Congrats Popeye, you deserve it!
Thread Starter
VIP Member
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,205
From: Anytown, USA
Car Info: '00 RS, Subrosa Letum
Congrats Popeye, you deserve it!
My grandfather (we call him Popeye) will be inducted into the National Drag Boat Association hall of fame in June. He had raced in 3 different boats throughout the '60s. I don't beleive his records were ever broken while the NDBA was still around.
The first boat he had built was called "Adios". It was a custom one-off hull with a front engine Ford small block. I say front engine becasue the driver's seat was behind and left of the engine and transmission, just like a car. It even had all the gearing a normal car transmission would have rather than the standard v-drive system in almost all of the boats at that time. I will try to get pics after I go to his house.
The second boat he had built used a Sanger hull and was called "Adios 2". It was given the name because it was his second boat and also because it had 2 fuel-injected Ford 327 small blocks. The crank gear of the rear engine was coupled to the flywheel of the front engine. This made spark timing much easier to deal with. He set the NDBA unblown fuel record at 134.43 mph. This record was never broken (in the NDBA).
The third boat was called "Climax". He had not built this boat but was asked to race it by another guy (can't remember his name). I beleive it was a Sanger Hull with a blown 426 Hemi. He set another record in this boat at Long Beach Stadium going 198 mph in the qaurter mile. This was in 1968!. This record was also never broken. I have a picture of the record setting pass but need to scan it to the computer.
So, after 40+ years he is finally going into the hall of fame. Gonrats Popeye, you deserve it!
The first boat he had built was called "Adios". It was a custom one-off hull with a front engine Ford small block. I say front engine becasue the driver's seat was behind and left of the engine and transmission, just like a car. It even had all the gearing a normal car transmission would have rather than the standard v-drive system in almost all of the boats at that time. I will try to get pics after I go to his house.
The second boat he had built used a Sanger hull and was called "Adios 2". It was given the name because it was his second boat and also because it had 2 fuel-injected Ford 327 small blocks. The crank gear of the rear engine was coupled to the flywheel of the front engine. This made spark timing much easier to deal with. He set the NDBA unblown fuel record at 134.43 mph. This record was never broken (in the NDBA).
The third boat was called "Climax". He had not built this boat but was asked to race it by another guy (can't remember his name). I beleive it was a Sanger Hull with a blown 426 Hemi. He set another record in this boat at Long Beach Stadium going 198 mph in the qaurter mile. This was in 1968!. This record was also never broken. I have a picture of the record setting pass but need to scan it to the computer.
So, after 40+ years he is finally going into the hall of fame. Gonrats Popeye, you deserve it!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
VRT MBasile
Car Lounge
9
Sep 30, 2005 08:03 AM
Hassassin
Tri-State
11
Nov 27, 2002 03:03 PM