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Big John Mazmanian Passed Away
Sorry to hear that one of my all time favorite drag racers passed away from complications from Leukemia.
"Big John" Mazmanian was popular in Southern California during the '60's driving his candy apple red gasser.
Later became famous all across the USA, and inducted into the drag racing hall of fame. He was 80.
Famed fuel altered and Funny Car driver Sush Matsubara dies
Sush Matsubara, a popular former fuel altered and Funny Car driver, died July 27 after a long illness. He was 70. Matsubara rose to fame at the wheel of the Mondello & Matsubara Fiat fuel altered and later in a series of Funny Cars for Joe Pisano. Matsubara set national records in both the Fuel Altered and Funny Car classes.
another great racer passes away
Stone, Woods & Cook, K.S. Pitman, Big John Mazmanian, Ohio George Montgomery. Think they ran in A Gas Supercharged class, (NHRA). That was a long time ago. Ronny Sox and Dyno Don also passed away I believe a short time ago as well. I've seen all those guys at various drag strips in the Midwest, (Columbus, Chicago, Indy,etc.). I guess I'm old as well and yes I still go to the drags.
Mazmanian was widely known for his super-sano cars with fine performance. Candy Apple Red over gold base...and LOTS of chrome...
A/Gas Supercharged (A/GS) evolved into AA/Gas (AA/BB/CC standing for supercharged, A/B/C etc. being naturally aspirated).
Replicas of those cars and more are VERY popular in Nostalgia Drags/ Good Guys/ Hot Rod Reunion events today.
Those were the days, my friend...
__________________ PowerPro01 sez "STAY TUNED"................ GarettO's the SigGod! "NOTHING Matters...until you CARE..." Bob Gibson If RACING was EASY, they'd call it WINNING ! Anonymous
Last edited by PowerPro01 : 07-29-2006 at 12:30 PM.
Stone, Woods & Cook, K.S. Pitman, Big John Mazmanian, Ohio George Montgomery. Think they ran in A Gas Supercharged class, (NHRA). That was a long time ago. Ronny Sox and Dyno Don also passed away I believe a short time ago as well. I've seen all those guys at various drag strips in the Midwest, (Columbus, Chicago, Indy,etc.). I guess I'm old as well and yes I still go to the drags.
D.J.
You and me both..another legendary drag racer passes away..the "GASSER WARS" back in the 60's sure were exciting..drag racing in genreral was a better show back them...not as fast as today but a better show with better personalities that is for sure..
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Steve Tillman
45 Years Of Corvette Experience
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It's stock they all sound like that
Big John and his trademark cigar were a constant out here in Socal...I remember Big John, K.S. , SWC had their weekly battles at the local tracks...KS is my old boss' father-iin-law and used to know him well. A very good guy who could fix anything..
Greg
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377 HP & 371 TQ - LG LTs, Halltech and A&A tune
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The gasser wars between KS, Big John, SW & C, and Ohio George along with the escalation of the SS\A and then A\FX
wars to me were the "golden age " of drag racing..I couldn't wait for the next isssue of Super Stock magazine to come out. We carried them and passed around school until they fell apart...those were the days!!
The gasser wars between KS, Big John, SW & C, and Ohio George along with the escalation of the SS\A and then A\FX
wars to me were the "golden age " of drag racing..I couldn't wait for the next isssue of Super Stock magazine to come out. We carried them and passed around school until they fell apart...those were the days!!
Man Steve, we must have went to different schools together. We did the same thing. I never had the money to buy a new mag. Just got to look at them second hand. Drag racing now is all about Top Fuel and Funny Car. The fans all leave the stands when Pro Stock comes up and they are long gone when Super Stock and Comp Elem. run.
Man Steve, we must have went to different schools together. We did the same thing. I never had the money to buy a new mag. Just got to look at them second hand. Drag racing now is all about Top Fuel and Funny Car. The fans all leave the stands when Pro Stock comes up and they are long gone when Super Stock and Comp Elem. run.
D.J.
HI DJ,
Yes you are right..T\F and F\C get all the head lines they are very loud and that gets peoples attention..but P\S is the most competitive class with the thightest qualifing fields..but the introduction of the lenco transmission took a lot the driving skill out of the class...Ronnine Sox was the class of the field and so good that everyone else wanted the lenco trans as an equalizer....Ronnie and Herb McCandles made diving a 4 speed an art form that few could duplicate..I feel fortunate that I got to see the legends compete..we liked T\F back in those days but the "door slammers" were what captured everyones passion about drag racing back in the day..nice to hear from someone else that remembers what it was like in the "golden age" of the sport..
Didn't KS Pitman drive a blue 35 dodge? and I got to see One Arm Willy Borsch lunch a motor at a small track in VA when I was stationed in Norfolk. Hitched a ride to the track and had to walk almost half way back to Norfolk before catching a ride to the D&S piers. Point is, he lunched a motor and just like some of you might remember, he cleaned his parts with Lemon Joy dish detergent, and you could smell the lemon as you approached his pit space.
Saw mazmanian, SWC and others in the bright SoCal(Speed Shop) sun at Lions, Pomona, and Irwindale in the 60's. I sure miss those axle cars. hot rod did a feature on recent gassers, really remeniscing.
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