Porky Gastelleum ?

[Tim5636sc]

Where's Justin Levitte? The Lauffer family is the best!

I've driven past his shop when we visit the mother-in-law in Vista.

Small world, huh....

yup...i've partied quite a bit over the years with the VW boys...! Scott is a freakin rockstar! We used to race up against him in the VW Paradise Dragster at Carlsbad, (and would always fight for number 1 qualifier in the OUTLAW 16)Went to High School w/ the boys... It sucks when your not even the quickest and fastest guy in your own High School... Kris and Jason both went to El Camino and I believe Jason has got me covered by .30 , and about 10 mph! Sucker... HOWEVER, Indy car racer Alex Baron also went to El Camino High School, and he's qualified at the INDY 500 running over 224....

 

[Mike]

Tim, Alex Baron lives not to far from me. Use to see him all the time. Not sure if he still lives in the same house as I dont get over there much anymore.

 

[unclebob]

I'm thinking Porky bought the TF car from Ron Fry. Ron had bought it for Mendy Fry's planned entry into the fuel ranks.But things didn't pan out and the car was sold.

John; Porky bought the complete alky car from Ron before he went nitro racing with the Brotherton car.
That was the car that was in the trailer when the Feds grabbed it.

 

[Tim5636sc]

John; Porky bought the complete alky car from Ron before he went nitro racing with the Brotherton car.
That was the car that was in the trailer when the Feds grabbed it.

it was purple right Bob? I remember that car and trailer sitting outside his shop...before it was "GRABBED" by the MAN!

 

[Nitrohelper]

Larry could have been a top tuner if he had chosen to keep racing.

I will gladly add my "2nd" to that statement.
Larry and I spent a lot of time at IHRA races when they started with the Veney combination from Gwynn's.
He would ask me for help with his theories about Nitro tuning.
I was impressed how quickly he would pick-up, and improve on tuning ideas & methods.
...The et is clutch, the speed is horsepower...
....................................... tuners should make horsepower...
......................................................................... Larry went fast!

 

[stripe]

What a hoot to find more of the lore and legends of Porky. I knew him at least 15 years before any of the recollections of people posting here, and didn't know him at all in the context of drag racing or of his body shop and painting days. I was not an outlaw biker in those days, but as a painter and pinstriper for many clubs, (nickname "Stripes") I was unavoidably and inextricably a "hang-around". Porky was a member/officer at that time (late '70's or so) of the Mescaleros MC, a totally 1% outfit. Porky had just finished a beautiful new scooter for a "honeymoon putt" with his bride, the fabulously beautiful "Sue", to go with the whole club and others to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. (Having a van, I was recruited to go along as backup and to transport a club officer who was in a body cast). In Arizona, Porky and Sue were well in front of the pack going about 80, when his brand-new Pirelli rear tire came apart. The bike slid primary-side down for a long ways; besides road-rash, Sue just came up with a mouthful of gravel. Porky broke both wrists. (The episode was written up with considerable embellishments in one of the biker mags).
So, (long story short) after two days of partying I wound up being both bike-transporter and ambulance driver to get them back to Oceanside. I lost track of those guys and gradually the rest of the Mescaleros and many others, but was overwhelmed with nostalgia to read about others' memories of Porky and to write this. If anybody is still alive who was around in those days, to respond, I am <[email protected]>

 

[mw6789]

Unbelievable. I remember that race on Diamond P Sports. I also remember seeing Toepke at the Cajun Nationals with Medlin turning the wrenches. I believe when Toepke quit, he sold his dragster to Jimmy Nix. Toepke owned a trucking business, is it still around?

Toepke was from Dardanelle Arkansas and last I heard was still trucking in the Little Rock area. Medlin owned a machine shop in Dardanelle. When he worked for the Snake, you could see the rig parked there on occasion.

 

[Kenny D.]

I'm sure I misspelled his last name. Does anyone remember him buying Brotherton's Top Fuel car and running a few events back in the early 90's? (I Think) I remember seeing him at Dallas or Houston and never heard of him again. Seems like he was a paint and body guy.

I remember seeing the car in Pomona or Sonoma around the time Darrell Gwen crashed, he had a sign wishing Gwen well.