difference between IHRA and NHRA ?

Is this what you wish you had Chris? Here is a Kawasaki three speed of my friend Tom Haustue (sp) He ran a funny bike out of George Babor's shop for a little bit in the 90's Tom then moved back home to Ohio about ten years ago. He sold his bike, motor home and trailer to get into the restaurant business. He should have kept his motorcycle, the restaurant business is brutal...

Oh yeah. It used to kill me. Friends running Kaws would go all season. Get a touch up and good for another season. I started making my own forks, even the really long one. Of course I machined my cases to drop the forks out the bottom. One thing I did do that eventually helped with cracking output shafts was go to a double wide cylindrical output bearing. No circlip, just red locktite. I had a all kosman bike and it had the huge bearing support.....just would not hold up.

As I mentioned earlier I had purchased one of the rare Suzuki 3 speeds like T J Hoffmiester(sp?) used with good results. I started a true funnybike with puppet chassis(although I preferred kosman but could not afford it). By then I had grown to heavy, I would have never thought 180 was to heavy but it was. Friend of mine that went 135 was a far better rider than me and even better mechanic which helped a lot. Easy on equipment and tough on the lights. We won that southern cycle racing top eliminator class several years in a row. (4.80 1/8th mile index, we could run that with no nitrous) It was made clear by track decisions several times we were not really wanted to win another. I eventually lose interest by more than anything the financial strain it caused and never finished that Puppet bike. I think it would have been a good one. People that bought it could have torn up a anvil with a rubber hammer. They made a half a$$ mess out of it. Poor rider and even less talented wrench working on it.

Bobby Baker and his issues made it clear to me that I was NOT going with a alcohol bike. TJ did great on the Mr Turbo on alcohol but he was not really willing to readily share his expertise. Bobby finally got a guy with some USAC experience with methanol and it helped but he never did get the hang of it. That was his last hurray......By then also Rusty Quisenberry was on 4 stage nitrous....it pained me seeing Z heads split in half...

[storm 64]

Is this what you wish you had Chris? Here is a Kawasaki three speed of my friend Tom Haustue (sp) He ran a funny bike out of George Babor's shop for a little bit in the 90's Tom then moved back home to Ohio about ten years ago. He sold his bike, motor home and trailer to get into the restaurant business. He should have kept his motorcycle, the restaurant business is brutal...

[blowerbike]

that was Terry McIntosh riding it..picture of a picture isn't very good..lol
i didn't ride my own bikes till around 99..found out it was easier to tune than to ride and tune.
honestly the bike in the picture only needed gas and slicks...oil changes ect..
the 3 speed deal was bad for me..kept snapping the fork nubs off at the shift drum..
here's a picture of the funny when bones bought it...was gas/nitrous in the picture then Billy installed his alky kit from the cradle conversion pro comp on it.
gas turbo was easy but i admit the alky killed a couple credit cards from my lack of experiance and i put it in storage...

here is my top gas bike we was racing in IDBA 1992 when Scott had his accident in memphis.
this is from national trails though.

I don't remember your bike but I do the one you are running in that photo. I also remembered why I was not racing at Memphis that year. I had 3 different 3 speeds. All were out for repair. Those things were around 3500 each then. We ran a lot of Top Gas while working bugs out and as my budget allowed. That pro mod just killed me financially. Those OE Suzuki three speeds were just damn junk. The kaw tranny's were far better and I often found myself wishing I was running the Z engine, especially when the billet head came out.

I quickly gave up on the FJ around 1990. Just ran it locally. It was a killer bike for that. You simply could not keep tranny's in it(even a billet tranny) at anything faster than top gas index reliably. Locally we ran it in the southern cycle racing association. A 4-5 track series mostly in NC. It drew well. Elmer Trett and several more were contracted to run match races. It packed em in.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]37904[/ATTACH]

Chris,
I wonder if we have met before as we know or knew a lot of the same people. I used to run Pro Street back in the days you mentioned. Do you remember the old "Dragbike" series. I started racing in the early 1980's. Now I just bracket race it just got to expensive to compete in the pro classes for me.
It's a new pic but the number plate is the same number plate I ran in the old "Dragbike" series in the 80's on my 83 CB1100F that I ran I pro street

I ran exactly one AMA Dragbike race in Darlington SC. All others were IDBA or Prostar. I did run a outlaw race series that had the top class set at 7.60 index off pro tree in a quarter mile. It ran at Rockingham and several other places on the east coast. We killed them on that.

[stetracer]

image.jpg

Speaking of carbs. I bought a set off Sid Pogue once. Remember him? It was a set of amal's. I put them on a 1103 street bike. I checked the jetting and it was perfect. Scared the hell out of me when I took them apart. Biggest mess of drilling and the like I had ever seen. Those carbs were hand polished inside all the way through. They even Idled perfectly.

I got to scan some pics and get a few on here. I had a large cube and often pulled a extra trailer for someone else. Anyone remember Bobby Baker, Rusty Quisenberry, Steve Tracy(Advanced Plating) or I am sure Larry McBride? I often had complete bikes or parts for all of those with me. Carolina Cycle(Kim Barringer) sponsored me and all of those. I also ran pro mod, not funny bike. Pro mod was bad enough.

For you Ohio guys. Kim was really good friends with a guy that ran S&K racing. I remember being at Memphis and he had a horrible fall once. What happened to him?

As far as MRE. I knew Murdock before he died and was good friends with the new owner. We nicknamed him Jaco. Long story. He tried to keep my 3 speeds in order. Orient Express sold junk. A few years before I quit I purchased a tranny like was ran on the Mr. Turbo funny bike. Which had collars instead of forks. What was his name? Hoffmiester? I went to his shop in Chicago once to pick up Bobby Bakers new funny bike chassis. Bobby tried to go alcohol at the last much like him. I also treasured my personal relationship with Elmer Trett. In honesty I met all them and worked with all through Kim. At times looking back I often think what my bank account would look like now if I had not gotten involved. It was GOOD times though.

But I am told when you die all you take with you is memories and those are your last thoughts.......I made a good investment then.

As a last race moment. I found a few pics of being in Columbus 1989 with a newly built FJ Yamaha. Kosman chassis. 1380 with a GOOD titanium valve engine. Through a connection I had some billet 2nd gears made. I was worried about it running top gas with was a 8.20 index. We had only did some shake downs in a 1/8th mile but knew it was strong. 5.20 was the 1/8th mile index I think and I know first pass it went a 4.99. We ran low 7.90's with no nitrous. If one has any memory they may remember that bike. I ran a Bill Hahn magneto on it. I had a special two step box made for it. Plus another FYI. Bill Hahn developed one of the first motorcycle turbo systems while working in Winston Salem NC at a company named Todd Controls. He perfected it and moved to California. He opened American Turbo-Pak.............I worked with him and learned a lot as he built those.

Long winded........sorry for the trip down memory lane.

Chris,
I wonder if we have met before as we know or knew a lot of the same people. I used to run Pro Street back in the days you mentioned. Do you remember the old "Dragbike" series. I started racing in the early 1980's. Now I just bracket race it just got to expensive to compete in the pro classes for me.
It's a new pic but the number plate is the same number plate I ran in the old "Dragbike" series in the 80's on my 83 CB1100F that I ran I pro street

[storm 64]

I've been going through my old race pictures. I'm going to see if I can get them digitally scanned so they'll post a little better. Here is a nice looking old school Drag Bike. I think its from Atco around 86... (not mine)

[bellucci]

Trip... Will get a accurate pressure gauge and new tire for this new season...Its going to be 60 on Sunday. Hope to take the ZRX out for a ride... Stay busy and figure out that Cal-Fab swingarm issue! Talk soon.
Curt

[blowerbike]

here is my top gas bike we was racing in IDBA 1992 when Scott had his accident in memphis.
this is from national trails though.

scott's still doing heads.
i have a few of the BHP mags and the same amount of the wyotech 2 step boxes for them.
we was in mephis running top gas at IDBA when scott went through the traps and never slowed down till he went off the track.
not a pretty site...not at all.
i believe they care flighted him out.

I went one year and was not running....I want to think that was the year I went just helping someone. If I remember correctly his throttle hung. Glad to hear he is doing OK. Probably been 20 years since I saw him.

[trippivot]

I can't tell you how much I love hearing about the yesteryear who 's who and who did what and where in dragbiking... don't apologize carry on! look where ED Grothus is now with Brunson his son - another Davenport, IA success story!


Curt I showed you the basics of how to be a index/bracket winner - you already had the courage and riding talent- just please check that rear tire pressure BEFORE every pass ok?

good luck in TX. take pictures and let us know when you get to the winner circle!

[blowerbike]

scott's still doing heads.
i have a few of the BHP mags and the same amount of the wyotech 2 step boxes for them.
we was in mephis running top gas at IDBA when scott went through the traps and never slowed down till he went off the track.
not a pretty site...not at all.
i believe they care flighted him out.

[rapidray]

Chris, Scott Barger still owns S&K.
Ray.

I can't quit. I assume many of you older guys remember when there was a super stock class ran by IDBA which ran off national records. I met George Bryce (Star Racing) in 1976 running a 76 LTD 900 ....he had the national record with it. I liked George but man was he full of himself back then.....talk more sh*t than you could absorb.....

He honestly surprised me at how good he became.

[bellucci]

Interesting reading...No apology necessary.
Curt