Statisticians are only as good as their sources. Lewis probably has access to files and information on an ongoing basis that most people can't obtain.
That's good; it's his business and as such, he needs to have unlimited input from the various sources that contribute to his cerebral "database."
Having said that, I'd like to know where to access information about the statistical data of race results back in the "dark ages" of NHRA racing (as regards national events, only.)
I was at Indy in '61 and '62, and in wandering around the pits, noticed one of my heroes, a photographer named Eric Rickman (a fixture at Hot Rod Magazine for many, many, years) doing a photo-shoot of a little Fiat Topolino, C-Altered Coupe, back in a deserted area of the pits.
Several people who were friends of the owner/driver were hanging around, watching the pictures being shot (Eric using an 8" X 10" press camera; that's the size of the negative, for those who might not know.) Resolution PLUS!!!
I asked some of these good folks who the owner/driver was, and was told that his name was "Billy Rasmussen," and that he was a preacher from Waxahachie, Texas. They also said that he had won his class (C-Altered Coupe) at the NHRA nationals FIVE TIMES (this was '61 or '62, as I said; can't remember which.) Hmmmmm. There had only been 6 or 7 "Nationals," by then; five wins was impressive! (This pre-dated the term "U.S. Nationals.")
What made the car unique was the engine; eschewing the wildly-popular Hlborn-injected Chevy V8 that was, at the time, de riguer (hope I spelled that correctly!), the preacher was running a 1953 Dodge Hemi (241 cubic inches) and a 3-speed manual transmission. Not what you'd think would exactly be considered the hot ticket...
The intake manifold was home-built; contructed like the old "Crower U-Fab" log manifolds that were used to mount 6 2bbl carbs on top of two pieces of three-inch (my guess) diameter tubing, (running longitudinally, along the top of the heads) with carb mounting flanges welded to the tops of the tubes, with short runners down to the ports...
That's the way they were built.... so I thought.
Au contraire, mon ami...
Billy had just 4 carbs, but the twist was, the carburetors on the left longitudinal tube, had runners to the right-hand cylinder head, and the opposite side was constructed the same; the carbs fed the opposite cylinder head, giving a longer "ram-tube" going into the intake ports.
I chuckled at his "backyard ingenuity," and walked away... yeah, right...
Race day saw his creation in the finals for C/A, opposing a "state-of-the-art"' 1934 Ford coupe with the back wheels moved forward under the body, and a professionally built small block Chevy hooked to a 4-speed, for motivation.
It was dynamite!!!
David vs. Goliath....
The flag went up in the final, for class, and the little Hemi powered Topolino put some serious hurt on the "Al's Speed Shop" C-Altered, from Chicago.
Word had it that he'd beaten that high-dollar Chicago car more than once for the "Nationals" C-Altered honors... Bet he had 'em talking to themselves!!!
"The Going Goat" (his name for the car) had done it again... and I felt more than stupid for my smug (and ignorant) attitude about his intake manifold chicanery... Live and learn! :!
I know that the "High and Mighty" Ramcharger's '49 Plymouth won C/A at the 1959 Nationals at Detroit, but I am very curious whether this "Going Goat" actually won that class 5 times at the Nationals.
You think Lewis Bloom might have that information? I realize that's more in the line of "HISTORY" than statistics, but, if HE doesn't know, who might? Bret??? A possibility.
Anybody???? I'd just like to know; Lewis seemed the best bet!
