This just maybe the coolest thing to happen to the Mustang since Iacocca was VP at Ford. For more information on the Mustang pool table click here.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Billiards with a little more power...
Last week while watching Barrett Jackson something caught my eye. It wasn't a car, but yet something that closely resembled one.
This just maybe the coolest thing to happen to the Mustang since Iacocca was VP at Ford. For more information on the Mustang pool table click here.
This just maybe the coolest thing to happen to the Mustang since Iacocca was VP at Ford. For more information on the Mustang pool table click here.
Friday, January 29, 2010
The future of Force...
FORCE FOCUSED ON 2010 CHAMPIONSHIP ADDRESSES ECONOMIC ISSUES
Completes Year-long Consolidation of Racing Operations at Brownsburg Facility
YORBA LINDA – 1/28/2010 - Responding to an unpredictable economy drag racing icon John Force on Thursday outlined a plan to insure both the competitive and financial viability of John Force Racing, Inc., for years to come. The plan has been a work in progress for over a year.
The cornerstones of Force’s initiative are (1) a reduction in the number of cars the team will support next season in its bid for an unprecedented 17th NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship; (2) re-location of all JFR racing resources to the Brownsburg facility; (3) creation of new revenue streams through production of the BOSS 500 engine and the JFR chassis; and (4) personnel consolidation.
“In this economy,” Force said, “I’m having to re-evaluate my programs and my people to create a game plan for the future. It’s all about the Next Generation.”
“I have invested with the IMG group, headed by George Pyne, to help look for new sponsorship opportunities but I also know that I need to insure that my current sponsors, primarily Castrol, in our 25th year together, Ford, Auto Club, BrandSource, and Mac Tools are getting more value than they expect. We will continue to hit the media hard and work with them to make sure that our message along with our sponsors’ messages reaches the fans.”
Whereas JFR has fielded four Ford Funny Cars the last three seasons, Force said he is parking, at least temporarily, the Drive One Mustang directed to a season-ending victory by 2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Mike Neff.
His team’s 2010 lineup will feature only three Ford Mustangs: his own Castrol GTX High Mileage entry; the Auto Club Mustang in which Robert “Top Gun” Hight will defend his Full Throttle championship; and the Castrol GTX Mustang in which reigning Mac Tools U.S. Nationals champion Ashley Force Hood will try to become the first woman to win the Funny Car title.
The 126-time tour winner said Mike Neff, crew chief for Gary Scelzi when they won the 2005 Funny Car world championship will join Austin Coil, the most successful crew chief in drag racing history, in support of his bid for a 15th NHRA driving championship.
Bernie Fedderly, Coil’s partner for the last 17 years and one of only three crew chiefs to have won NHRA titles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, will continue to be in the mix but will adjust his travel schedule after 30 years. He will also assume the new role of Special Projects Manager at John Force Racing, Inc. as well as contributing to the Coil-Neff alliance.
As Fedderly’s role changed it opened the door to one of the most intriguing crew chief partnerships in recent history. After winning the 2005 NHRA championship as crew chief to Gary Scelzi, Neff spent the last two seasons at the wheel of the Ford Drive One Mustang, earning 2008 Rookie of the Year honors before winning the Auto Club Finals last November at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Coil has won more NHRA races and more championships than anyone – including Force. The man who started as a line mechanic at a Chicago dealership enters 2010 with 16 championship trophies and 133 tour victories. Before joining Force in 1985, he won seven races and two NHRA championships (1982 and 1983) with his own car, the ChiTown Hustler, driven by Frank Hawley.
Significantly, the makeover of Force’s team extends well beyond the crew chiefs. In fact, all but one crew member will be new to the team with the start of the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals, Feb. 11-14, at Pomona.
In addition, the car itself will be new, front to back, utilizing JFR’s in-house chassis that Neff took to victory for the first time last year, the Ford BOSS 500 nitro motor developed by JFR’s John Medlen, in conjunction with Ford Racing, the new, sleeker 2010 Mustang body, new logos and new metallic paint featuring silver highlights that recognize the 25 seasons Force has shared with Castrol.
Neff’s crew chief, John Medlen, will concentrate his efforts on managing The Eric Medlen Project, which will continue to focus on racing safety, as well as the in-house engine and chassis programs he helped create which will generate new revenue streams through production of the BOSS 500 engine and the JFR chassis. Medlen will also be available to team up with crew chief Jimmy Prock and car chief Eric Lane to create a potent tuning triumvirate for the 2009 Funny Car Championship Auto Club Ford Mustang team.
“I am dropping the fourth car for the 2010 season strictly as a business move,” Force said, “because in this economy we haven’t been able to fund it properly through new sponsorship.”
Moreover, to underscore the seriousness with which his teams are pursuing the 2010 title, Force has added track specialist Lanny Miglizzi to work with his crew chiefs and with son-in-law Dan Hood, who last year served as track specialist while also developing as a backup for Fedderly in his role as inventory manager and personnel manager. The combination of Hood and Miglizzi also gives JFR more personnel to monitor the ever changing track conditions as race cars compete throughout the day in Funny Car and the Top Alcohol Dragster.
Miglizzi will also work out of the Brownsburg shop leading the JFR in-house clutch program. For years he operated one of the sport’s most successful clutch management businesses with his late father, Tony. He is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable, detail-oriented experts in the field of track-mapping.
Another change is the consolidation of all race car operations at Brownsburg. The last of Force’s race cars to make the move from the West Coast facility in Yorba Linda, Calif., was his own Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford. Furthermore, the machine shop operation, which previously was split between the two facilities, has been centralized in Brownsburg.
Force’s attention has not just been focused on on-track performance. One of the strongest brands in motorsports has also been looking at ways to insure his corporate backing can weather the up and down economy with his teams.
“I’ve had to re-evaluate everything from show car programs to midway displays to help activate programs for the sponsors and help cut costs,” Force said.
“I’ve talked a number of times with Tom McKernan, the CEO of the Automobile Club of Southern California, who helped keep the Auto Club profitable even in tough times, to help me re-evaluate our JFR business plan,” Force said.
“Last year I started talking with Brian Wolfe, who came over from Powertrain where he was instrumental in managing Ford’s mass production capabilities. We talked about how to produce products in-house not only for our team but also to generate revenue by selling to other teams. I will continue to speak to Brian in this area as time permits because he is the expert. In Phoenix I had the chance to speak with Jamie Allison, the new Director of Ford Racing, and it was business as usual. We have to continue to be cost efficient but at the end of the day Ford wants to win.”
“One of my biggest losses was the recent passing of Bob Tasca Sr. He introduced me to Ford in 1997 and he wrote the book “You Will Be Satisfied,” about how to sell to the next generation of consumers. He was one of the icons with Ford and I pray that I listened enough.”
“I listen to these individuals because they’re successful in what they do and, with the 25th anniversary of JFR and Castrol and the continued growth of the NHRA, we need to know where we’re going for the next 25 years,” Force said.
“My priority right now is to execute this business plan, and make sure existing sponsors like Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, BrandSource and Mac Tools can activate trackside and elsewhere. I am investing in show car trailers to help make that happen.
“It’s a tough economy, but these are exciting times, too, because of the way we are responding to the challenge. For me,” Force said, “the key word is ‘activate.’ We need to activate for our sponsors but we need to activate for ourselves, too.”
Completes Year-long Consolidation of Racing Operations at Brownsburg Facility
YORBA LINDA – 1/28/2010 - Responding to an unpredictable economy drag racing icon John Force on Thursday outlined a plan to insure both the competitive and financial viability of John Force Racing, Inc., for years to come. The plan has been a work in progress for over a year.
The cornerstones of Force’s initiative are (1) a reduction in the number of cars the team will support next season in its bid for an unprecedented 17th NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship; (2) re-location of all JFR racing resources to the Brownsburg facility; (3) creation of new revenue streams through production of the BOSS 500 engine and the JFR chassis; and (4) personnel consolidation.
“In this economy,” Force said, “I’m having to re-evaluate my programs and my people to create a game plan for the future. It’s all about the Next Generation.”
“I have invested with the IMG group, headed by George Pyne, to help look for new sponsorship opportunities but I also know that I need to insure that my current sponsors, primarily Castrol, in our 25th year together, Ford, Auto Club, BrandSource, and Mac Tools are getting more value than they expect. We will continue to hit the media hard and work with them to make sure that our message along with our sponsors’ messages reaches the fans.”
Whereas JFR has fielded four Ford Funny Cars the last three seasons, Force said he is parking, at least temporarily, the Drive One Mustang directed to a season-ending victory by 2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Mike Neff.
His team’s 2010 lineup will feature only three Ford Mustangs: his own Castrol GTX High Mileage entry; the Auto Club Mustang in which Robert “Top Gun” Hight will defend his Full Throttle championship; and the Castrol GTX Mustang in which reigning Mac Tools U.S. Nationals champion Ashley Force Hood will try to become the first woman to win the Funny Car title.
The 126-time tour winner said Mike Neff, crew chief for Gary Scelzi when they won the 2005 Funny Car world championship will join Austin Coil, the most successful crew chief in drag racing history, in support of his bid for a 15th NHRA driving championship.
Bernie Fedderly, Coil’s partner for the last 17 years and one of only three crew chiefs to have won NHRA titles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, will continue to be in the mix but will adjust his travel schedule after 30 years. He will also assume the new role of Special Projects Manager at John Force Racing, Inc. as well as contributing to the Coil-Neff alliance.
As Fedderly’s role changed it opened the door to one of the most intriguing crew chief partnerships in recent history. After winning the 2005 NHRA championship as crew chief to Gary Scelzi, Neff spent the last two seasons at the wheel of the Ford Drive One Mustang, earning 2008 Rookie of the Year honors before winning the Auto Club Finals last November at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Coil has won more NHRA races and more championships than anyone – including Force. The man who started as a line mechanic at a Chicago dealership enters 2010 with 16 championship trophies and 133 tour victories. Before joining Force in 1985, he won seven races and two NHRA championships (1982 and 1983) with his own car, the ChiTown Hustler, driven by Frank Hawley.
Significantly, the makeover of Force’s team extends well beyond the crew chiefs. In fact, all but one crew member will be new to the team with the start of the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals, Feb. 11-14, at Pomona.
In addition, the car itself will be new, front to back, utilizing JFR’s in-house chassis that Neff took to victory for the first time last year, the Ford BOSS 500 nitro motor developed by JFR’s John Medlen, in conjunction with Ford Racing, the new, sleeker 2010 Mustang body, new logos and new metallic paint featuring silver highlights that recognize the 25 seasons Force has shared with Castrol.
Neff’s crew chief, John Medlen, will concentrate his efforts on managing The Eric Medlen Project, which will continue to focus on racing safety, as well as the in-house engine and chassis programs he helped create which will generate new revenue streams through production of the BOSS 500 engine and the JFR chassis. Medlen will also be available to team up with crew chief Jimmy Prock and car chief Eric Lane to create a potent tuning triumvirate for the 2009 Funny Car Championship Auto Club Ford Mustang team.
“I am dropping the fourth car for the 2010 season strictly as a business move,” Force said, “because in this economy we haven’t been able to fund it properly through new sponsorship.”
Moreover, to underscore the seriousness with which his teams are pursuing the 2010 title, Force has added track specialist Lanny Miglizzi to work with his crew chiefs and with son-in-law Dan Hood, who last year served as track specialist while also developing as a backup for Fedderly in his role as inventory manager and personnel manager. The combination of Hood and Miglizzi also gives JFR more personnel to monitor the ever changing track conditions as race cars compete throughout the day in Funny Car and the Top Alcohol Dragster.
Miglizzi will also work out of the Brownsburg shop leading the JFR in-house clutch program. For years he operated one of the sport’s most successful clutch management businesses with his late father, Tony. He is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable, detail-oriented experts in the field of track-mapping.
Another change is the consolidation of all race car operations at Brownsburg. The last of Force’s race cars to make the move from the West Coast facility in Yorba Linda, Calif., was his own Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford. Furthermore, the machine shop operation, which previously was split between the two facilities, has been centralized in Brownsburg.
Force’s attention has not just been focused on on-track performance. One of the strongest brands in motorsports has also been looking at ways to insure his corporate backing can weather the up and down economy with his teams.
“I’ve had to re-evaluate everything from show car programs to midway displays to help activate programs for the sponsors and help cut costs,” Force said.
“I’ve talked a number of times with Tom McKernan, the CEO of the Automobile Club of Southern California, who helped keep the Auto Club profitable even in tough times, to help me re-evaluate our JFR business plan,” Force said.
“Last year I started talking with Brian Wolfe, who came over from Powertrain where he was instrumental in managing Ford’s mass production capabilities. We talked about how to produce products in-house not only for our team but also to generate revenue by selling to other teams. I will continue to speak to Brian in this area as time permits because he is the expert. In Phoenix I had the chance to speak with Jamie Allison, the new Director of Ford Racing, and it was business as usual. We have to continue to be cost efficient but at the end of the day Ford wants to win.”
“One of my biggest losses was the recent passing of Bob Tasca Sr. He introduced me to Ford in 1997 and he wrote the book “You Will Be Satisfied,” about how to sell to the next generation of consumers. He was one of the icons with Ford and I pray that I listened enough.”
“I listen to these individuals because they’re successful in what they do and, with the 25th anniversary of JFR and Castrol and the continued growth of the NHRA, we need to know where we’re going for the next 25 years,” Force said.
“My priority right now is to execute this business plan, and make sure existing sponsors like Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, BrandSource and Mac Tools can activate trackside and elsewhere. I am investing in show car trailers to help make that happen.
“It’s a tough economy, but these are exciting times, too, because of the way we are responding to the challenge. For me,” Force said, “the key word is ‘activate.’ We need to activate for our sponsors but we need to activate for ourselves, too.”
Dream car of the week...
My infatuation was reignited for this little Vicky while checking out some older Rod & Customs. Man she is fine...
courtesy of Rod & Custom magazine and Tim Bernsau
courtesy of Rod & Custom magazine and Tim Bernsau
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Potential...
I recently saw this old 'fridge for sale. I have always been into these old trucks ever since I talked my dad into stopping and looking at a black one on Hamilton Street when I was a young kid (crazy what you remember). Is it just me or does she have a lot of potential?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
the Mountain Pearl part 2...
These are some original build pictures posted by doctorZ over on the HAMB.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
the Mountain Pearl...
By far one of the coolest customized F100s ever built. It recently went up on eBay and was a no sell @ over $65,000. From the eBay listing:
The Mountain Pearl had a brief but illustrious and influential career in the hot rod and custom circuit in the early 1960’s.
Based upon a stock 1953 Ford F100, purchased in October of 1956 by Otto Rhodes, The Mountian Pearl has been modified from stem to stern by Otto and acclaimed builders Bill Dickie and Howard “Smokey” Gentemann. The restrained chopped top gracefully transitions into the wildly period nose featuring the front fenders pulled inward 5”, custom roll pan and a smoothed hood. The wild grill stylings are based upon a pair of canted 1958 Lincoln headlights framing a sectioned and inverted grill from a 1955 Chevrolet pickup that is used to border expanded metal adorned with drawer pulls and gold backings. All frenched in by round 2” tubing that has been welded and leaded to to make the wild face of the truck flow seamlessly. 1958 Oldsmobile bumper tips, acting as running light surrounds, were frenched and molded in to the front roll pan to match the canted 1958 Bel Air tail lights in the rear; both surrounding custom license plate recesses formed to match the grill. Out back another custom rollpan and fenders follow the inward sweep given to the bed, following the theme of the nose. The truck was coated in pearl over white to accentuate the compound rolls and curves of the truck and give it depth. Red candy paint beautifully offsets the chrome and polished surfaces while juxtaposing the white cab, fenders and interior.
The Mountain Pearl was debuted at the Sabers’ car show in the Denver Colliseum where it took home five trophies in the late spring of 1961. Otto’s time showing the car was short lived, however, when his draft number was pulled in October of 1961 and he was sent to Berlin. Bill Dickey continued to show it around the region, winning trophies and gaining enough fame for it to be featured in Hot Rod Magazine in July of 1962. In August of 1962 Hot Rod Magazine released its first color issue and brought The Mountain Pearl back a second time to be featured in full color.
Upon his return from Berlin in 1963, Otto Rhodes tore the truck down to be revamped before returning to the show circuit. Progress slowed over the next decade. A new front crossmember was formed and a twin I-beam front end replaced the straight axle. The stroked Oldsmobile rocket motor was replaced by a Ford 360, adorned with a Galaxie 406 Tripower intake a backed by a C6 transmission, and was traded for the copious amount of chrome under the car. Including the springs, axles, track bars, pedals, master cylinder, running boards, etc. The interior was gutted and firewall removed before marriage and a family took precedence and progress came to a screeching halt in 1973.
Fast forward a few decades and the truck still sits stagnant. The cool and dry mountain air has preserved the chrome parts and pristine metalwork beautifully. But Otto finally realizes that he will not be the one to finish it and decides to sell it to Tom Pagano .
Tom Pagano, who, with the aid of his son TJ, runs Pagano Rod and Custom out of Sacramento, California. For the last few decades he has been showing cars around the Western US recieveing trophies, articles and acclaim of his own. Nearly a half century earlier Tom had seen The Mountain Pearl at local show in Colorado and attributes his entire career with custom cars to that specific event. When he undertook the task of restoring The Mountain Pearl, the responsibility weighed heavily on him and he stayed in touch closely with Otto throughout the build.
The body was kept virtually untouched with the exception of body and paint. Being a masterful leadworker, Tom was determined to keep with tradition and finished the body in lead and without the use of filler.
Inside the cab, the interior beckons back to the futuristic theme that overwhelmed 1960’s customs. NOS 1964/1965 Ford Thunderbird gauges hang above the plexi-glass firewall that displays the engines candy and chrome. A floating steering column accents the sparse motif and is topped by a 1961 Oldsmobile steering wheel. The frames of swivel bucket seats out of a Chevrolet Monte Carlo were customized and covered by famous upholsterer Howdy Ledbetter who kept the followed the color and style themes throughout the rest of the interior and inside the bed.
Since its restoration, The Mountain Pearl has received tremendous acclaim and placing first in virtually every car show it has attended. In addition to being a cover car for Rod & Custom in October of 2009, Hotrod and Restoration in August of 2009, and the not yet released fall 2009 issue of Kustoms Illustrated, it has been featured in the Goodguys Goodtime Gazette in June 2009 as well as being featured in many show coverage articles in numerous magazines.
The Mountain Pearl had a brief but illustrious and influential career in the hot rod and custom circuit in the early 1960’s.
Based upon a stock 1953 Ford F100, purchased in October of 1956 by Otto Rhodes, The Mountian Pearl has been modified from stem to stern by Otto and acclaimed builders Bill Dickie and Howard “Smokey” Gentemann. The restrained chopped top gracefully transitions into the wildly period nose featuring the front fenders pulled inward 5”, custom roll pan and a smoothed hood. The wild grill stylings are based upon a pair of canted 1958 Lincoln headlights framing a sectioned and inverted grill from a 1955 Chevrolet pickup that is used to border expanded metal adorned with drawer pulls and gold backings. All frenched in by round 2” tubing that has been welded and leaded to to make the wild face of the truck flow seamlessly. 1958 Oldsmobile bumper tips, acting as running light surrounds, were frenched and molded in to the front roll pan to match the canted 1958 Bel Air tail lights in the rear; both surrounding custom license plate recesses formed to match the grill. Out back another custom rollpan and fenders follow the inward sweep given to the bed, following the theme of the nose. The truck was coated in pearl over white to accentuate the compound rolls and curves of the truck and give it depth. Red candy paint beautifully offsets the chrome and polished surfaces while juxtaposing the white cab, fenders and interior.
The Mountain Pearl was debuted at the Sabers’ car show in the Denver Colliseum where it took home five trophies in the late spring of 1961. Otto’s time showing the car was short lived, however, when his draft number was pulled in October of 1961 and he was sent to Berlin. Bill Dickey continued to show it around the region, winning trophies and gaining enough fame for it to be featured in Hot Rod Magazine in July of 1962. In August of 1962 Hot Rod Magazine released its first color issue and brought The Mountain Pearl back a second time to be featured in full color.
Upon his return from Berlin in 1963, Otto Rhodes tore the truck down to be revamped before returning to the show circuit. Progress slowed over the next decade. A new front crossmember was formed and a twin I-beam front end replaced the straight axle. The stroked Oldsmobile rocket motor was replaced by a Ford 360, adorned with a Galaxie 406 Tripower intake a backed by a C6 transmission, and was traded for the copious amount of chrome under the car. Including the springs, axles, track bars, pedals, master cylinder, running boards, etc. The interior was gutted and firewall removed before marriage and a family took precedence and progress came to a screeching halt in 1973.
Fast forward a few decades and the truck still sits stagnant. The cool and dry mountain air has preserved the chrome parts and pristine metalwork beautifully. But Otto finally realizes that he will not be the one to finish it and decides to sell it to Tom Pagano .
Tom Pagano, who, with the aid of his son TJ, runs Pagano Rod and Custom out of Sacramento, California. For the last few decades he has been showing cars around the Western US recieveing trophies, articles and acclaim of his own. Nearly a half century earlier Tom had seen The Mountain Pearl at local show in Colorado and attributes his entire career with custom cars to that specific event. When he undertook the task of restoring The Mountain Pearl, the responsibility weighed heavily on him and he stayed in touch closely with Otto throughout the build.
The body was kept virtually untouched with the exception of body and paint. Being a masterful leadworker, Tom was determined to keep with tradition and finished the body in lead and without the use of filler.
Inside the cab, the interior beckons back to the futuristic theme that overwhelmed 1960’s customs. NOS 1964/1965 Ford Thunderbird gauges hang above the plexi-glass firewall that displays the engines candy and chrome. A floating steering column accents the sparse motif and is topped by a 1961 Oldsmobile steering wheel. The frames of swivel bucket seats out of a Chevrolet Monte Carlo were customized and covered by famous upholsterer Howdy Ledbetter who kept the followed the color and style themes throughout the rest of the interior and inside the bed.
Since its restoration, The Mountain Pearl has received tremendous acclaim and placing first in virtually every car show it has attended. In addition to being a cover car for Rod & Custom in October of 2009, Hotrod and Restoration in August of 2009, and the not yet released fall 2009 issue of Kustoms Illustrated, it has been featured in the Goodguys Goodtime Gazette in June 2009 as well as being featured in many show coverage articles in numerous magazines.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
I'm rich...
Wow, I made a dollar-thirteen on my retirement investments last quarter... With the total balance I am good for brunch and a matinee!
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