To wit and to backtrack a tad and with the following proviso: The following is not meant to include every single rear-engined Funny Car that was ever built. Just most of them. The 1965 season was the year that these hoary looking creatures first showed their faces. Tom McEwen’s Southern California Plymouth Dealers Association Barracuda and
McEwen did not experience immediate success as his rear-motor ‘Cuda took flight at Lions Drag Strip on one of its first cracks at the track. However, things improved shortly and on the night that Gary Dyer ran his historic 8.68 in Mr. Norm’s blown Dodge Coronet, “the Mongoose” logged an 8.82 at 171-mph. At the 1966 NHRA Winternationals McEwen, forced to make exhibition runs, still managed to set Top Speed for the experimental Funny Cars at 170.45 mph. Branstner’s Dart also ran hard, running as fast as 171 mph in Midwest exhibition action. The Detroit, Michigan, race car builder was one of the really sharp minds of the early Funny Car period and he, Jay Howell, and (again, I’m going strictly by memory) Tom “Snake” Jones put together some notable pieces some even a little tamer than the “Rainbow Dart” … like some of Roger Lindamood’s early pieces. 
DRO file photo by Ray-Mar's / M.P.M. Photography
Notice the wheeling bars on this version which kept the front end from getting to high. This may have been his race set up.
Two of other rear-motor race cars worth mentioning were NASCAR racer Cottton Owens bright yellow “Cottonpicker” injected fuel Dodge Panel, and, I know this is a stretch because the car and driver earned more fame as drag strip solos, Bill “Maverick” Golden’s “Lil’ Red Wagon." In the first few months of its existence, it actually ran other cars and got a best speed of 134 mph. The 1966 season produced two more rear-engine Funnies that distinguished themselves well. Maynard Rupp, the winner of the inaugural NHRA Springnationals Top Fuel title and another Detroiter, debuted his Logghe-chassied “Chevoom” Chevelle and it thumped on the match race circuit. In fact, Rupp broke “Dyno Don” Nicholson’s record-setting win streak in a two out of three match at Milan Dragway in Michigan. Nicholson had gone, as best as I can tell, undefeated from April of ’66 to July when Rupp took him. |
