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REMEMBERING THE MINICKS AND THE “GOLDEN AGE” OF FUNNY CARS

The Beacon News – Aurora (IL) May 9, 1997 Full-length, earth-shattering, heart-thumping, smoke-filled, nitro-burning funny car burnouts. Ah yes, fond memories of a youth fortunate enough to grow up near the old Oswego drag strip, and at a time one might call the “golden age” of funny car racing.

Back then, without a doubt, the nationwide undisputed king of the funny car burnouts was the Chicago based Chi-Town Hustler.

Those of you who were not as fortunate as myself to have witnessed those patented crowd-pleasing displays of raw power, take heart.

You just might get a second chance. this web site 1969 dodge charger

Former driver Pat Minick and son Wayne have begun to restore the most famous of the Hustlers, the 1969 Dodge Charger, and could campaign the car as early as this summer.

In the mid-’60s, when the funny cars evolved from the altered-wheelbase production cars to tube chassis and the flip-top fiberglass-bodied rockets, the team of John Farkonas, August Coil and Pat Minick turned the heat up a notch in funny car competition.

Full-track burnouts gained the team nationwide acclaim.

It wasn’t just the burnouts though, as Minick often would win the event. Let the record speak for itself: five United Drag Racing Association; two International Hot Rod Association and two National Hot Rod Association championships.

“Everyone’s independent championship at least once,” Minick said.

He remembers the burnout phenom came about as somewhat an embarrassment at a track near Springfield.

“We were racing against a fuel dragster at a time when dragsters had high gear only, and couldn’t back up,” he said.

“The rail did quite the burnout and proceeded to back up to the staging area.

I went wow, that’s pretty impressive, so I figured I had to outdo him.

Well, I went the whole length of the track.” The trademark was born …

Success involves teamwork, and the Farkonas Coil and Minick co-op clicked from the start.

Minick and friend Farkonas started in the early ’60s while attending high school in Argo.

“We liked cars, and one of our shop projects was building a car.

So, it kind of evolved from there,” said Minick.

“John had a few bucks and managed to procure some cars that ran pretty good.

I drove for him, and it snowballed.” One day about five years later, a very young Austin Coil stopped by the shop for some tips on running his super stock. 1969dodgechargernow.net 1969 dodge charger

“He became so enamored with what we were doing,” said Minick.

“He sold his super stock and joined forces, and the rest is history.” Force is the key word here, as Austin Coil is crew chief for eight-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force.

Things were different in the ’60s and ’70s, claims Minick, a recent inductee into Drag Racing’s Hall of Fame.

“It was a situation where there was no rule book back then,” he said. “Changes came pretty fast.” “It’s totally different now.

Back when I was racing as a driver you have to recognize the era.

The drag strips are prepared so beautifully that you couldn’t ask for better traction.

The tires have gotten significantly better and the big thing is, these guys know how to make some real horsepower.” According to Ron Leek, president and general manager of Byron Dragway, the Chi-Town was more than tire-blazing burnouts and record setting runs.

“They always provided people with such a show … this guy was a showman,” he said.

That is what the Minicks want to duplicate.

“Wayne has previously drove the Chi-Town Hustler and can easily capture the essence of the ’69 car,” says Minick.

“We want to show how it used to be done.

The long smoky burnout and no computer-aided anything.

Let’s have some fun with it.

“It was really fun back them.

We lived through the hey-day and didn’t realize it.” It’s time for that endless summer once again.

Don’t let it pass by. Next week: a conversation with the father of Funny Car racing, Arnie “The Farmer” Befwick.

Nostalgia fans of drag racing may get an opportunity to see Pat and Wayne Minick’s 1969 Dodge Charger as early as this summer. The famous funny car is currently being restored by the Minnicks. | (Jon Asher photo)