Gerard Milidantri’s Wicked 1 Anglia
We caught up with Gerard and The Wicked 1 at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, New Jersey. The Wicked 1 is a 1948 Anglia two-door sedan owned by Gerard Milidantri from Suffern, New York. He’s the general manager of an aerospace company that overhauls turbine engines and, on the weekends, he runs the Anglia at Southeast Gasser events.
The SEGA brings back Drag Racing from the late sixties and the cars must have period-correct parts that you could only buy up until 1967 and no later. Absolutely no modern electronics, automatic transmissions, or electronic fuel injection is allowed in any competing cars. What you will find are open headers and a 4-speed, a perfect combination for wheels up launches.
This Anglia was hand-built in Pennsylvania in the late sixties by a fellow named G.K. Bernard. It was later purchased by SEGA emcee Quain Stott.
The first time Gerard saw the Anglia was at a SEGA event in 2019. It made such an impression that he sold his Corvette and decided to pursue SEGA racing. In 2021 Gerard and Quain struck a deal, and he purchased the Anglia.
The body is a 3-inch chopped steel body with a fiberglass tilt nose, doors, and trunk lid. The body rides on a custom-built boxed frame with a straight axle and leaf springs up front and a 9-inch Ford rear end suspended by 5-inch coil springs. Old school wheelie bars hang out from under the bumper. Rolling stock consists of classic 15×4.5 and 15×10 Ansen slot wheels.
The power is provided by a 378 cubic-inch small-block Chevy fed by two Holley 660 CFM center squirt-style carbs mounted on a vintage Weiand Tunnel Ram. Gerard estimates it’s making approximately 650 horsepower. The fumes exit through custom headers built by Donovan Stott.
The hi-revving small-block is hooked up to a Jerico four-speed manual transmission.
Gerard said he’s had the Anglia sideways, on two wheels, and even hit the wall but he’s having a blast!
Photos by, Mike Salemme 2021
