A NitroGeezer
Interview with Fred Farndon
by Steven Justice
"
I spent my first Social Security check on a drum of nitro"-Fred Farndon
Fred Farndon is truly a NitroGeezer. So much so, that he will tell you he‘s a Social Security retiree. But, not one you’ll find in the recliner. If you want to find Fred Farndon, go to the drag strip. While we compile his story for you, we were able to secure this interview during the recent VRA race at Infineon Raceway. This particular week-end he was driving Butch Blair’s second car, the one previously driven by Butch and Howard Haight. Currently, Fred is putting together his own nostalgia top fuel dragster, a Dave Uyehara car previously owned by John Halstead and known as the Western Hoist Special. Expect to see his entire story, dragsters and boats, on this site in the near future.
NGs: Any nicknames you want to tell us about?
F F: "Fearless". "Fearless" was hung on me by Nick Arias Sr. when I started running his hemi-head Chevy motors in my alcohol hydroplane. As far as the nickname goes, I don’t use it, but lots of my friends call me "Fearless", which I am not.
NGs: Your favorite race car (as an owner/driver) all-time?
F F: An ’84 Swindahl car I bought from Shirley Muldowney when I got back into drag racing. I liked it so much that after selling it, I bought it back for the NHRA overseas tour in 1996; the only car that could smoke the tires and still cut good elapsed times.
Fred in his beloved Swindahl car; Fuji, Japan (1996)
NGs: First seven, six, and five-second run?
F F: First seven was probably Bristol, the 1964 Springnationals. First six? Hmmm, Bakersfield in the Butters-Gerard car; maybe 1971. And, my first five was Phoenix in 1987 licensing in that Swindahl, ex-Muldowney car.
NGs: Biggest win?
F F: Chowchilla 1975. It was my first race in a blown fuel hydro and we won.
NGs: Biggest almost win (opponent)? The very next race in blown fuel hydro; Billy Todd beat me. I had a lot of success with the boats. I loved them, really did, but they were just too damn dangerous.
NGs: Most exciting race, win-or-lose?
F F: Racing Scott Mason at Boise (Firebird Raceway). It was the final and we must have passed each other two or three times, and although I got the light, I clipped a cone and Scott got the win.
NGs: As a participant, best drag race all-time?
F F: Indy in 1987 with the ex-Muldowney car. We had a Garlits motor in it, and were qualified until the very last pair down the track. Shirley, of all people, took us out!
NGs: Best race track?
F F: I’ve always favored Indy. It was always well-prepped; just a good, safe track.
NGs: Unique, or "tracks from hell"?
F F: Easy! Osaka, Japan. It was a 1/8-mile track that also served as a temporary small plane runway situated on an island. There was no launch pad and very little shutdown, and what there was consisted of gravel not sand. Even with both chutes out and the brakes locked, there was a good chance you could go off the end and into the bay!! I raced there as part of a NHRA overseas tour. And, the IHRA track at Leicester New York; that place was just a bad deal all the way around. I don’t even know if they use it anymore.
NGs: Present company excluded, best "natural" driver (top fuel or funny car)?
F F: Shirley Muldowney, no question.
NGs: Toughest opponent to beat, or "man, I don’t want to race him/her today"?
F F: Everybody is tough, but Scott Wilson when we both had FEDs. Seems like we met in the finals a lot. Tough, tough opponent and a really great guy. (ed. Note: Scott was a fellow Canuck and a fierce competitor in top fuel dragster in the 1960s.)
(side-by-side: Scott Wilson and Fred Farndon)
NGs: Funny car or top fuel dragster?
F F: I’ve never driven a funny car, but I would like to try one. It’s just that I’ve been in a dragster so long I think I might get claustrophobic once that body comes down.
NGs: HANS devise, yes or no?
F F: Yes.
NGs: Any "no lift" leadfoot heroes?
F F: Steve Carbone; both the Hampshires, Jeep and Ronnie; they drove the cars HARD! (ed. Note: look for the Hampshire Bros.’ story on this site in the near future)
NGs: Any fear factor?
F F: I think every driver will tell you there is a little bit of fear. If you don’t have that you should not be driving. You need to be cocky, but you’ve better have respect for the sport and understand the degree of risk being taken. I’m always a little nervous the night before or when I get to the track, but once in the car that all goes away. Heck, I could take a nap in my dragster.
NGs: Scariest experience?
F F: Rolling my Gaddy car at Leicester, New York. I went a long way on the roll cage, sparks coming inside, fuel lines ruptured. You’ve got to remember that this was a very loose track with little or no launch pad. Everybody had trouble there. We had the little wheels on it, I was smoking the tires and drifting out of the groove. When I tried to correct, I turned the wheel too much and over-steered my nice 300" Gaddy car and flipped it upside-down.
What, me worry?
NGs: How about that story that Fred Farndon was a real ‘chick magnet"?
F F: (Hearty laugh)! I did not hang that on myself. Sounds like something VanLuven said.
Hmmm, Fred would be that guy pouring, stooping, or looking down?
NGs: One or two technological changes that really advanced the sport of drag racing?
F F: I’m going to say there were at least three innovations. First, the slipper clutch, which really started as an accident. By Indy 1984, Dale Armstrong and Bob Brooks had a good handle on the technology and put it to good use in Bernstein’s funny car. Then, going to 2 fuel pumps, but that started the ‘dropped’ cylinders, so 2 mags were installed to burn all the fuel. Performance went up dramatically. And, direct drive with centrifugal clutches went along with that.
NGs: What about the ‘Super’ classes with all the electronics (delay boxes, throttle stops, etc.)?
F F: I don’t understand them and I have no experience with those classes, but they’re probably as difficult to set-up and drive as what I do.
NGs: How about the 85% rule and, now, the spec. engine?
F F: That’s a joke. They are going as fast now as before. If you want to slow down the race cars, then limit them to a 50 gallon pump.
NGs: What do you like about drag racing today and what do you dislike about drag racing today?
F F: I like nostalgia top fuel racing. The class is really fun. It’s more driver and tuner and less timers and other gizmos. But, these things can be a real handful. I mean, all that horsepower on a 12" tire. The contemporary top fuel car is 5%-10% driver; 90% preparation. And, NHRA Powerade top fuel racing requires a million-plus budget just to get in the door. But, given the opportunity, I would get back into it in a heartbeat.
NGs: Advice to the novice getting ready to jump into drag racing (car requiring a NHRA competition license)?
F F: First, decide whether you want to race a street car, dragster, or funny car. Start out in one of the lower classes until you get real comfortable with the way the cars pull. Let me tell you, a dragster can get ahead of you real quick.
NGs: If you had it to do all over again, how would it be different?
F F: It wouldn’t; no regrets.
NGs: If I wasn’t a drag racer, I’d be a …………..?
F F: It’s been my life for over 50 years, so I don’t know what I would do.
NGs: When not drag racing, I like to ……………?
F F: I like to travel and go to different places. I like to fish but don’t have time for it.
NGs: Favorite personal car:
F F: My ’40 Ford coupe, the one I owned when I was young and growing up in Toronto.
NGs: Best engine ever manufactured by Detroit?
F F: The 409 cid Chevy motor was a monster. You really didn’t need to do a lot with it. And, of course, the 426 cid Hemi. Those two were always my favorites.
NGs: Best after-market billet block?
F F: TFX (Rodeck).
NGs: Drag racing in 2010?
F F: Drivers will be in capsules and the Garlits concept for a monostrut wing will be reality. The wings are still the most dangerous part of the contemporary RED. A tire can knock down the wing and the driver is helpless. On the other hand, with the Garlits concept, the wing acts like a rudder.
NGs: What’s better, ‘now’ or ‘then’?
F F: ‘Now’, and I’m saying this because I drive front-motored cars, and they are so much safer than they used to be. I look at the ‘cackle cars’ and can’t believe I drove them……..it’s just scary. But, you’re young, dumb, your hair’s on fire, and you don’t care because you think you are Superman.
Well, here’s Superman Farndon in one of those cackle cars
NGs: We’ll give you a word and you say the first thing that comes to your mind.
F F: Shoot!
Nitro>Horsepower
Gasoline>Too Expensive
Flatheads>Don’t like ‘em
392 Hemi>Great motor; ahead of its time
Lions> Great place to watch a drag race and a thrilling place to race the first time
Bakersfield>Mecca
Indy>The race of the year
Garlits>Christian; dedicated; intense
Muldowney>Driver’s driver
Fuel Altereds>Love ‘em; I’m a crew chief for one right now; fan’s delight
Pro stock>Not my cup of tea
Red light>if you don’t get one once in a while, you’re not trying hard enough
PDA>something like that should happen again
NHRA>They've done well for me with the overseas tours and all, but I don’t know most of their new people
NASCAR>I like to watch it; the last 50 laps
Win light>WHAT WE ARE ALL AFTER!!
A sincere thank you to Fred from NitroGeezers.com. We hope you had as much fun reading his words as we did conducting the interview. We are not done with Fred; his story is too good; he knows so much. Way cool………….stay tuned.
CONTINUE to the Fred Farndon Story
