GLADIATOR GUISE
Discussion
A car I never saw was the Gladiator Vega. Does anyone know the phases it went through? I have a rough idea:example: 1. 1975: Chadderton and Okazaki
Colour: Red.
Driver: Dale Emery someone else?
Here are some questions:
1. Who were the drivers apart from Allan Herridge
and Dale Emery?
2.Who built it? What year?Buttera Chassis?
3.Best Time?
4. Names/paintshemes it went through?
5.Was it renosed? What as?
6.Did Sammy Miller drive it?
7.Was chassis used on Thundertruck and Fuel Altered?
8. What year did it last run?
Colour: Red.
Driver: Dale Emery someone else?
Here are some questions:
1. Who were the drivers apart from Allan Herridge
and Dale Emery?
2.Who built it? What year?Buttera Chassis?
3.Best Time?
4. Names/paintshemes it went through?
5.Was it renosed? What as?
6.Did Sammy Miller drive it?
7.Was chassis used on Thundertruck and Fuel Altered?
8. What year did it last run?
The Enthusiast said:
A car I never saw was the Gladiator Vega. Does anyone know the phases it went through? I have a rough idea:example: 1. 1975: Chadderton and Okazaki
Colour: Red.
Driver: Dale Emery someone else?
Here are some questions:
1. Who were the drivers apart from Allan Herridge
and Dale Emery?
2.Who built it? What year?Buttera Chassis?
3.Best Time?
4. Names/paintshemes it went through?
5.Was it renosed? What as?
6.Did Sammy Miller drive it?
7.Was chassis used on Thundertruck and Fuel Altered?
8. What year did it last run?
Colour: Red.
Driver: Dale Emery someone else?
Here are some questions:
1. Who were the drivers apart from Allan Herridge
and Dale Emery?
2.Who built it? What year?Buttera Chassis?
3.Best Time?
4. Names/paintshemes it went through?
5.Was it renosed? What as?
6.Did Sammy Miller drive it?
7.Was chassis used on Thundertruck and Fuel Altered?
8. What year did it last run?
1, Driven over here by Leroy Chadderton and Dale Emery, it was indeed a 1974 John Buttera chassis.
(pic by Mike Dossert, courtesy of Trackbytes www.trackbytes.co.uk)
Sold to SPR and renamed "The Gladiator". Had a long and checkered career, including many wild rides, even landing on its roof around 1979 ish.
(pic courtesy of 70'sfunnycars www.70sfunnycars.com)
Bootsie ran a best of 6.51 in the Vega, a time it never approached in any subsequent incarnation.
Was replaced with the Trans Am (one of the prettiest Nitro Funny Cars ever IMHO).
(pic courtesy of UKDRN www.ukdrn.co.uk)
This was the car which outqualified Don Prudhomme at the 1980 World Finals event at SPR running 6.21.
The Vega was driven briefly by Peter Crane as "The Hustler".
(pic courtesy of the always excellent Acceleration Archive, www.theaccelerationarchive.co.uk)
It then passed into the hands of Filsell / Sherratt racing where it was renamed "Rain City Warrior", driven variously by Chris Filsell and Bill Sherratt before John Mills (of "Roadrunner" fame) took the wheel.
(pic courtesy of the always excellent Acceleration Archive, www.theaccelerationarchive.co.uk)
Sammy Miller did drive "Gladiator" on one occasion, but it was the later Trans Am.This was on the saturday night of the 1981 finals as I recall.
The Vega was "modified" to form "Mad Max" here driven by Geoff Bosworth around 1985, but it never set the world alight. The body was clearly getting a bit tired by this point...
(pic courtesy of UKDRN www.ukdrn.co.uk)
I know the Vega chassis was later used by Eric Humphrey as the basis of an econo funny car in the mid 1980's. In an interesting blend of history, Eric mated the ex Olavvi Knuttianen (sp) / Dennis Priddle / Page family Monza bodyshell to the Gladiator chassis. I remember he had some sponsorship from City Electrical Factors. Eric called this car "Earsplittenloudenboomer", and he later ran the Super Gas Camaro bearing the same name. That car has, of course, been driven by Pete Lane for many years now,
The Roaring Thunder "truck" was, I think, driven variously by Geoff Bosworth and John Niedowoz (sp). I have a notion the chassis for that was the ex Gene Snow car, which was renosed to form Chris Filsells "Satans Sledge"/"Grasscutter", and later was cloaked in a frankly horrible pseudo-Kenworth shell. What happenned to it after the Phelps era, I know not.
As for the Gladiator Vega shell, I have often wondered what happened to it. The chassis also dropped from my radar after Eric Humphrey.
If my six numbers ever did come up, I could think of no better tribute car to run in the Nostalgia FC class in 2008.
Hope this helps
Jon
Edited by jon c on Monday 2nd October 00:32
Edited by jon c on Monday 2nd October 09:05
The Enthusiast said:
Isnt the chassis on the Burning Desire Methanol Altered?
So it would seem...
www.burning-desire-drag-racing.moonfruit.com/
Although if it is tagged, it may be that the chassis Pete has is from the Trans Am rather than the Vega. I cant imagine the "modifications" required to bring it up to SFI would have left much 30+ year old tubing in place..
Edited by jon c on Monday 2nd October 13:32
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