Bandito Racing

RACING NOTEBOOK:

We're not bragging or bench racing, just informing you of our quest to race with a limited cash flow. I'm sure you will understand this if your married and have family.

I started going to the drag races in 1955 with a few older friends that had taken up the sport after loosing their driving privileges for street racing. Your parents where more of an issue than the law in those days.

Started out with a few old cars that proved to not be as fast as a 16 year old thought. By 1960 I purchased a Olds F85 and started to have some success with the help of a local racer Bill Jenkins.

Photo from York US 30 Dragway 02/61.

This was my 1960 Olds F85 tuned by Jenkins Competition, Berwyn, PA. Seen are just a few trophies won in D/S in 1960 with the little 215 inch aluminum V8. We had to run '58 to '60 Chevy conv. equipped with the 348, 3-2 setup because of the light weight of the little Olds per AHRA / NHRA. Jere Stahl built a set of little headers that really helped (sounded like a bumble bee when on the line). Even had a few starters complain about the noise being different than most.

By the spring of '62 I changed cars when a 1960 Pontiac became available. This car only lasted one season until I changed manufactures and a lower (less expensive) class.

Photo from Lancaster Drag-O-Way 06/62.

With a suggestion of "Grumpy" I purchased Howard Ramsay's old '60 Pontiac when he got the lighter '61. Seen here at Cecil County MD in 1962 running in A/S tuned by Jenkins Competition - Berwyn, PA.

By that fall of '62 I changed cars again getting out of making a car payment on a vehicle that wasn't legal for street use. Now purchasing a 1959 Dodge D500. Little did I know this would be a major brand change that has lasted for close to 50 years. The 1st in a series of BANDITO Dodges.

1962-1965 H/SA-I/SA
(former AHRA record holder)

The D500 was a fun car to drive and lasted until moving to Colorado in 1965. Sold car to make the move and pay off loans from local speed shop.

We found a very clean 1964 Dodge Cornet in '67 that I thought would be a good class car. Sold this one fast, not a good class car.

Not a real good class car, along with a few other ventures that proved to be just cars, not race cars !@#$

Misc information

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Now being out of racing until the fall of 1968 when I saw a new 1969 Dodge Super Bee Six-Pack being unloaded at a dealership in Denver. This was No. 2 car delivered in the Rocky Mountain region at the time.

This car could run under the AHRA/NHRA Association class index's on a regular bases at any track we went to. We ran the car every available weekend from 1969 through the 1972 seasons.

Photo Used with Permission © Project Mopar Internet Website.

1969-1972 D/SA-SS/FA
(former AHRA / NHRA record holder)

When the newly announced 1969-1/2 Dodge Six-Pack became available Barry received the number #2 car of the first five cars released into the Rocky Mountain region. Within a month it was competing in D/SA until late 1972.

The "Bandito" Dodge with Al Crawford at the wheel enjoyed a successful tour in AHRA / NHRA Division #5 holding many of the local track records.

Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins sent me a "jet" tap to modify the end carb. metering plates as they where cased with no way to change jet sizes. Once tapped for Holley jets it was easy to adjust for our thin air with simple jet changes.

Don Hackenberg really helped us out from time to time with suggestions along with distributor and transmission work as needed.

At the time we had a small three car operation consisting of one Six-Pack ("Bandito" auto) one Six-Barrel ("One Shot" 4-speed) and a '69 Dodge RT 375 horse car, I was busy just keeping everyone running.

Even our old tow truck was Mopar powered, an ex. Public Service truck with a 383 Dodge and a 727 tranny did a fine job of hauling us around Colorado and Kansas.

At the end of the '72 season rules where changing and costs had gotten out of hand, the chance came up to sell the car and retire which I did. The biggest problem was that old itch never died. Drag racing is a disease like smoking or drinking, is hard to stop.

After 30 years of being away and just retiring I started to look at old race cars on the Internet and in National Dragster classifieds. In the spring of 2004 I found a 1970 Challenger with a small block that looked promising. Once we started working on this car with correcting problems and getting ready to update the drive train I realized I would have been better off to have not got involved with this one. I sure you have experience such ventures in much the same way. Once started its to late your now committed to stay until finished.

2004 Purchase 2005-06 Rebuild 2007 Trailer

2004 2005 2006 Testing

2007 Testing 2008 Testing

Car setup to compete in several classes with motor changes

Pro ET - NMC - Super Stock