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To us, a big part of the Nostalgia Drag Race Scene is the history of the cars, we are gradually putting together pictures and history of the car through to today
So far we have found out that the car was originally the Gee Tee "T" Altered, was driven by Andy Craddock, Dave Fletcher and Steve Clark from its build in th ewinter of 78/79 to the end of 1980 when it was sold to Nigel King until 1996 when the new owner was Keith Ridgley. Quite when it changed hands to Paul Martin is a bit unsure but it ran in the Wild Bunch in 2003 and was owned by him until we bought the car in 2008. If anyone can confirm dates or add to the little info that we have it would be greatly appreciated.
1979 - 1980 "Gee Tee" Altered T
1980 - 1996 King Brothers "Hi Anxiety"
1996 - 2003? Keith Ridgeley
2003? - 2008 Paul Martin "It's Playtime"
2008- to date Adam Price (Team Gridlock) "Go Hard or Go Home!!!"
1979 to 1980 "Gee Tee" Altered "T"
We have heard from Steve Clark, the original owner/constructor and he tells us that.....
I was the original owner and constructor of the car that you have and also the Frontline altered. The car that you have was built over the winter of 1978 /1979 and raced during the ‘79 season as Gee Tee firstly with the injected nitro 4 cylinder Ford engine then later with a Buick 215 (not a Rover). This car was driven by all three team members including myself, Andy Craddock and Dave Fletcher.
The car was sold less body and rear axle to Nigel King at the end of that season to make way for its replacement built over the winter of 1979 / 1980. That is when the Topolino body was fitted. What became of the Gee Tee after that I have no idea, however that is the car you have.
The new car for the 1980 season was the Frontline car. This car was much lower and very much lighter than the previous car (see article in Hot Rod & Custom Magazine, August 1980).
The Frontline altered was sold to George Greatholder in 1981 to make way for the Frontline Top Fuel car. George replaced the T body with an Opel GT body as originally intended, but unfortunately wrote the car off in a top end accident at Long Marston.
The pictures you have on your website are of the Gee Tee, E/CA 40, before any graphics were added, which I believe is the car you have. The picture of the Frontline car, D/CA 51, is the car that was ultimately written off, so that cannot be yours.
Many thanks to Steve for enligtening us on some of the history
SANTA POD AUGUST '80 -- Steve Clark was driving the "T" when the fibreglass scoop disintegrate when the carb exploded on the line
SANTA POD SEPT '80 -- Andy Craddock was back out at the Pod in the Frontline Video T altered with a new carb scoop after the August explosion
Many thanks to the Allen at the Acceleration Acrchive for allowing us to publish the two pictures below.
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1980 - 1996 King Brothers
Race number ECA10, (soon to become DCA40) is the first Frontline car bought from Steve Clarke when they built the second lower car. It was bought without the T body so Pat Cuss made the chopped Topolino body that is still being run today.The picture of ECA 10 on Acceleration Archive is the car straight from the Pat Cuss workshop in Wiltshire This must be about 1986 as Dave Chapman left about 1990 so the car was just ran in "Run Wot Ya Brung" events
In this pic (courtesy of http://www.theaccelerationarchive.co.uk/) the body looks pretty fresh out of the mold!! It was running as ECA10 which was the number Francis Parker gave the car as it had not been weighed.
Running a Rover 3.5 V8 and weighing in at 520kgs and now as DCA40
1983 Long Marston, Picture courtesy of Jeromy Cookson
Jeromy Cookson of Shakespeare County Raceway has managed to find two programme entries for DCA40 'High Anxiety' under Dave Chapman's name; one at Blackbushe Airport May 15th and the other at LMR's Springnationals 4th/5th June. (Thanks Jerry for helping to dig out some history, see ya at the track soon)
Thanks to Jeromey Cookson of Shakespeare Country Raceway for provding this picture taken by Paul Duxbury possibly Flame and Thiunder at Santa Pod in 1993.
1996-2003? Keith Ridgley
Info to be found
2003?-2008 Paul Martin
2003 12/13 April Wild Bunch Season Opener - (Info from the wildbunch website) Not a good start, Paul Martin spent all weekend in the pits, trying to get the car to run, but the starter motors (plural) finally gave up the ghost.
2003 25/26 May Spring Shoot Out - (Info from the wild bunch website) Paul Martin put in 4 runs on the Sunday, ranging from 13.500 to 16.131, trying to get a handle on his still relatively new car. He dialled in at 13.70 on Monday, and ran a 14.174 in the first round, a 14.470 in the second, and 15.067 in the third, before experiencing a really hairy run in the fourth round when his car, which had thankfully slowed, spun sideways at half track. Fortunately Paul was okay, and the damage was minimal
The car ran a 360 Mopar with TF727 regular Box with Jaguar Rear Axle Best Time 13.5 Best ET - TBA
2008 to Date
Renamed Go Hard or Go Home, meaning give it everything you have got or dont bother, we bought the car late 2008 and you can see the car as we got it in the picture above. We decided to try and put our own "stamp" on the car and although the body had not changed in many years and it was part of the cars history, we decided that we wanted to change the front so out came the angle grinder!
New white paint in Audi Ibis White and we laid on some flames in typical 70's glitter. As sponsors slowly came on board graphics were added.
At the second run in 2008 a con rod exited throught both sides of the sump necessitating a full rebuild. The new engine debuted in 2009 with 13.7, 12.7. 12.5 and 12.2. All times slowly coming down and still much much more to come as confidence builds and the setup gets tuned.
"Go Hard or Go Home" in its early 2009 Guise, Picture taken at the International Historic Motorsports show March 2009
2009
Personal Best ET 11.2 @ York Raceway Best Terminal Speed 111.23 @ Shakespeare County Raceway
Engine 360 Mopar with Weiand Tunnel Ram Transmission uprated TF727 with reverse pattern shift
REAR AXLE Shortened Salisbury Soild Jaguar Brakes, Rear only with Dunlop Jag Calipers,
Driver Adam Price, Awarded "Best Newcomer to the Sport" and 6th in the Wild Bunch Series
2010
2010 Spec List:-
Wheels - (Front) 15" Centerline Warriors with Hoosier Front Runners (Rear) 15" x 12" Centerline Warriors with 32" x 12" x 15" Hoosier Slicks
Axle - Curries casing with Strange ends, Strange Pro Series brakes, Strange 4:57 gears, Strange Half Shafts
Brakes - (Rear Only) Strange Pro Series brakes with 4 piston Billet directional Calipers
Chassis - Fresh out for 2010 is a new Tagged Chassis by Fester Race Cars
Prop Shaft - Custom built prop shaft by Bailey-Morris TF727 to Stange fitting
January 2010 - Driver Adam Price niominated for the APIRA "Iris Page memorial Trophy" award
If anyone can add to or correct any of the information above it would be greatly appreciated so that we can accurately track the history of the car, Many thanks to all those that have provied information and contributed photographs.
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History
