Original Build Date:  Approximately 1976

Our dragster has quite the history behind it.  Originally built for the Miller, Darien, and Gatlin team, the car was known as "The Green Spot Express", and competed in Top Alcohol Dragster.  The car had a runner-up finish at the NHRA Winternationals and the NHRA Division VII points Championship in 1976.  In 1977, Jerry Darien drove the car to a runner-up finish again at the NHRA Division VII Championship.  In 1981, the car won the NHRA Winternational and Bakersfield March Meet, and continued by setting a new National MPH record at 213.23, finishing 5th in the National Points and winning the NHRA Division VI Points Championship.  Retired from professional racing sometime around 1984, the car was traded to Kevin Franks, owner of Competitive Trailer Unlimited in Texas.  Kevin Franks did race the car some, and one of the competitors he raced against is Vern Bolton.  Sometime later the car was bought by a guy named Don Alley, and he brought the car to Kansas, where he built a trailer for it and raced it some.  Don's daughter became ill sometime later, and needed a handicapped equipped vehicle, so that resulted in another trade.  The car and trailer were traded to another guy by the name of Bobby Balderas for a handicapped equipped van for Don's sick daughter.  He owned a car lot and had a van to trade.  The trailer and car sat at his lot for a couple of years until Robert Musgrove went to look at the car.  Robert owns RPM Motorsports, based out of Wichita, Kansas.  He purchased the car in August of 2001, and started putting it back together.  He also called Jerry Darien and let him know he had the car.  After some needed upgrades, the car was raced again for a couple of more years in Super Comp/Super Pro.  However, Robert got to the point that getting in and out of the car was more of a challenge than it was worth.  That’s where my part of the story begins.  Mo Morris, then living in Jacksonville, North Carolina, had a 1963 Chevy Nova II that he ran in Super Pro at the local track.  For quite some time, he had wanted a dragster, and had been searching online.  During that time, Mo had also listed his car for sale, so should he find the car he wanted, he could use that money to purchase it.  What he didn’t know is that Robert was also looking for a car.  I can't recall who called who first, but after a few phone calls, a deal was made to trade straight across for the two cars.  Mo would end up with the dragster, and Robert with the Nova.  So, sometime in September of 2003, Robert loaded up the dragster in his trailer and delivered it to Mo in Jacksonville, and picked up the Nova.  In the few short years to follow, Mo only drove the car a few times, and his friend James drove it only a few times as well.  After that,the car was parked.  Shortly after Mo had gotten the car, I was extended an open invitation to come drive it at my leisure!!  I wish I had taken the opportunity then, but circumstances just didn’t allow it.  However, my chance would come at somewhat of an odd time.  In September of 2007, I married my beautiful wife, Stephanie.  I had asked Mo to come out to Colorado and be my best man, which he did.  During his short stay here, I joked about Mo letting me bring the car here to race.  Mo’s comment to this was:  “When you coming to get it?”  I was floored.  I never actually expected that to happen, but happen it did.  After a bit of a wait, I made the trip back to North Carolina to pick up the car from Mo.  So now, here it sits, in my garage, put back together, recertified and track proven! 

So the new "saga" in the car's racing history has begun!  It's first event of competition since the rebuild was the High Altitude Bracket Nationals at Bandimere Speedway during Labor Day weekend, Sept 3, 2011.  While we didn't make it past the first round, we did set a new standard for the car to follow, and for our fellow racers to watch out for! 

Current Specifications

Chassis:                   250” wheelbase rear engine dragster, with front and rear wings

Motor:                      600ci Big Block Chevy, with MSD 7-AL3 ignition and Pro-Power coil

Power enhancers:      Nothing yet, but a nitrous system with a NOS Big Shot Plate and ComboFlow C02 actuated solenoids

Transmission:           GM TH400 three-speed, equipped with manual valve body and transbrake

Rearend:                  Ford 9”, with Mark Williams aluminum thru-bolt center section and spool

Gearing:                   4.10 ratio

Tires:                       Currently equipped with Hoosier 33x17x16 slicks

Parachute:                Deist Safety

Safety harness:         RCI Platinum 5-point

Fuel:                        Gasoline

Current performance:     In it's past configuration with a smaller motor, the car has ran a 8.70 second quarter mile @ 149.4 mph with a 125 shot of nitrous.  Performance with the new motor so far has been 8.54 seconds @ 157.93 mph           

There are still some upgrades that I'll work on in the off season as money allows, and some things will get replaced during the normal maintainence that cars like this require.  First on the list is a new set of heads, as the old ones were leaking oil into the combustion chambers and water through the ports.  We didn't  know it until after pulling the heads off that the motor was detonating pretty bad, and what's wrong with the heads can't be fixed except by replacement.  Also on the list is the converter getting re-stalled, as it was WAY too tight for my combo, and some lightweight parts for the trans.  There are a few other things on the list, but unless some sponsorship comes through, it all may have to wait! 

Here's the link to my first race pass in the dragster!  Yeah, I went out in first round, but it was fun anyway, and with the fact that it took over two years to get there, we're happy with it!

Just click here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqJYWN6pjcU&NR=1