Cotton Perry

[Bench Racer]

I have searched the net with no luck anyone know what the rules were for H/MP? I can't even find a weight brake for it. Thanks Don Jackson

[FED 387]

Last I heard Cotton was alive & well living in Ringgold Georgia he has a auto repair shop--- give him a call he would probably fill you in---I ran him several times and if I remember that was a 292 truck engine bored out to 301 CI-- they used a homemade manifold and 2 Holley 4bbl carbs---biggest problem was breaking crankshafts--- they only lasted a few runs then they would throw em away and put nother one in. That car won a lot of races!!!!

[Alan Roehrich]

They brought that car up to the legendary "Union Hill", or "the Hill", AKA Music City International Raceway 1/8 mile track many times to run in "Combo I" which was the "no breakout" class where class cars ran off their index with no breakout. It was indeed a 0.060" over 292 Chevy six. I think I saw at least three different induction systems on the car, 3 Holley two barrel carbs, 3 Weber side draft carbs, and a single Holley four barrel. The engine was radically modified, Jim Headrick even milled the head bolt columns out of the intake ports to allow access to the ports for more radical porting, then used a stud and nut in the intake port to hold the head down, and a pipe plug in the valve cover area to seal off the intake port. I think the weight break for H/MP was 11 lbs per cubic inch. When NHRA killed off Modified Eliminator, H/MP was one of those classes that did not get moved into Super Stock or Comp, that weight break was eliminated, and they were told to "just move to another class", but the car just could not make a competitive weight in another class with their combination, so the Pocket Rocket simply got parked. At one point, Cotton ran in Comp with a six cylinder dragster, but eventually that got parked too, and Cotton stopped drag racing.

Cotton does still run a shop in Ringgold. Jim Headrick died several years ago, in a car accident I think. Cotton's son runs a dirt car, I think. Rumor was that Cotton was building a replica of the Pocket Rocket, and was also looking to find the original.

[Steve Williams]

The dragster, owned by Brian Browell, was raced by Brian Browell after Cotton vacated the seat. Browell transitioned from inline power to Jenkins V-6 power and has had much success. Cotton and Jim were real gentlemen. Jim died in a highway accident in Alabama driving a motor home he purchased. I think he may have had a heart attack or medical condition. Jim owned Race Engine Design, which is still in business today. Cotton' son, Jamie, races a Late Model dirt car in the area and he has had his own success. I saw Cotton a few of years ago at the U.S. Nationals. He looked good and was in good health. His stories and accounts of the era is spot on. Cotton owns a service station in Ringgold, Ga that was destroyed by a tornado about two or three years ago. A business competitor cleared area in his place and put Cotton and his employees in his building to help Cotton and the employees out until a new place was built and service their customers. When I think of Modified Eliminator, I always have Cotton' name right near the top of my memories. I hope to see a Pocket Rocket in the future. What many people don't realize was that Cotton and Jim did this with production blocks, heads and cranks. There were no good parts available at the time and probably still aren't. To run the way they did, with what was available, is/was amazing. Every time I go past Brainerd Optimist, I think about how many times that the Pocket Rocket went there and raced or tested.

[Bench Racer]

Thanks for the info guys.

[Michael Kilduff]

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