Longest driving Career in TA/FC

[Butch]

Who has been at it the longest. I believe it to be Vern Moats. He has been at it as long as I can remember, going back to the Oly Roller ProComp days 1974. A lot of drivers have come and gone or moved up but Vern Moats has stayed put.

 

[sparky]

Roger Bateman has been doing it as long as I can remember.

 

[Prestaged]

I think the class is kick ass, but admit that I am a casual observer of TAFC. Still, I am an old guy and Moats has been racing as long as I can remember.

 

[Randy]

Manzo's been the since day one, too. He raced pro comp in an altered before BB/FC (TA/FC) was officially split off.

 

[Super Mod]

Who has been at it the longest. I believe it to be Vern Moats. He has been at it as long as I can remember, going back to the Oly Roller ProComp days 1974. A lot of drivers have come and gone or moved up but Vern Moats has stayed put.

VERN MOATS - THERE AT THE BEGINNING

 

[racer83]

Roger Bateman has been doing it as long as I can remember.

Bateman would have started in about '81/82. He ran a Bantam altered that didn't like to go strait before that.

TK

 

[Pete]

So Moats and Manzo are the longest running TAFC drivers out there today....3rd would be Bateman..............

 

[Gordon]

I know she doesn't compete for the LODRS Title every year, and actually focuses primarily on the IHRA these days, but I just watched the broadcast of the President's Cup race at MIR and I think Bunny Burkett said in an interview that she's been racing since the late 60's...

 

[scsp390]

I know she doesn't compete for the LODRS Title every year, and actually focuses primarily on the IHRA these days, but I just watched the broadcast of the President's Cup race at MIR and I think Bunny Burkett said in an interview that she's been racing since the late 60's...

2010 will mark 45 years for Miss Bunny Burkett. She will turn a young 65 next Spring!!!!

 

[Nunz]

I know Ace, Vern, and Bunny were all running alky FCs since the Pro Comp days. I remember Ace's AA/A that he ran in Pro Comp, I saw it at Indy in 1979. Randy, not sure if you ever saw it, but it was crazy low like the A/A you ran years ago, just a wild car. I know Ace had been running FCs for years before that, he just dropped a '23T body on his FC for awhile.

 

[Rollout96]

I know Ace, Vern, and Bunny were all running alky FCs since the Pro Comp days. I remember Ace's AA/A that he ran in Pro Comp, I saw it at Indy in 1979. Randy, not sure if you ever saw it, but it was crazy low like the A/A you ran years ago, just a wild car. I know Ace had been running FCs for years before that, he just dropped a '23T body on his FC for awhile.

I remember those days as my dad raced BB/FC in the late 70's. Alas his career in the class lasted just a few years. Those were fun times though.

 

[Nunz]

Hey Jay is that your dad's car in your avatar? Our backrounds are a little similar, as my dad raced Comp from the 60s into the early 70s, but with five little kids, he had to give it up. He almost came back many times, and when Pro Comp came out, I wanted him to run any kind of car in that class(remember all the combos?), but even back then, things were getting expensive for a guy trying to raise a family. Funny how some things never change.

 

[Rollout96]

Hey Jay is that your dad's car in your avatar? Our backrounds are a little similar, as my dad raced Comp from the 60s into the early 70s, but with five little kids, he had to give it up. He almost came back many times, and when Pro Comp came out, I wanted him to run any kind of car in that class(remember all the combos?), but even back then, things were getting expensive for a guy trying to raise a family. Funny how some things never change.

Yep. HMS Odyssey. He raced about 6 different classes from Stock to Alcohol F/C. He also ran a few runs in T/F but never actually licensed. That was right at the end of the era when some buddies could run one out of their garage and have a little fun.

I loved the funny car days and all of the 64 car meets at OCIR. Good times!

 

[Dave]

Nunzio,

Here's a shot of I took of Manzo at Indy in 1980: Frank Manzo

 

[JHOLE]

Manzo's been the since day one, too. He raced pro comp in an altered before BB/FC (TA/FC) was officially split off.

Maybe that was Harry's question... Vern's been at the alcohol funny wheel ( BB or TA ) for possibly the longest run uninterupted...?...

I remember Manzo's altered too. But in some purist position it broke from BB-TA/FC...

Also remember Boggs brothers running a car as both an altered and a BB/FC dependeing on the race. As I remember they carried both bodies with them and would swap out to hit the best odds.

Someone brought up Bunny though - she may have the longest run, guess it would depend on the definition of continuous...

Good stuff.

 

[Nunz]

Dave I remember that shot, I believe it was NHRA.com's photo of the week once. Great pic, ya' gotta love how low-slung that car was. I can't remember how long he ran that car as a AA/A (it was also his BB/FC), but I know I was at Indy in '79 for the 25th anniversary and he was running it there. Regarding driving streaks, on another site in a FC photo thread, I'm pretty sure someone posted a pic of a very early '70s FC that Manzo had, so he's been at it awhile. Oh and the Boggs Bros. AA/A that ran and won in Pro Comp in the late 70s was called "Poison" and was also a really wild car. I believe it was the BB/FC of John Carter that the Boggs boys teamed up with to create the Poison altered. Can you guys tell I'm a fan of altereds and the old Pro Comp cars?

 

[Stormin']

Manzo's altered was basically the FC with an Altered body on it.

 

[NYNitro86]

2010 will mark 45 years for Miss Bunny Burkett. She will turn a young 65 next Spring!!!!

And I'll bet she'll be back At Raceway Park Again to celebrate

 

[the zone]

Bucky Austin since the early 70's as well.
FED in Pro Comp and I guess comp

 

[NYNitro86]

Dave I remember that shot, I believe it was NHRA.com's photo of the week once. Great pic, ya' gotta love how low-slung that car was. I can't remember how long he ran that car as a AA/A (it was also his BB/FC), but I know I was at Indy in '79 for the 25th anniversary and he was running it there. Regarding driving streaks, on another site in a FC photo thread, I'm pretty sure someone posted a pic of a very early '70s FC that Manzo had, so he's been at it awhile. Oh and the Boggs Bros. AA/A that ran and won in Pro Comp in the late 70s was called "Poison" and was also a really wild car. I believe it was the BB/FC of John Carter that the Boggs boys teamed up with to create the Poison altered. Can you guys tell I'm a fan of altereds and the old Pro Comp cars?

I purchase videos from Phil Larsen of "Drag Racing from our point of View" and he has footage of the 1990 Summernationals when Ron Boggs ran his Altered in Top Alchol Dragster and it made the quarterfinals and it ran eventual runner up Mike Kosky.