Ricky Klarr.......RIP (Lil Ole Nova Super Stocker)

[MFBrown]

I read that Ricky Klarr passed away over the weekend. Some will not know him but many will. He and his father began in Super Stock with the "Lil Ole Nova" and ran well. A search on this site will bring up pictures of the famed Nova. I wonder how many of the racers on here remember running against them. They later moved to competition eliminator with a Boogie Scott built B/EA Opel GT with a unique body. Rickys late father, Leo, told Boogie he had to design the body so Ricky could get in and out on his own. Boogie split the one piece fiberglass body, separating the complete front end from the body. The pivot point location allowed the body to be easily lifted after using a release handle inside the car. They later installed a 23T body to run A/EA. That is where they left their mark. They were a terror on the national and divisional trail. Boogie Scott's late wife, Ms. Judy, once asked Leo how he had been while they were visiting their shop. His response was "dreaming about how to make the car run a hundredth quicker". They tried a dry sump on the 12 bolt rear end. There was also a story about using a pressurized oiling system to eliminate the horsepower reduction due to the oil pump at the beginning of a run. The chassis was pressurized to operate the system. To the tech guys it was to check the chassis for cracks. To appreciate their success even more, one should know that Ricky was deaf. What an accomplishment.

Neat story in the words of Norm Mayersohn:

http://www.carguychronicles.com/2016...er-street.html

[Ed Wright]

Two nice, very talented people. Ricky was a very good driver. Leo was really into racing as well. They worked at it.
R.I.P. Ricky.

[Mike Pearson]

I remember the A/EA altered very well. He was a terror with that thing. RIP Ricky!!

[TOM KASCH]

Lil Ole Nova at INDY Tom Kasch photo

Sorry to hear the news.

[Dwight Southerland]

I well remember the story of them dynoing an engine at Reher-Morrison's shop with no oil pan in their quest for power. Buddy told them they were responsible for the cleanup. Yeah.

Also, they ran a SS final against Dwight Cox at Jackson MS after dark. Ricky ran down to about the 1000 ft mark and turned off his headlights. Dwight lost him in the dark and when Ricky came back into view at the finish line, he panicked an slammed on the brakes to keep from breaking out. Ricky cruised by for the win.

Leo owned a nursery and when they first started racing the Nova, they would haul the car on one of the flatbed trucks from the landscape business. Once they showed up at Baton Rouge and the truck still had some sod stacked right behind the cab and lots of dirt all over the bed. Red Anderson would not let them tech the car while it was still loaded up. He also would not let them go to the pits, but made them unload it at the back of the line.

Great racers, very entertaining and good folks!

[Dan Lattimore]

Another gone-----Met them at the Gators in I believe 74 in SS/KA . Nice people and smart racers.---- God Speed

[Mike Pearson]

Back in the early eighties I was trying to set the record in SS/J. The other car there was the "LIL OLE Nova" running the same class. This was after Ricky sold the car. I cant remember who owned the car at the time. We battled back and forth all day. I finally set the record on the last record run of the day. That was a good time. I think we each made at least 5 record runs that day.

[TOM KASCH]

my friend Ray called & asked if i remember the story :
After the 75 Indy nationals they were driving home, stoped to get gas , Ricky started to drive thinking Leo was in the trailer. He got home opened the trailer door & no Leo.
He left him at the gas station.

[John Kelley]

If I remember right he was the late Al Dapozzo's brother in law. I think Al was married to Ricky's sister if my memory is right ! Al died in a horrible alky funny car crash at Bowling Green.......RIP to both of these guys ........

[Frank Castros]

One bad race team, RIP Ricky.