David Ray
Life as a Funny Car Driver
Chapter Two - 1970
During the 1969 year, Bobby Steakley raced his car as an injected nitro car. He and I raced a couple times, and I beat him every time, six rounds zip. So when I called him, about a job, around new years '70, I guess he decided he would just hire me, and he wouldn't loose any more races, at least to me. Bobby father owned Steakley Chevrolet in Waco Texas. I originally was employed to be the mechanic, and fill in to drive, if the occasion arose. We went to the first race, Jan. '70 at San Antonio, and as I remember for family business, Bobby couldn't go, so I got to drive, right off the bat.
The next week we went to the AHRA Winternationals, at Beeline Phoenix AZ. Bobby drove there we ended up #17 first alternate.
We returned home (didn't go to Pomona), and the next week Mike Burkhart called and ask if we were interested in taking his place at a race in Miami Florida, that week. I said sure no problem. This was the point where Bobby's father stepped in and effectively limited Bobby's racing, to points in Texas, or close to home. His father was fixing to retire, and turn the business over to him, so he had to hang around. I head to Florida with a locally recruited, good but first time helper. This invite came on a Thursday, we left Friday morning. and arrived at the track about noon on Saturday, it was raining. Turns out this race was something called the Miami or Florida Winternationals. It was a 32 car show, about half injected cars, but with qualifying for position. Because of the rain we had to qualify on Sunday morning. We did that, and then made five round of racing, winning the show and $2000.00 That probably like winning $50K now days
We have a very successful spring, match racing all over Texas, Louisiana, OK, and New Mexico.
Early summer I added the fire burnout to my act. I had seen pictures of Jungle Jim doing this, and I thought,maybe this would get some national exposure.
That worked great, mid June I was invited to US30 Dragstrip, where after the first performance we signed on to the Coca-Cola Cavalcade of Stars circuit
We raced the circuit the remainder of the year, (poor old Bobby only got to drive at one race) and returned to the World Finals, at Dallas Texas, for my final race with that car.
These were really the fun days of racing. We broke one motor (just the block due to a casting problem in the lifter galley), early in the year (actually in California OCIR, the week after that Fremont race) and the installed the short block seen in this picture. This motor had about 150 run, at fifty race dates, on it using 65-75 nitro, running times in the 7.40s. Sure there were faster cars, but I doubt any had more fun. On to 1971
CONTINUE to Chapter Three
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