|
Legends of the Quarter-Mile |
||
|
Presented by The Drag Racing Heritage Foundation |
||
|
James Warren |
||
|
All Jim Kelly and Charles Strutt Photos Courtesy of Dick Towers Written by George Crittenden and published in the GoodGuys Gazette in 2004 James Warren and Roger Coburn, a duo of Bakersfield drag racers who started out racing in the dirt track ranks, joined forces in the late 1950’s to form one of the most formidable teams in the Top Fuel ranks. From there they went on to amass a most impressive string of wins and set numerous records in the process. James, with his superb driving abilities and Roger with his outstanding mechanical abilities had been a team to reckon with since teaming up on a twin engine dragster in 1958.The car, sponsored by Bob’s Muffler in Bakersfield ran the unusual combo of one Chrysler and one Chevy with an aluminum chassis. They relied on gasoline to push it down the ¼ mile and were a consistent threat to win anywhere they ran.
James Warren in near lane vs Wayne King in the finals of the Inland Empire Championship 1964
Roger Coburn, often called the "quite giant" because of this quite personality and 6’6" frame, was a master mechanic and tuner. He was a constant innovator and was the first to perfect many of the parts and combinations that would become common place in drag racing. When you team that up with James Warren’s uncanny ability to read the tree and react to the green light they were to become one of the most feared and respected Top Fuel teams of the time. Their association had began when Rogers brother had served in the armed forces with James, who learned of Rogers involvement in drag racing. From the first time they teamed up it was never a question as to who would drive and who would be the wrench. After teaming up with up with Chuck Holloway, it was then on to a 327 Chevy powered fueler, known to everyone as the ‘Blue Car" that quite often out ran the big Chryslers. At the first UDRA Championship Top Fuel Show held at Lion’s Dragway on February 1, 1964 they qualified #16 at 8.01 @ 185.18. On Sunday, February 2, the second day of the event, they qualified #5 running 8.17 @ 182.03 and went to the finals against Gary Gabelich but a broken rocker arm cost them the win. One of their fist big wins came in this car at Long Beach when they ran a Pepsi sponsored meet. They met up in the finals with the Mooneyham & Foust entry where James laid such a "hole shot on them that he won with a 8.20 to Foust losing 7.40. It was during this time period they picked up the ‘Ridge Route Terrors" name. Many times each year they would take the 110 mile trip between Bakersfield and the LA area to race on one of the numerous So-Cal drag strips. The best route to travel was Route 99 also known as the ridge route and so the name stuck. Bakersfield racers have long been known for their, "all for one and one for all", attitude and the strip of asphalt in the middle of the farm country that came to be known as the "Patch" has produced some of the tops in the sport. Names that as synonymous with drag racing include Ernie Hashim, Wayne ‘The Peregrine" King, Rick Stewart (who is now the official starter for NHRA), Tony Waters and many other drag racing notables that are all a part of the Bakersfield clan. A win for one Bakersfield team was a win for all of them. No other area has produced this kind of camaraderie among competitors in the same sport.
In the mid-60’s Marvin Miller, vice-president of the irrigation company, "Rain for Rent", made the decision to become involved in drag racing after he made only a few trips to the famed Famosa track. He was definitely bitten by the drag racing bug and started his search for a way to be involved. It didn’t take long for him to come to the decision that where better to invest his money than with fellow Bakersfield racers Warren and Coburn. So the Warren, Coburn and Miller team was born with ever familiar "Ran for Rent" sponsorship painted on their great looking dragsters.
Mike Ditty Photo
Warren, Coburn & Warren
After purchasing a new Woody Gilmore chassis the small block Chevy soon gave way to one of Roger’s famed Chrysler Hemi’s. In 1966 along with the help of Ernie Jameson on the crew they traveled to Irwindale, where James and Roger sat a new ET record in the new car @ 7.38. Again in 1967 a trip across the ridge to Irwindale resulted in a national speed record of 227.85 mph It was on yet another one of their trips to Pomona that they won their first national event. The year before they had fell just short of winning Indy with a heartbreaking and controversial loss to Don Garlits in the final, but this time James drove around the Top Fuel field on this way to the 1968 Winternationals crown. The winning run of 7.37 @ 236.00 was also low e.t. of the meet. This was the biggest win to date in the twelve year driving career of James Warren and needless to say, it is still one of the highlights of his many years in the sport. Even with all the success they had they also went through some lean times as well. Part of this was because they were loyal to the M & H tires and wouldn’t change to Goodyear’s even when they were the hot ticket in the fuel ranks. Just another example of how the Bakersfield guys stuck by each other. By the early 70’s the rear engine design cars had taken over Top Fuel and while it was a learning curve for the team, it didn’t take long for them to find their combination and get on the winning track. In 1973 on a trip to Ontario, CA, James be came the sixth man to become a member of the exclusive "5 Second Club" when he clicked off a run of 5.94. The mid seventies was a good time for the "Ridge Route Terrors" as they won the 1975 March meet with top speed and low e.t. of the meet running a 5.87 @ 234.24. The following year at the same race on their home track they again took the race with a 5.95 @ 242.58. Again, this was the top speed and low e.t of the event. Also that same year they made a rare trip east to the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida and picked up yet another national event win with a 5.92 @ 248.61. The 1977 season started off with another March Meet win when they laid down 5.75 @ 240.68 run. They are still the only team to win three consecutive March Meets. Although this was their last national event win it was by far not their last regional win. They won at tracks all around the west coast and held records at the majority of these tracks as well.
In the 80’s though James had grown tired of the constant thrash to stay competitive as well as all the travel involved so along with the loss of Marvin Millers financial backing the team reluctantly called it quits. This was a move that was not only regretted by their many Bakersfield fans but by the fans across California and the nation. Roger continued to race the car with another driver but the magic that existed between him and James just wasn’t there and he was never very successful, so he too retired from racing. Both James Warren and Roger Coburn have been inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in Ocala, FL in recent years in recognition of their many accomplishments. James was inducted in 1992 as part of the first group of inductees and Roger followed a couple years later. As always the Bakersfield clan was there to back then up with a large group of them making the trip across the country to be on hand for the induction. They have also both been honorees at the California Hot Rod Reunion as well.
James can still be seen at the various nostalgia events and reunions held each year and it has been reported that Roger and James has been getting involved in a Jr. Dragsters with some of the family children. The car will be sponsored by "Rain for Rent just as in the old days and will be named the ‘Rain for Rent Special #2. It is great to see them working as a team again and would certainly be great to see a second generation Warren and Coburn team involved in drag racing.
|
