Indy 1988
 

Hi,

I am trying to document my 1988 Cutlass (The All American). It won Indy in 1988. Does anyone have a copy Dragster or any other publication that I can scan that shows the results?

Any other history that you can share would be appreciated too.

I will gladly pay.

Thanks,

Daren

Re: Indy 1988
 

The only thing that I can remember was the guy that WON liked to smoke a pipe and did his own transmission work …..

Re: Indy 1988
 

https://classracer.com/classforum/showthread.php?t=6418

https://www.nhra.net/50th/results.asp?mYear=1988

Re: Indy 1988
 

I may have the National Dragster(s). Let me check tonight, I have a bunch from the late-70's up through the early 90's. You can have them...I'm trying to purge my garage.

Re: Indy 1988
 

Remember watching the final. Was that the year a storm was coming fast and it rained right after the last final?

Re: Indy 1988
 

I was runner up in super stock and I believe the guy who won stock might have been the pipe smoking transmission guy named Ken Shaver

Re: Indy 1988
 

I have a very COOL home video that Rod Kennedy gave me of Ken winning!

These Oldsmobile Factory Hot Rods are a neat piece of history that don't need to be forgotten.

Re: Indy 1988
 

I don't know if it was due to him personally or if he was just following orders, but I have never seen a program worked so widely and effectively as when Arlen Fadely was running it. I remember one year at Indy they actually gave away a new Aurora at the Oldsmobile racers' banquet. And those Cutlasses were everywhere.

Re: Indy 1988
 

He owned a Transmission Shop in Ohio and raced Pontiacs early on!

Re: Indy 1988
 

Ken Shawver lived in Defiance, Ohio. Later in life he worked tech for IHRA. His last drag car was a Pontiac super stocker running SS/ka. It was sold to a wonderful gentleman from Indiana who raced it for a few years before he unexpectedly passed away. The car now resides in Illinois and is raced occasionally by the current owner.

Re: Indy 1988
 

I spoke to Ken before the Covid outbreak. He seemed like a nice man.

Re: Indy 1988
 

You know Sammy Pizzolato won the 1988 Stock World Championship in one of those Olds.

Re: Indy 1988
 

I just got through reading the Dragsters that you sent! The car is even on the cover!

HUGE THANKS!!

Re: Indy 1988
 

Does anyone know anything about the Buick Regal that Mike Town drove to the win that year in Super Stock?

I'm interested to know if it was a "factory car" like my Cutlass. Is it still around too?

Re: Indy 1988
 

Ken helped me win class at Indy one year. Couple races before Indy week Ken told John and I about his "secret". He told me to go to Tractor Supply and buy a 2-inch water shut off valve. Stick it in the bottom radiator hose. This was before anyone was using dry ice. He showed me how to fill the radiator moments before pushing it to the ready line. Fill the radiator with the coldest water you can get your hands on. After chilling the motor, and more importantly, the radiator...close the water valve. We used the leftover water in our cooler. Do not open the water valve. Leave everything "off". While at the ready line, have John open the hood and open the water valve, but don't start the engine. When told, fire the motor and quickly do your burnout. Pre-stage. THEN...reach down and turn on the radiator cooling fans, but do not turn on the water pump. Durning this period the water temperature is skyrocketing.... but the water in the radiator is still ice cold. The instantaneous cold air flowing out of the radiator is now streaming across the top of the carb. A couple seconds later your off and running. Ken was right it was almost a tenth quicker, especially if it's a hot day outside. At the end of the track "baby" the water pump off and on as you try to get the heat out of the engine. This took a little while as your trying not to crack a head. But eventually I did. I just recently threw that valve away. It laid under the bench for decades. Every time I think of Ken, I think of his help. And of course, that Sir Walter Raleigh tobacco blend in that pipe of his.

Re: Indy 1988
 

This car? https://www.autoimagery.com/image?&_...ATgJQs-&GI_ID=

Mike was still racing it as of 2023.
If I recall, it was Keith Lynch's originally and was part of the "Team Strange" fleet - there's a chance it was a "factory car" because weren't there a bunch of those Buicks running in SS/X around that time?

Re: Indy 1988
 

Mike Town is still racing the same car. Not sure how much he visits this site though. Good guy and fun to talk to.

Sean

Re: Indy 1988
 

Yes Ken?s car was a factory Oldsmobile

Re: Indy 1988
 

It would be really nice to have a copy of the "Disposition of Scrap Vehicle" paperwork that I have seen for one of these cars.

Re: Indy 1988
 

Early on in the Oldsmobile program there was no paperwork. Later there was just a letter that stated it was a scrape vehicle and that you could not drive this vehicle on the highway!

Re: Indy 1988
 

Steve, Would you have a mid-80's (I'm pretty sure), ND that show's a from the rear pic of Steve Bagwell's '64 Plymouth Savoy SS/BA from the final round of the Cajun Nationals?

Do you also have any Car Craft Magazines (specifically the April 1972 issue), with Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins' Winternationals winning '72 Chevy Vega on it?

Might you also have a collection of SS/DI (Super Stock & Drag Illustrated), magazines from the '70's or '80's?

Re: Indy 1988
 

After Easter I will dig through my tubs Gary...I have a lot of all 3 listed from that era. Will take a while but may find some of what you seek.

Re: Indy 1988
 

On the Bagwell photo...I need a date. It's time consuming to look through those things. Please narrow it down for me and I am happy to check.

I may have the CC issue...can check tonight.

I do have some SS&DI, but I am not looking to part with any just yet as I haven't had the chance to go through them for my purposes.

Re: Indy 1988
 

Thanks Gary and Steve.

I'm not sure about the date on the Cajun Nationals magazine, but if memory serves me correctly, that race ran in either April or May, so I'm thinking the June or July issues would have it. I'm thinking the year was 1979, but it might've been in the early '80's?

As for SS/DI, I told Steve Wann that I recall seeing a picture of his dad "Don" in I think that magazine from the mid-late '70's when I saw a him with a "French Curled" mustache. Given the soft spot I have in my heart for the "Old West" and "Spaghetti Westerns", I thought it was super cool to see his dad with that look, and Steve even told me he'd like to see that too.

As far as the Car Craft magazine is concerned, I'm positive it was the April 1972 issue.

I don't need the magazines, I'd just like to see those pictures.

Thanks