Other Ford Drag Racing Greats

"Dyno" Don Nicholson

Dyno Don Nicholson passed away January 24, 2006.  He was 78.
Nicholson earned his “Dyno” nickname as one of the first to use a chassis dyno on his drag car.
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Bob Glidden

The 1989 season was Glidden's best. He retired after the first two races in 1997 and came back in 1998 for one race at the U.S. Nationals. Bob won 10 Pro Stock Championships. Glidden gave us Ford race fans something to cheer about for many years.
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Wayne Gapp and Jack Roush

For the 1975 season, Wayne Gapp and Jack Roush raced a four door Pro Stock Maverick. Due to the huge success that Gapp & Roush, Glidden, Dyno Don and others were having with the Pinto, NHRA continued to put weight handicaps on the little Ford. So Gapp & Roush looked for a longer wheel based Ford that would not get weight handicapped. The only light Ford that was long enough to avoid the weight handicap was a four door Maverick. 

Engine failure cost them the 1975 World Championship, allowing Glidden to put the whomp on Grumpy Jenkins for the Championship.  At the end of a very successful season, the NHRA changed the rules to not allow four door cars to compete in Pro Stock. Soon after that, Jack Roush moved to NASCAR.

Aldon Miller

Miller was Stock Eliminator National Record Holder in 1989 and 1990. The rolling chassis was purchased from Sonny Hall in 1988. With Miller's FE engine building skills, he wasted no time obtaining the National Record. (This webmaster owes a great deal of thanks to Aldon Miller for his generous tips in helping me get my 428 assembled to run the way one should run, in my 1968 Torino ).
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Jim Waldo

Waldo piloted the first Stock Eliminator in history into the 10's with a 10.95 @124.82 MPH in 1978 at S.I.R. Waldo has claimed more than 30 National records, and was World Champion in 1987, as pictured below. Not only did Waldo give Ford fans in Washington State a lot to cheer about, but Ford lovers across the nation followed his success. 
6/21/2014 UPDATE: Talked to Jim at the 2014 Cool Desert Nights. He has retired from drag racing and now dedicates his time on, 'JIM WALDO RACING'
located at 2522 Allegheny Richland WA 99354

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Carroll Shelby

Of course, we cannot forget about the great Carroll Shelby!  He helped Ford  win again in racing as well as building some of the coolest factory muscle cars ever to be built! From the Shelby Mustang to the Shelby Cobra, Carroll Shelby built performance.

The Ford 427 SOHC V-8 Engine

To compete with the Chrysler Hemi in 1964, Ford secretly developed an overhead cam version of the high-performance FE block, the legendary 427 SOHC. Built by hand and designed for racing, it became known as the Cammer. Hemispherical chambers and overhead cams transformed the 427 into a serious powerplant. Factory ratings were 615 hp @ 7000 rpm with a single 4-barrel, and 657 hp @ 7500 with dual carburetors. The engine weighed 680 pounds.

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