Wilton-Doss-Brooks

[TopFuel@Lions]

This Chevy powered ride of Wilton-Doss-Brooks of 1966 was my favorite non-hemi ride, primarily run in 1966, this car set some standards for ET and speed. Cars were still boiling-the-hides then. Great car that was strong every race they entered, ol' Bubby could make a rat run hard.



TopFuel@Lions

 

[Ramjet]

Actually the car was changed to a Big Block when Del (Doss) bought Bubby's 1/2 out and had the first Big Block Nitro Chevy through his dad who was the transmission guy at Allen Gwynn Chevrolet where Don Nicholson was the tuneup guy at the time. It was a 366" truck tall block .030" over with a 3/8' crank in it. The car was a Small Block when Del & Bubby ran together. At first he had trouble getting it past 1100/1200 feet without melting it. Sig Erson finally got a Camshaft made that accounted for the different lifter angles and it got to the finish line without needing a seat on rollers so the driver could slide down starting at 1/2 track. Del was later my partner until he passed. I keep his ashes on my desk except for the vile that is on my motorcycle so he still gets to ride with us.
* In the early "Rat Motors" - Front Motor Car - You watched the flames and as long as there was at least a foot above the pipe you were good. When they got below 9" you better lift unless you wanted to be wearing the blower.

 

[TopFuel@Lions]

Right now Roger I am looking at a picture of the car racing Rick Stewart in Bill Crossley's dragster at Irwindale in 66 with Bob Brooks driving. The car sure appears to have a rat engine in it, either way, bad a$$ ride. Brooks also drove the car in 1969 that ran 220mph at Lions in January of that year. Leon Wilton and Dell Doss had some snappy rails during that time. 1st bowtie that ran 220mph.


TopFuel@Lions
Talladega Short Track Announcer

 

[Cliff]

I remember the Dell Doss Rat motored car. Never saw it run in person cuz I was in the Air Force. I did see Jim Bucher run in person at Irwindale. Car broke an axle, wheel fell off, & he flipped the car. Oh noooo..... Lotsa guys switched to Rats in 1970's cuz "cheaper to run" they said. Larry Dixon Sr in T/F, Willie Borsch in F/C come to mind. I think Rance McDaniel in the Valley Fever car had a Rat at one time. And.... Roger, I seem to remember you running a Rat in one of your cars. Tony Nancy had a Rat motor Top Gas car, around 1968 I think. Saw it run at San Fernando.

 

[Ramjet]

The car was the first one to run 220 but it was all Dell & his brother Bill by then. It was a 147" Woddy" car with Bubby's Small Block in it at first. Yes Brooks was the main driver of the car and it ran good, very fast but the attrition was high. I'm not trying to argue, but Dell and Bubby had different ideas on how to run. Del thaught it was best to run as much Nitro as you can and Bubby was more conservative. That was the first Big block that ran because Dell's dad was able to get him blocks as they were brand new and he had a connection with Chevrolet. I can tell you that Dell was not afraid of high percentages even when there were no fuel pumps to make it happen.

 

[Ramjet]

Dixon - Bucher - Willy and then Maddins car witch I drove all ran out of Howards because Jerry Johansen (Howards son) was the Big Block guru and it was his Tune Up. The Rattler was Danny Porsch's car with Jerry's motor - the Special was Maddins car and he was the GM at Howards at that time. Bucher got the Kenner Toy deal with the two motor car and then switched to a single engine. Jerry tuned it over the phone all around the country and there was no Cell phones at that time. In the beginning I ran Top Gas (392) and switched to Chevrolet as soon as I could get parts. Was able to win 13 times in one year at San Frenando in Top Gas with one motor and then two with the Chevrolet. It was Jerry that made the difference in making the Rat run. I'm pretty sure Tony never ran a Big Block in Gas but he did run several different engine combinations including a Wedge. Had to stop running my own stuff because I was working - going to School and had a growing family and started driving for other people.

 

[Cliff]

I have a photo, somewhere, of Tony Nancy at Fernando, with the Chevy T/G car. Don't remember if he ran it a lot, I just saw it that one time. He may have run the car out of Century Olds ??? First time I saw Nancy was around 1962 ? and he had that A/MR with the Buick nail head engine. His cars were always great looking & ran good. I do remember the rear engine car he ran T/G and it had that Plymouth wedge engine. I think his greatest win was Bakersfield in early 70's with the front motor T/F. He was famous with upholstry. If your dragster had a seat with Nancy's upholstry and it had the famous seahorse, then your car was cool. Heh

 

[TopFuel@Lions]

Roger, why did it seem that the Chevy fuelers had a higher and longer flame pattern that the hemi cars? Stan Shiroma I believe still holds the all time Chevy powered TF record in the Lidtke-Zeller ride at 5.86 at the 76 Irwindale Grand Prix.


TopFuel@Lions

 

[Ramjet]

Roger, why did it seem that the Chevy fuelers had a higher and longer flame pattern that the hemi cars? Stan Shiroma I believe still holds the all time Chevy powered TF record in the Lidtke-Zeller ride at 5.86 at the 76 Irwindale Grand Prix.

The Cylinder heads - the cam profile & lobe seperation because of the lifter arrangement - the chamber and the valves being side by side made it need a lot of fuel and a lot of timing. 56 to 60 degrees was normal. Zeller is probably the formost authority and tuner there is on BBC's on nitromathane.
* Also - the Hemi had and still uses a 4.187"bore and they can get the valve size they need because of the arrangment. The Chevy has only so much space across and it limits things.

 

[Randy]

Roger, why did it seem that the Chevy fuelers had a higher and longer flame pattern that the hemi cars? Stan Shiroma I believe still holds the all time Chevy powered TF record in the Lidtke-Zeller ride at 5.86 at the 76 Irwindale Grand Prix.

The Cylinder heads - the cam profile & lobe seperation because of the lifter arrangement - the chamber and the valves being side by side made it need a lot of fuel and a lot of timing. 56 to 60 degrees was normal. Zeller is probably the formost authority and tuner there is on BBC's on nitromathane.
* Also - the Hemi had and still uses a 4.187"bore and they can get the valve size they need because of the arrangment. The Chevy has only so much space across and it limits things.

I worked with Dwayne Lidtke at NuCarPrep back in those days. You are correct about the record. Dwayne liked to use the 026 or 990 BBC cast iron head castings. Stan Shiroma was a good sheet metal guy and used to build racing oil pans at night in his garage at his house in Seal Beach. Ray Zeller is still out there having a blast.

 

[Cliff]

I remember that run at Irwindale. I was shocked a Chevy could run so quick. If I remember right, that was the track record. Also, Ray Zeller ran an injected nitro car in the 1990's. Had a Chevy engine and the injector sat waaaay up on the engine. Intake manifold was about twice as high as a normal one. Saw the car run a number of times at (then) Firebird. Car didn't run all that great, but I was intrigued by the intake manifold. Always thought Zeller was on a par with Armstrong, etc.

 

[Butch]

( Always thought Zeller was on a par with Armstrong, etc. )
except Dale knew when to ditch the RAT. LOL only joking around. Don't shoot.

 

[Cliff]

Harry, good thing for you my aim is poor. hahahahahahahahahaha

 

[Nick Name]

I raced with Phil Poynter in the big block chevy fueler. San Fernando, Lions, OCIR and Irwindale. Ran four bolt main 396s where ever we could find them. Got most of our help from Sush. Wish someone had a photo of this car.