John Mulligan story

[cicero819]

John "The Zookeeper" Mulligan terrorized the "Big Guns" during the late 1960's Top Fuel Dragster wars. John piloted the beautiful "Beebe & Mulligan" Top Fuel Dragster to numerous event wins, setting several low E.T. and top speed records. Sadly, John was killed in 1969 after succumbing to the injuries he sustained when his dragster crashed at speed during the 1969 US Nationals.






This is the story, forwarded to me via e-mail by my friend Dave, as told by Jim Nicoll.


I have a little tale about John:
We left the Greeks shop headed to Long Island. John, Leroy Goldstein, and I were in my truck. John had a big bag of M-80's. Don (Mad Dog) Cook was following us in his rig. John got his goodie bag out sometime after dark. We were on the Pennsylvania turn pike.

He opened the wing window and started throwing his M-80's out, trying to get them to go off under Cook's truck. Each time he he chunked one we all looked in the mirror to see where it went off. He got the timing down pretty good, and about every third or fourth one went off under Cooks truck or trailer. This went on for what seemed like forever, as John was having a ball.

Then one went off and blew a tire off Cooks trailer. Sparks were flying all over. We were laughing our (bleeps) off. By the time he stopped it killed the wheel. Turned out Cook had no spare. We passed an exit about ten miles back and the exits were forty or fifty miles apart. Cook said he had a tire so we had to go find a wheel. He said it was a 14 inch ford bolt pattern so we take off to find a wheel. This burg has a gas station but thats about all. The kid that worked there called one of his friends who came over and ran us all over Pennsylvania looking for a wheel. We got back a couple hours later to find it was a Chevy bolt pattern. Here we go again. Another couple hours we get back to find it was a 15 inch. By now I was throwing a fit I wanted to choke Cook. John was cracking up. One more time and we finally got it right.

When we get back and woke Cook up I threw the tire and wheel at him and said you can put the (bleeping) thing on. Many hours later were finally going. I have no idea how much I spent on tolls. Twenty minutes later I look in the mirror and (bleep) if sparks were flying again. He didn't tighten the lugs.

Another hour later were back on the road. John gets out his bag again so I slowed down to let Cook get in front. All this time I am so pissed off and John just keeps that (bleep) eating grin he was famous for. John and Leroy were having a ball just throwing the things out the window. I'm thinking he must be almost out of those things. Don't get me wrong- I loved that (bleep), but by now I had my fill for this day.

Pretty soon one bounced of the wing-window bar and fell back inside on the floor. John fumbled around picked it up to throw it again and it went off in his hand. I hit the brakes and slid to a stop, put on the inside light and looked at John. He was squeezing his hand so hard, and I remember his face was so red that I thougt he would explode. He got out of the truck going around circles holding his hand using words I can't put in print. I told Leroy to get some ice out of the cooler. He finally settled down enough for me to ask if we should go to an emergency room. It didn't break the skin, but he had some fat little fingers.

About fifteen minutes later he said, "Lets go." We got on the road and twenty minutes he said, "Pull over." I pulled over. He grabbed his bag and got out of the truck. Leroy and I looked at each other and said, "What the (bleep)?" He twisted the top of the bag and lit it, threw as far as he could and waited till it went off, laughted his (bleep) off got back in the truck. By the way- he blamed it on Bob Critz for thus introducing him to bombs.

I know it hurt his hand for several weeks, but he wouldn't admit it.
He told me he was never riding in my truck again. What a fun guy.