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"NITRO NICK" BONINFANTE BUILDING A NEW/OLD "U.S. MALE" NITRO FUNNY CAR
Replica of his 1977 Mustang II to debut in 2008
YEADON, Pa. -- "Nitro Nick" Boninfante, who last campaigned a nitro Funny Car in 1991, announced that he, along with his sons Nicky Jr. and Rob, are putting together a replica of his 1977 Mustang II Funny Car that will race at select nostalgia Funny Car races in 2008.
Boninfante Sr. started racing his series of U.S. Male Funny Cars in 1971. He originally campaigned an alcohol Funny Car car until he switched to nitro in 1983 and he continued racing until 1991 when he took a step back to concentrate on his clutch business. Since then Boninfante Performance Clutch Parts has grown into a multi-million dollar business that supplies the majority of Top Fuel and nitro Funny Car teams with discs, floaters, flywheels and pressure plates.
"Since I quit racing it's always been the back of my mind that I'd like to get back out there," Boninfante Sr. said. "But with the enormous costs of racing a car in the "big show" and with the increasing popularity of the nostalgia Funny Cars it was a easy decision for me to make. Although we did run a lot of national events back then we did a lot more match racing which is a lot more fun and a lot less pressure so this is the direction we decided to go."
Boninfante's car is being built with the help of many of his friends and fellow racers who's contributions should make this car one of the best out there. The chassis is an ex-Don Schumacher car obtained from Ed "Ace" McCulloch and the vintage body was pulled out from the rafters at Bob Rosetty's "Funny Farm" in Pennsylvania. Nick Jr. called his good friend Del Worsham and asked him to help with the engine combination. Del and his father Chuck offered to build a clone of the engine that has run many 5-second passes in their "Blue Max" Mustang.
"I am real excited to have the Worsham's help me with this whole deal," Boninfante Jr. said. "We have been buddys for many years and I just can't wait to get this thing to the track and see the look on my dad's face when we make the first pass."
Putting the car together and who will also drive the car is Boninfante's driver when he started out, Pat "The Hippie" Walsh. Walsh, who drove the U.S. Male from 1972 until 1987, has already started assembling the car and he's looking to having the car ready for testing later this year. If all goes according to plan Pat will upgrade his license and the car will make it's public debut at the 2008 March Meet in Bakersfield, Calif. There's also plans to run some match races at local east coast tracks like Englishtown, Maple Grove, Atco and Cecil County.
For more information go to: Home Page boninfante performance clutch parts
Replica of his 1977 Mustang II to debut in 2008
YEADON, Pa. -- "Nitro Nick" Boninfante, who last campaigned a nitro Funny Car in 1991, announced that he, along with his sons Nicky Jr. and Rob, are putting together a replica of his 1977 Mustang II Funny Car that will race at select nostalgia Funny Car races in 2008.
Boninfante Sr. started racing his series of U.S. Male Funny Cars in 1971. He originally campaigned an alcohol Funny Car car until he switched to nitro in 1983 and he continued racing until 1991 when he took a step back to concentrate on his clutch business. Since then Boninfante Performance Clutch Parts has grown into a multi-million dollar business that supplies the majority of Top Fuel and nitro Funny Car teams with discs, floaters, flywheels and pressure plates.
"Since I quit racing it's always been the back of my mind that I'd like to get back out there," Boninfante Sr. said. "But with the enormous costs of racing a car in the "big show" and with the increasing popularity of the nostalgia Funny Cars it was a easy decision for me to make. Although we did run a lot of national events back then we did a lot more match racing which is a lot more fun and a lot less pressure so this is the direction we decided to go."
Boninfante's car is being built with the help of many of his friends and fellow racers who's contributions should make this car one of the best out there. The chassis is an ex-Don Schumacher car obtained from Ed "Ace" McCulloch and the vintage body was pulled out from the rafters at Bob Rosetty's "Funny Farm" in Pennsylvania. Nick Jr. called his good friend Del Worsham and asked him to help with the engine combination. Del and his father Chuck offered to build a clone of the engine that has run many 5-second passes in their "Blue Max" Mustang.
"I am real excited to have the Worsham's help me with this whole deal," Boninfante Jr. said. "We have been buddys for many years and I just can't wait to get this thing to the track and see the look on my dad's face when we make the first pass."
Putting the car together and who will also drive the car is Boninfante's driver when he started out, Pat "The Hippie" Walsh. Walsh, who drove the U.S. Male from 1972 until 1987, has already started assembling the car and he's looking to having the car ready for testing later this year. If all goes according to plan Pat will upgrade his license and the car will make it's public debut at the 2008 March Meet in Bakersfield, Calif. There's also plans to run some match races at local east coast tracks like Englishtown, Maple Grove, Atco and Cecil County.
For more information go to: Home Page boninfante performance clutch parts
