Walt Stevens

Here's a shot of the A & W Root Beer car. The very first run in the car, Lions
   1964, That night we made 4 runs, Well one the car never left the starting.
    hit the go deal and died. The last run in the car, about 10:00 pm. I run
    186 mph with a E.T. of a 8.40, This was the first time in any race car.
   I was hooked, became a nitro junky. Walt, still love the nitro stuff

(Photographer Unknown Photo courtesy of Walt Stevens)

Well, this is at Riverside raceway, 1965. We made a run and got into the show. Then we packed up and headed for LIONS, To see if we could get in that show, We did get in the show, Run like 200 mph and set top speed of the meet, So we got in line for the first round, we used to push down the track, to get the cars to start and then turn around to go to the starting line
. We started to pushing down the track and the engine did not want to light, When it did, All HELL broke less, The thing started to smoke the tires, heading for the starting line, We tried to stop it, But the brakes would not hold it back, pulled the fuel handle and it still keep motoring and we were going about 150 mph. We ended up going Thu the pit gate, Well at the last second I drove it into the pole that held up the pit gate and The pit gate end up flying about 50 feet into the air, The engine came out of the car and landed next to another car, It pulled all of the fuel lines and fuel tank with it, It was sitting on the ground, Still running, Big old Flames still coming out of the headers, The car was junk, 13 people went to the hospital, One young man ended up with 2 broken legs, And most of the people, Were check out and released that night. Was one of those deals that makes you think, Do I really want to do this thing called drag racing, We end in the hospital over night, So this was
a very bad deal, We lost our top fuel lic, s, for 6 months. UDRA said that they had to do something, It did not make any sense to me, But you can not fight city hall, So has soon has I got back my Lic,s. By the way, This the first weekend in that CAR and I,am still at nito ADDICT

Was Just One Of Those Bad Weekends That ended up a some very good weekends

We drove a little Flat head top fuel dragster, Wanted to see if I still had it in me to do it, If I had that same drive to drive, To drive those top fuelers.

(Photographer Unknown Photo courtesy of Walt Stevens)

Well we ended with the AMT PIRANHA, Deal, This was at the end of 1965, We went to work for them in Jan of 1966, Well, to drive the short wheel base, Rear engine car, all over the USA. Was the best thing that I could of done. Had know problems driving that car, Most of the drivers said that I had to be crazy to try and drive that car, The car run right down the center of the track. The tour was from May until Sept of 1966. The best that we ever ran with that car, Was 198 mph at Motor city raceway, with an E.T, of 7:82. On a very cold night. Boy, the Air was good. Most of the time We would run up around 185 to 190 at 8.2,s to 8.s

AMT produced a very popular model of the "Piranha"

HERE'S A SHOT OF THE FORD, IN THE A & W ROOT BEER HOT ROD AT
LIONS, ON A GOOD OLD SATURDAY NIGHT. WALT

(Photographer Unknown Photo courtesy of Walt Stevens)

HERE'S A SHOT FROM FONTANA, ABOUT 1964 WITH THE HEMI, FORD.
DID HAVE A BUNCH OF FUN, DRIVING THAT FORD.

(Photographer Unknown Photo courtesy of Walt Stevens)

Here's a shot of the surfers car, A friend got it from the "Surfers" and Tom
     Jobe came out to help us the tune it. 98% in the tank. This was one of the
     best cars that I drove, If we could get the front wheels on the ground, it
     would run right down the center of the strip. this was at the PDA meet
     at Lions, 1967 or 68. Walt

(Photographer Unknown Photo courtesy of Walt Stevens)

HERE'S A SHOT OF THE FORD IN STAHL'S HOT ROD, FONTANA 1964,
GOT THE 1320 RECORD THAT DAY. WALT

(Photographer Unknown Photo courtesy of Walt Stevens)

Here's a shot of the Gas Company car. This was at the Winternationals 1970,
What was funny, We raced the Odd Couple in the 1st round and won, The next year I was
driving the Odd Couple and Won the 1971 Winternationals.
(Photographer Unknown Photo courtesy of Walt Stevens)

Here's a shot from the 1971 March Meet, We won the this race, after blowing
up the rear Engine in the lights. Had A Rod and Piston ending up inside the car.
(Photographer Unknown Photo courtesy of Walt Stevens)

Here is another Top Fuel Car I drove in 1968, "The Outcast"
(Photographer Unknown Photo courtesy of Walt Stevens)

Well here's another shot of a car that I drove in 1971 and 1972,
"The POACHER". This was at OCIR, on a Saturday night,
Photo by Tom West. Courtesy of Walt Stevens

Walt Stevens

More to Come from Walt

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