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-   -   True Class War: Pros, Cons, and Why (https://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=12344)

Alan Roehrich 01-15-2018 12:02 PM

Re: True Class War: Pros, Cons, and Why
 
Dwight, Jimmy and I were talking a while back, the car did once belong to Ronnie Trafenstadt, as well as Mike Robinson.

That car is, as Jimmy says, a "storied piece", with a lot of history behind it.

Ed Carpenter 01-17-2018 12:03 AM

Re: True Class War: Pros, Cons, and Why
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Roehrich (Post 79412)
There were TWO 1967 L-88 Corvettes from Tennessee. One was from Murfreesboro, owned and driven by Tony Rhodes. The other was from the Nashville area, owned by Scott Wilcox, and often driven by Mike Lynch. Both ran SS/A. Tony Rhodes still has his car, just like it last ran. Not sure where Scott Wilcox's car went, but I'm sure some of the local SS racers like Jimmy Bridges and Kenny Schindler will know.

I was told by an NHRA official that some of the Mopar guys went to NHRA and complained that not enough 1967 L-88 Corvettes were built. NHRA gave the Corvette guys a year to come up with documentation, but GM said only 36 were built and sold in 1967. I think the story is also posted some where on class racer, but I could not find it when I searched for it.

At one time, not long ago, there were at least two, and possibly three, REAL 1967 L-88 Corvettes within 50-100 miles of here. One is of somewhat questionable heritage, but the other two were very real. Seems odd that there would be only 36 built, but two would be within 100 miles of each other. But GM provided documentation for only 36, so that appears to be it.

Back before any real Super Stock cars had run a legal eight second pass in qualifying or competition, there were a couple of articles about the "race to the eights". Mostly there were Hemi cars in the articles, but one article had a side bar featuring Tony Rhodes black SS/A 67 Corvette calling him the "dark horse".


Alan so this was before nhra let paper cars race 😉

Alan Roehrich 01-17-2018 10:36 PM

Re: True Class War: Pros, Cons, and Why
 
For those interested in the story behind Jimmy Bridges' Corvette, SS/A from that period, the L-88, and a few other things of note, stay tuned, Jimmy Bridges called me this evening, and we're going to sit down and talk soon, I'll post on the history of Jimmy's Corvette (yes, it was Scott Wilcox's car, and has an amazing history) and plenty of other interesting facts.

Super Eh 01-18-2018 11:37 PM

Re: True Class War: Pros, Cons, and Why
 
Can't wait ....... I'm all ears.:)

Coleydog 01-20-2018 01:18 AM

Re: True Class War: Pros, Cons, and Why
 
Y'all are braking my heart, so you got a raw deal, welcome to the club, we Mopars have had quite few too.
Mike

FED 387 01-21-2018 08:02 PM

Re: True Class War: Pros, Cons, and Why
 
On a side not whatever happened to Scott ? I know the Federal Govt. took him to court for fraud and got a huge judgement against him. Don't know if he ever did any jail time tho---FED 387

Mike Schwartz 01-24-2018 12:05 AM

Re: True Class War: Pros, Cons, and Why
 
I don't know if they could qualify unless it is a short field, but why not open the Hemi Challenge to any Hemi powered car?

Mike Pearson 01-24-2018 04:06 PM

Re: True Class War: Pros, Cons, and Why
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by FED 387 (Post 554296)
On a side not whatever happened to Scott ? I know the Federal Govt. took him to court for fraud and got a huge judgement against him. Don't know if he ever did any jail time tho---FED 387


He gets on this site once in a while so I know he is still around. I saw a segment on the 60 Minutes TV show many years back about Scotts business and legal issues. That was a bad *** ride when he was running SS/A with that car

Ed Wright 01-24-2018 07:47 PM

Re: True Class War: Pros, Cons, and Why
 
Seems like a nice guy to me.

Alan Roehrich 01-27-2018 01:24 PM

Re: True Class War: Pros, Cons, and Why
 
So, we sat down with Jimmy Bridges himself, and we discussed the Corvette he currently races, the story of that car is well documented, and we will tell it now.

Lonnie Garner from here in Nashville bought that car, a truck, and a Chapparal trailer in Texas. The car first came to Nashville in 74. He ran it from 74 to sometime in 77 in F gas where he won a lot of races at Union Hill and Bowling Green. He sold it to Mike Robinson in Nashville, who soon sold it to Ronnie Traffansted. Ronnie ran it in Modified, and did quite well with it, won a few division 2 races with it. Ronnie sold it to Dallas Pennley in Morgantown KY. Dallas made it into a 64 and ran it in Super Stock K. Dallas didn't run it a lot because he became a Western Car and Truck Dealer. December of 87, we bought the car for Scott Wilcox and rurned it back into a 67 and built the L88 motor to run Super A. Scott showed up in Atlanta in 88 with it for its first race as a 67. Larry was driving his Chevy II that weekend. Summer of 89 Mike Keown went to redo the motor. After that he set the A and B records. In 90 he won in the Southern Nationals. Whenever he showed up in Houston to run Super Stock A mod with an Oldsmobile, and did not have the Corvette, they cut the 67 L88 from the classification guide. Reason was that it had aluminum heads for road racing applications. There were only 22 sold to general public. 59 to road racers. After the L88 was made obsolete, the 427 was made into a 425HP, and the car changed it to a 66. Ran it a couple times as a 66 while Scott owned it. Scott sold to Glenn Young from Murfreesboro TN. Mike Lynch started working and driving for Young. They won class several times with it. Glenn swapped the car off to Noel Davis. Davis raced the car the most successfully, he won 1995 IHRA World National Championship. Won a Muscle Car championship in 96, and another Muscle Car Championship in 97. Then the car sat, and at the 99 Sports Nationals in Bowling Green, Noel still had it, and the rolling chassis was purchased by Jimmy Bridges who put 396 in it and ran Super Stock C. Jimmy first raced it at Indy in 99. Lost to Adkins that weekend. Next race was in Memphis, which we relighted against Dwight Southerland. Next race was in Dallas, we beat Roger Brogdon in class. Since then, we've won Indy class 9 straight years and beat ourselves in 10. Thats the history of the Vette.

On a side note, I spoke with Tony Rhodes, who owned the black Corvette, late last Fall. Tony still owns that car, it has not been raced since the 427 L-88 was removed from the guide.


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