Driver Interviews
 

Pretty and Patriotic, this car is a crowd pleaser and runs with the best. Formerly an SS/M 289ci car, it has now been converted to FGT/K running a 352ci Cobra Jet motor. Piloted by Dick Lux, the good-hearted runner out of Texas, it turns heads at every event he enters.

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When you hear the name Schaechter you know the ride has a 4-speed or 5-speed gearbox. The Georgia based runner is a die-hard who works and tests tirelessly to get the Chet & Barb Fincke Cavalier cranking out optimal times and nasty speeds. His knowledge of clutch applications and transmissions is enough to educate any novice or enthusiast looking to get into the game.

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Andrew Hill, a 28 year old Michigan native and Notre Dame alum, is piloting this beautiful '70 Camaro in D/SA. This talented driver went deep rounds in the second 25k race held in St. Louis. Second and third generation racers are the future of class racing and why we know it will stand the test of time. Andrew's ride absolutely flies and qualified #2 at the Class Racers Revival with a blistering -1.33 under the 11.55 index.

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An original 1967 Shelby GT500? Yes, please. Bob Swan made the 1000 mile trip from South Dakota to St. Louis and dropped a valve in his 428 after an early qualifying pass. After debating whether or not to pack it in, his wife persuaded him to try fixing it. He spent much of the second day getting a new valve in and saw there was no serious damage elsewhere and was able to continue. He was back to sky high wheelies and going rounds later in the week. Perseverance. It's the gift that class racing keeps on giving.

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Bobby, Your interviews were fantastic, I enjoyed them as much as the racing, Maybe more. Great Job! Bill Taylor B/S 1005.

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Special thank you to Don Kennedy of Hagerty Insurance for sponsoring my trip to the Class Racers Revival. Don helped write the rules for the Super Stock GT classes. His super fast '05 Pontiac Sunfire FWD conversion is unusual in the fact that it does not sport a commonly used SBC motor, but rather a big old 428ci Pontiac motor. Be sure to contact Don for all your race car and trailer insurance needs!

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Everyone roots for the slow car! However, when it comes to running on the index this car is far from slow. Brent Kopejtka's front wheel drive Foxbody..err uhh '86 Charger is a thorn in the side of the fast cars that try to chase it down.

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Re: Driver Interviews
 

bobby! this should be a standard at all of the races attend and may have other fellow racers interview other racers ,, (time permitting of coarse) i my self enjoy other fellow racers cars and combos,, (just my fyi,) how about a cross interview,,
awesome stuff ,, see you in D1
NICE!

Re: Driver Interviews
 

I have been catching up on the interviews, after we got home. They are very enjoyable to watch. I am always interested in race cars and the history. Very well done, and a big thanks for doing them.

Re: Driver Interviews
 

Nice job on the interviews Bobby and I enjoy the podcast also. Keep it coming!

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Sure wish NHRA did this at the national. A good way to fill air time while cleaning up the track instead of old and outdated videos that they play now.

Re: Driver Interviews
 

That would involve hiring a Frey or a Bloom or a Kepner (or a Fazio) who knew the people and knew how to ask the right questions to do a good interview. Besides, we're not that interesting.
Could you imagine Tony Ped doing a "Sportsman" interview?

Re: Driver Interviews
 

Joe Castello does these interviews at National events but you have to go to Facebook or YouTube to see them. Unfortunately they are never seen by the the average person but Joe does a good job trying to promote sportsman especially Stock and SS.

Re: Driver Interviews
 

Great job Bob !!! really enjoyed the interviews. Also have been enjoying your podcasts, please keep it up. If u can, please bring some decals & t-shirts to the div 1 race at the grove. Thanks, Glen H 1257 stk

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Rather than like each video, I thought I should comment on this concept.

The racers are what Class Racing is all about. If it wasn't for the drivers the cars would not be at each event. The interviews give all of us some insight to what makes the drivers choose class racing.

My favorite car that has been done is Dick Lux's 64 Comet. What a statement that car makes. God Bless Dick and his car.

A very close second is Brent Kopejtka's 86 Charger. Took out some heavy hitters on his way to a victory.

Thank You Bobby for doing these. Joe Castello does a great job, also.

Re: Driver Interviews
 

Great job Bobby on the interviews, hope this is something you do more of thanks.




Jerry
Retired 3490 3492 STK SS SST

Re: Driver Interviews
 

Bobby, you are an ASSET to the sport we all love. Thank You .......

Re: Driver Interviews
 

When most people watch class racing, and drag racing in general, the car they usually see roaring down the track carries the bowtie emblem. However, die-hard fans love seeing their share of Chrysler powered cars as well. Any one of those fans would love the superfast super clean 1969 Dart of California's Larry Gilley. The multi-time event winner travels far and wide while consistently putting his 340 in the late rounds. Racers and fans can always appreciate a car-show worthy car that also roars down track at record times. Larry has shown the power his car has as he won the 2018 NHRA Winternationals in a climactic heads-up final round.

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Muscle? Check. Family time? Check. Perhaps one of the coolest pit areas at a race? Check check. The Henderson/Fenner camp is quite a scene with enough big block Chevy power to satisfy any race fan, regardless of brand loyalty. We are talking A/S, B/S, and C/S Camaro, Nova, and Nova. And best of all, all three are equipped with clutch pedals and 4-speeds. Derek also has a super stock car that was not ready for the race meaning his wife Trista had to lend him her car! She demands excellence for loaning her car to hubby and he better win or else.. well watch the video to find out!


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Bobby, these interviews are great. I don't get out to the races much anymore so it is nice to get to know these guys and girls.

Say Hi to your dad for me. He helped me a lot in the 80's and 90's with my Maverick 4 speed car, which I still have BTW.

I look forward to watching more of these.

Ray

Re: Driver Interviews
 

That would require NHRA caring about the sportsman racer.

Tony can barely handle the job he has now, he wouldn't know where to start an interview with a non-pro racer.

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Ron,
As mentioned, go to Youtube and search for "Attention in the Pits" you will find about 35 driver interviews done by NHRA Announcer Joe Costello.
Bill

Re: Driver Interviews
 

"4-Speed Johnny" McLaughlin is a fan favorite with his unique choice of cool cars. Who wouldn't like to rip some gears in a 383 Roadrunner or cruise down the track in the classy grocery-getter wagon? Either option is sure to draw attention in the pits as well as on the racetrack. On top of that, John is quite the generous chef who whips up some amazing dinners for his pit neighbors at the end of a busy race day! I weaseled my way in to a hearty meal and I definitely recommend the potatoes...


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Bobby great job on the interviews, I thought they added greatly to the entire presentation of a pretty remarkable event... Well Done!!!

Re: Driver Interviews
 

If Prince had seen this car, his hit song would have been off-key and titled "Sick Nasty Blue Corvette". Super Stock Eliminator is a diverse class heavily populated with GT cars and FWD conversion cars but if you look around the pits you will see that it still has its share of RWD muscle in true "SS" form. Kenny Schindler's car is not only a show stopper, it runs over a second under the 10.20 SS/DA index.


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Great job on all the interviews Bobby. Getting to know other drivers from other divisions is very cool. The podcast with you and Brian is great. Larry was in Baytown last weekend. Beautiful fast car!

Re: Driver Interviews
 

Is there an interview with Bill Feist or George Warren with their Fairlanes? Just curious. The interviews are definitely a nice touch!

Thanks,
Mike

Re: Driver Interviews
 

While manually shifting gears in the Super Stock category has become less popular over the years and left up to its Stock Eliminator counterpart, Tim Nicholson and car owner Bill Cassil refuse to adopt that mentality. The screaming little 283 has won its share of divisional and national events and has no plans of stopping. A beautiful paint scheme, well-built and equipped with Patterson Elite power, the car turns out times and turns on win lights.

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Nice job on these interviews. I saw Bob Swan and his Shelby at Mission.

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Few drivers came out firing in 2021 quite like this runner from Mississippi. With a win and runner-up finish in its first two races of the season, the fuel-injected Firebird paired with Neely's superior driving ability and J. Allen Sherman power has made a serious statement of world championship contention. One of the few remaining stockers to still rock the factory seats, this car looks like it was driven off the street and into the track for competition.


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Larry and Patsy Hill are staples in the class racing community while their car is a staple in class racing! Fans of the classes rely on Patsy for the up to the minute results, parking situation, schedule changes, weather updates, you name it, when it comes to race day. But did you also know that Patsy used to drive this 440 six-pack to run errands around town?

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Re: Driver Interviews
 

Bobby > Is there a link to click on to watch your Podcasts? and when do they happen and what is your phone number if anyone needs to get a hold of you Just asking Thanks Great interviews and great podcasts carry on

Re: Driver Interviews
 

Good idea Don. I can be reached at (610) 996-8784 for any reason, interviews, shirts, concerns, etc. and the link to watch or listen to past podcasts or download our podcasts is in my signature and also http://linktree.com/classracingtoday. We are still getting new equipment worked out but might have a surprise and kind of different episode in store for tomorrow. Live podcasts air on Facebook via http://classracingtoday.com until they are uploaded to the various other platforms.

Re: Driver Interviews
 

Cant wait for the new Podcast episode Bobby !

Re: Driver Interviews
 

What better way to fill your need for giant wheelies than with a high flying Super Stock ride but also satisfy your desire to stay on the track as long as possible with an unhurried Stock Eliminator Gremlin? Eric Merryfield chooses the best of both worlds. The hilarious and friendly former college baseball player from New England loves to amuse fans with two quite uniquely different cars from both ends of the spectrum. His truck comes ever so close to going over backward every time it leaves the starting line while the Gremlin likes to show off its paint scheme by commanding 13 and a half seconds of showtime.

PS we are STILLLLL working out issues with new equipment. Be ready for a mini-episode tonight which will stream live HERE before I head to Atlanta tomorrow. See you there, shoot me a text/call 610-996-8784.

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Re: Driver Interviews
 

Bobby, were you able to talk with Cal Method when they ventured to the SouthEast? I started going to the drags in the early 70s, and Cal was already a legend in Div.6 by then, with a fleet of 60s Chevy 283 station wagons.

Re: Driver Interviews
 

Watching cars pair up in the staging lanes is always interesting to see. Who comes up early? Who waits until the end? Who looks nervous during the coin flip and who looks collected and natural? Which lane do you prefer? Although every driver wants to kick the competition, in the end we are all on the same team in wishing each other a safe race. Here I snag the opportunity to get a few quick interviews with various drivers right before they strap themselves in. We catch Bill Feist and Lance Line in here as well. I know many were asking about them.

See you in ATL be sure to reach out via text/call 610-996-8784. Looking forward to talking to or helping anyone who needs it. Alicia and I will be educating racers on the new DragInsights App which will be a huge asset to sportsman racers.

No, racers I really tried to get were never at their pit when I would stop by! The speed of the race had cars constantly going back up to the lanes.



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The Roasters Coffee & Tea owner out of Amarillo, TX takes pride in putting his Stanfield powered Cavalier into the #1 qualifying position whenever he feels the need. This car sports beautiful blue paint with only the required sanctioning body stickers taking up minimal space. Well built, both inside and out, Craig states that the car along with other pieces in place puts him at a nice advantage to win compared to the previous car he had driven.


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Looking for more variety at the drag strip? Ever have a buddy blow your mind with his or her idea for a race car, or truck? Ellis Buth's 4 cylinder Ford Ranger shows off a loud paint scheme to fans for almost 16 seconds while getting chased down the track by its Stock Eliminator counterparts. If you are looking for a cost effective approach to racing a class car look no further.


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Re: Driver Interviews
 

Bobby When is the next Podcast Going to be on ? Can You post a link Thanks