chr