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Kenny Rucker: Living the blue collar Pro Mod dream
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<img src="http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii284/writevan/FarmQ-8ThunderJam8-09-08116.jpg"
<br><font color="Navy">Kenny Rucker delivered a trio of hole-shots to claim his first career Quick-8 Racers Association victory at O'Reilly Farmington Dragway last Saturday night</font>
<P> (8-10-08)Pond Gap, West Virginia - Native resident of Pond Gap, West Virginia, young Kenny Rucker set out on his great American adventure in 1972 at age 18. Looking for work and to start a new life abroad, Rucker left home, and set out for Indiana and all its unseen wonder. His stay in the Hoosier state, however, was a relative short one, as Rucker returned one year later to his tiny hometown of Pond Gap, population 623.
Although his time in Indiana was short, Kenny Rucker stumbled upon a new found interest when he discovered the organized sport of drag racing at a local strip in Indiana. "I had never been to an automobile race of any kind until I went to that track in Indiana," recalled Rucker. Taken with great interest from this newly discovered hobby, one of the first things Rucker did upon returning home to Pond Gap was seeing what kind of elapsed time his daily driver would clock at his local Kanawha Dragway, a strip named after the county in which Rucker still resides.
In the years to follow, Rucker became a serious bracket racer during the 1970's and 1980's, hardly missing a season, that is until 1990. Laid off from work, Kenny Rucker was inspired to make it his own way through self-employment. At age 36, Kenny rolled his race car outside, and shielded it from the elements the best he could with a car cover. From the empty garage at his house, Rucker launched a modest business that specialized in the servicing of equipment used for underground coal mining. His first customer was a man who lived down the road a piece named Burton Auxier. "Burton was just getting into building the entire coal hauling system that runs underground, and although we knew of each other through local drag racing, we never actually met until he became a customer of mine," said Rucker.
Once his business began to take off, Rucker rejoined the local drag racing scene, and in 2002 stepped up his operation considerably when he took delivery of a fat-fendered Willys that he now competes as a nitrous-assisted Pro Modified entry. Missouri's Tim McAmis welded the chassis and hung the body, after which, Jimmy Jackson and Mountain Chassis put the finishing touches on the car. Shawn Linder of Vengence Race Cars has tuned the Willys for the last few race seasons and serves as Rucker's crew chief.
Rucker's original plan only consisted of competing the car in IHRA Top Sportsman events, that is until Burton Auxier convinced Kenny to let he and a local gear head named Jack Foster put a mild tune-up in the Willys. Not exactly mild by most people's standards, the Willys - motivated by a Sonny's Automotive 737 - was suddenly becoming a contender as a Pro Modified car. "We had a Pro Mod association locally in the mid 1990's, but all but one of the area tracks have closed down," said Rucker.
Kenny Rucker won the championship of the Appalachian Pro Mod Association in 1996, the final year of the short-lived series that lasted 3 seasons. Hit hard by a downturn in the economy, the area in which Rucker lives is beginning to make a comeback because of a revival of the coal mining industry, but not before taking a serious toll on the local economy, including area drag strips. Around Rucker's immediate location, only Kanawha Valley Dragway remains.
Discovering Don Plemmons' Quick-8 Racers Association in 2005, Rucker made the 4 hour tow from West Virginia a number of times that year, and could usually qualify for every event, but round wins eluded Rucker. Running a limited schedule in 2006, Rucker returned with a solid tune-up in 2007, and took runner-up honors at Roxboro against reining champion, Buzz Varner, followed by a runner-up to Rickie Smith at last year's season-ending Quick-8 at Farmington.
This past Saturday night at O'Reilly Farmington Dragway, the 54 year old Kenny Rucker put together a hole-shot performance in all 3 rounds to take the win in a series that's widely regarded as the toughest doorslammer association anywhere. En route to a victorious night in Mocksville, Rucker stopped Rickie Smith, Dale Brinsfield and then held off a charging Charles Carpenter in the final round of this eventful night in Farmington. "There can't be anything wrong with drag racing because it's too much work," laughed Kenny Rucker, following his first career Quick-8 Racers Association victory. "In addition to Shawn Linder volunteering his time to me, I've also got to thank Leonard Pate and his 13 year old son, Phalon, for all their help," commented Rucker.
Catch Kenny Rucker and the rest of the Quick-8 Racers Association, as the series returns to O'Reilly Farmington Dragway August 30, 2008.
Story and photo by:
Van Abernethy Press Releases
<p style="width:300px;float:right;font-weight:bold;padding-right:0px;">
<img src="http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii284/writevan/FarmQ-8ThunderJam8-09-08116.jpg"
<br><font color="Navy">Kenny Rucker delivered a trio of hole-shots to claim his first career Quick-8 Racers Association victory at O'Reilly Farmington Dragway last Saturday night</font>
<P> (8-10-08)Pond Gap, West Virginia - Native resident of Pond Gap, West Virginia, young Kenny Rucker set out on his great American adventure in 1972 at age 18. Looking for work and to start a new life abroad, Rucker left home, and set out for Indiana and all its unseen wonder. His stay in the Hoosier state, however, was a relative short one, as Rucker returned one year later to his tiny hometown of Pond Gap, population 623.
Although his time in Indiana was short, Kenny Rucker stumbled upon a new found interest when he discovered the organized sport of drag racing at a local strip in Indiana. "I had never been to an automobile race of any kind until I went to that track in Indiana," recalled Rucker. Taken with great interest from this newly discovered hobby, one of the first things Rucker did upon returning home to Pond Gap was seeing what kind of elapsed time his daily driver would clock at his local Kanawha Dragway, a strip named after the county in which Rucker still resides.
In the years to follow, Rucker became a serious bracket racer during the 1970's and 1980's, hardly missing a season, that is until 1990. Laid off from work, Kenny Rucker was inspired to make it his own way through self-employment. At age 36, Kenny rolled his race car outside, and shielded it from the elements the best he could with a car cover. From the empty garage at his house, Rucker launched a modest business that specialized in the servicing of equipment used for underground coal mining. His first customer was a man who lived down the road a piece named Burton Auxier. "Burton was just getting into building the entire coal hauling system that runs underground, and although we knew of each other through local drag racing, we never actually met until he became a customer of mine," said Rucker.
Once his business began to take off, Rucker rejoined the local drag racing scene, and in 2002 stepped up his operation considerably when he took delivery of a fat-fendered Willys that he now competes as a nitrous-assisted Pro Modified entry. Missouri's Tim McAmis welded the chassis and hung the body, after which, Jimmy Jackson and Mountain Chassis put the finishing touches on the car. Shawn Linder of Vengence Race Cars has tuned the Willys for the last few race seasons and serves as Rucker's crew chief.
Rucker's original plan only consisted of competing the car in IHRA Top Sportsman events, that is until Burton Auxier convinced Kenny to let he and a local gear head named Jack Foster put a mild tune-up in the Willys. Not exactly mild by most people's standards, the Willys - motivated by a Sonny's Automotive 737 - was suddenly becoming a contender as a Pro Modified car. "We had a Pro Mod association locally in the mid 1990's, but all but one of the area tracks have closed down," said Rucker.
Kenny Rucker won the championship of the Appalachian Pro Mod Association in 1996, the final year of the short-lived series that lasted 3 seasons. Hit hard by a downturn in the economy, the area in which Rucker lives is beginning to make a comeback because of a revival of the coal mining industry, but not before taking a serious toll on the local economy, including area drag strips. Around Rucker's immediate location, only Kanawha Valley Dragway remains.
Discovering Don Plemmons' Quick-8 Racers Association in 2005, Rucker made the 4 hour tow from West Virginia a number of times that year, and could usually qualify for every event, but round wins eluded Rucker. Running a limited schedule in 2006, Rucker returned with a solid tune-up in 2007, and took runner-up honors at Roxboro against reining champion, Buzz Varner, followed by a runner-up to Rickie Smith at last year's season-ending Quick-8 at Farmington.
This past Saturday night at O'Reilly Farmington Dragway, the 54 year old Kenny Rucker put together a hole-shot performance in all 3 rounds to take the win in a series that's widely regarded as the toughest doorslammer association anywhere. En route to a victorious night in Mocksville, Rucker stopped Rickie Smith, Dale Brinsfield and then held off a charging Charles Carpenter in the final round of this eventful night in Farmington. "There can't be anything wrong with drag racing because it's too much work," laughed Kenny Rucker, following his first career Quick-8 Racers Association victory. "In addition to Shawn Linder volunteering his time to me, I've also got to thank Leonard Pate and his 13 year old son, Phalon, for all their help," commented Rucker.
Catch Kenny Rucker and the rest of the Quick-8 Racers Association, as the series returns to O'Reilly Farmington Dragway August 30, 2008.
Story and photo by:
Van Abernethy Press Releases
