Ewell

The following is a brief history (as best I can gather it at this point in time, I'll take all the information I can get!) of the Jack Ewell, Bill Stecker and Jim Kamboor Top fueler known as Chubasco. After winning Bakersfield in 1961, the team comissioned a new car to be built by Kent Fuller. The body was designed by Steve Swaja and built by Jimmy Summers. Paint was by Cerney. The interior was stitched by Tony Nancy. Jack Ewell, who drove the car, and was the parts manager for Mickey Thompson built a 475 cubic inch motor for the car. The car was run all over Southern California from 1963 thru 1966, and was featured in the July 1964 edition of Hot Rod Magazine. We found the car a year and a half ago in the back of a friend of ours shop (Mike Leach) in Orange County.
As luck would have it the car had never been lengthened, it was still at it's original 130 inches, also, most of the tin was still there! Mike had planned to race the car in the GoodGuys series, but, had gotten off into other projects and shelved the old dragster. I, along with my partner Dick Waltrip, working for the owner of the car, Clyde Dietrich, have tried to replicate the car as close to 1963 as possible and I hope that it will bring back memories when we push her to life at this year's Cacklefest. Please do not hesitate to e-mail (djsammons@adelphia.net) me with any pictures or information you might have on the car. See you in October!

Our goal on this restoration had always been to make it to the 2004 Hotrod Reunion in Bakersfield. The car was first run there in in 1963 at the March Meet. Our weekend got of to a great start from the moment we rolled the car out of the trailer. We were met by the Grand Marshal himself, Bob Muravez. Bob goes back to his high school days with the owner of the car, Clyde Dedrick. Muravez was very excited to see the thing and started recounting stories about the guys who owned it and the races he ran against it. We then proceeded to the starting line for the staged photos you see on the page. We even put Bob in the seat for some shots with the car paired with the Magicar, with Jeep Hampshire at the wheel. That time at the line alone, made the whole weekend. But it would get better. Bob convinced us to put Adam Sorokin in the car for Cacklefest, which worked out great! After he idled her down the fire-up road on Saturday night, and took his place in the middle of the track, he got out of the car gave me hug and said, the experience was TEN TIMES what he thought it would be. Wait 'til next year when he drives the re-created Surfer's car, there won't be a dry eye in the place! The entire weekend was filled with so many great memories like that it is hard to document them all. From spending time with Mr. Fuller talking about the car, to letting people like Gary Cochran and Walt Stevens sit in the car and pose for pictures, and letting Carl Olson, who has been a great help, actually be the first person to move the car under it's own power, to all the people who stopped by and shared stories of the car or just commented on the accuracy of the restoration, the emotions ran high all weekend. The greatest words though were spoken by the last remaining owner, Bill Stecker, who said, "Dave, when I saw that car sitting there, it was like opening up my garage door in 1963, she's perfect!" Thank you to all who stopped by that weekend. You all made the effort worth it!
Dave Sammons

This car is beautiful. This is one of the shots took for, but not chosen as the photo for the upcoming
Nitrogeezer Calendar

Adam Sorokin, son of the legendary Mike Sorokin of "Surfers fame was in the seat for the cars first "Cacklefest at CHRR XII

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Ewell, Stecker & Kamboor

"Chubasco"
Restoration

Ewell, Stecker & Kamboor

"Chubasco" Restoration

"Chubasco"
Restoration