THE BIRD IS THE WORD

Words and photos courtesy of Dan Ricks

By 'Animal Jim' Feurer

Words and photos by Dan Ricks

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Text and photos by Dan Ricks

Text and photos by Dan Ricks

Words and images by Dan Ricks

Words and images by Dan Ricks

Give It A Name For 1990, the IHRA created the new door car professional class and named it PRO MODIFIED. It was to be a 16 car qualified payout similar to their Mountain Motor class. Pro Mod would be raced heads up with a ladder just like the other professional classes. Nitrous Oxide and Super Chargers adhering to IHRA special rules would be allowed. NOS was once again with me. A young pedantic layman asked me once if I ever ran nitrous oxide before. I replied: “ Son---I have used enough nitrous since 1981—It would put this whole county to sleep, and wake up laughing!” I added, “Always legally mind you!” My first purpose built Pro Modified car, and one of the first Pro Mods was built by Rick Jones. Rich was owner of the new chassis shop, RJ Race Cars in Galesburg, Illinois. Rick Jones, became a sponsor and partner with my new Pro Modified Ford Probe. My Probe and the Wild Bill Kuhlmann Summit Sponsored Beretta were the bench marks for the new IHRA Pro Mod section in their rule book. Rick was on the phone constantly bantering with the IHRA rule makers like Robert Leonard. Robert really got nervous when we told him about putting the fuel cell up front like a blown car. The specs for doing so were ridiculous. But we did it how they specified. I never did score a major sponsor, but many new associate sponsors came to my Probe into the future party. Rick Jones owner of RJ RACE CARS was the biggest. VFN Fiberglass made us a fiber glass body with separate doors, nose, rear deck lid, and hood scoop and dash board. Some of the IHRA rule makers were nervous about allowing a glass body. VFN had enough clout to handle that. Along with VFN, Bob Stroud supplied great parachutes. Strange Engineering stepped up with more help and the late Jim Ray owner of Hawkins Speed Shop in Richmond, In. also jumped in. Thanks to Mike Thermos of NOS bringing MSD and Hooker Headers to my Probe Pro Mod party. BME supplied pistons and rods. I already had Comp Cams support, Sunoco Fuel, Pennzoil, VHT, Animal Alert deer whistles, A great Custom paint job by Dave and Keith McCoy of K and D Custom Body Shop, House of Powder, Centerline Wheels, Polydyn 7 Additives and Coatings, K&N Filters, FelPro Gaskets, Jim Naramore of Jims Racing Enterprises, Kevin Lee owner of Kleeco Enterprises, US Strange Ring and Pinions, and Ram Clutches. The new Lenco 4 Speed and Hurst shifter, I had to pay WD for. The same deal for a new super light weight Ram carbon fiber clutch. I also made deposit on a new Kaase/AR 700” Ford Boss Hemi that we did not get till August of 91. But it was worth the wait. That new 700 inch “Big Boy” Jon Kaase Engine put the ”Psychotic Probe” right in the constant 6 second quarter mile et range and accompanied with consistent 200 + mph runs. Even with all the associate sponsors help, this new race car was going to cost Linda and I a bunch out of pocket. The engine alone was $45,000 plus new Lenco transmission and miscellaneous expenses; we needed about 50 more grand. Where? How? Well I will tell you where and how! A short term note from our local Lacon National Bank. Thanks to my Linda Lou she set up a line of credit with them several years ago. She took a press kit, match race contracts, and magazine and news articles over to the bank president. He was so impressed he gave us a loan. One of my very close Indy car friends Max Kelly told me, “I am not sure who has bigger balls? You or your banker?” I did close my shop, made it Animal Jim Racing headquarters. All through my professional drag racing career, many times my Linda Lou and I would jump off the cliff of opportunity and hoped to grow financial wings on the way down, to make it work. Somehow we always did. Something I want to make very clear. What I am telling, as always, is my interpretation of those grand days and what I sought and experienced. I realize everyone has their own memories of those glorious days of yore. They are welcome to them as am I, till I die. Now with all that said. Let’s probe forward with my memories of Rick Jones building my first magnificent Pro Modified car. It is enough of a chore to build a car from a pile of tubing. Rick was building a modified version for a new class. The 1990 Probe was to be a full purpose Pro Modified race car. A bench mark, if you will. We were falling behind getting it done. The eyes of media, sponsors, and promoters were bugging us. So Rick and I, his employees, my crew and friends all pitched in to finish the Probe. It was not the way to build a proto type race car. My old Aunt Ann Feurer proverb was: Too many cooks in the kitchen cook up trouble. Finally the Probe was done. Or was it? Do to showers our test runs were during Pro Mod qualifying at IHRA Spring Nationals at Bristol, Then. Do to wiring mistake my rev limiter went off at 6000 rpm during the run. Joe Pando MSD rep came and corrected the problem right away. We used all 4 qualifying sessions correcting problems. Consequently we got bumped out of the IHRA SPRING NATIONALS. The next outing was the annual Ford Motor Craft Nationals at Maple Grove, PA. I was booked as Exhibition with Wayne Torkelson, Ronnie Sox and Norm Wizner as always. We did run respectable that week end. People went nuts over our new RJ Probe. We ran 7,0 s at 198 mph. Fans stood in line 40 at a time as my Linda Lou handed hero cards and sold Animal Jim Shirts. I signed hundreds of autographs. After another successful match race at Columbus , Ohio, we had a USSC event for July 4th. at Norwalk , Ohio. The new Probe now had 11 runs on it. But still no 200 mph. The first run at the USSC event on July 4th. made 12 total runs so far on the new Probe. It rang up a 7.07 et and a 199.9 mph. Before we got back to our pit , Bret Kepner already put a crude sign on my trailer; “Ho Hum ! Just another 199.9 run! But on the next run was 7.00 and 202 mph! We were #l1 Qualifier and broke 200 mph. My crew chief Al Schmitt amended the sign soon as we got back. We went over 200 every run after that. We won the event VS Al Billis from Canada. My 666 CI Damien and NOS Foggers had done the job. The 13th run on the Psychotic Probe netted my first of many more 200 mph runs. 13 was always my lucky number. Perhaps it was so because my beautiful late mother’s birthday was the 13th. of July. PS. I also won the burnout contest again. Another $500! Added to the $2500 purse. We also sold a mess of AJ T shirts and I signed countless autographs. And garnered more match race dates. 1990 delivered several ups and downs. But enough ups to win the 1990 USSC SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP. And even the downs provided valuable information and fond memories. Thank you Rick Jones, NOS, Ram clutches, Roland Rich Ford, Big Time Trading Cards, Rqyal Publishing / Skip Ashcraft, Hawkins Speed shop, MSD, K and D Body Shop, Lacon First National Bank and over a dozen more that helped us. And most of all, a big thank you to our volunteer crew people for 90/91 seasons. Especially Al and Doug Schmitt and Ed Fogelsonger, Danny Smith, Doug Fennell, the late Rick Davis. And of course my catalyst and wife, the late Linda Lou Feurer. The 91 season netted some significant wins. Also Bill Alexander owner of Fun Fords Booked Wayne Torkelson and I for all ten Fun Fords around the US. Plus I had several independent Ford events booked with Ronnie Sox and Norm Wisner. Plus more bookings with Wild Bill Kuhlmann , Wally Bell and more. I had contracts out the Whazoo! 1991 was a very busy year. I still managed to race a couple UDRA events, IHRA events , several USSC events and Broadway Bobs Three Labor Days at Great Lakes Dragway. They all paid me a hefty guarantee! One of my favorite outings was winning the USSC at Epping, N.H. I won by cutting a great light in the final VS Manny Dejesus and his legendary Witch Doctor Chevy. And special thanks to my son in law Doug Fennell and to my crew chief Al Schmitt for bringing my Pro Mod Probe to pick me up at Indy were I was working for the Indianapolis 500 Bear Crew. And thanks to Bear crew chief , the late John Henninger for letting me go race at Epping. I made a pile of needed money that week end. 1991 also entered the NOS pink sun glasses. Dale Vizarian , was Mike Thermos’s partner of NOS showed up at the Aug. Fun Ford with a box full of hot Pink Sunglasses with NOS printed on the lenses. Those NOS pink glasses were a big hit. We offered them in an Animal Jim package deal. A t-shit, hat and throw in a pair of those pink sunglasses. You could see people all over the Norwalk Dragway wearing those glasses. I did not try for any season championship in 91. I followed the match/exhibition money trail. Jon Kaase finally got our new 1300 hp 700” Ford/AR Boss Hemi finished. With NOS Foggers, It made over 2000 hp. Unfortunately, we had to pass on the Cordova annual World Series only 100 miles away and put the engine in the Probe which required several tedious modifications. My other two engines , the 675” Monolith and 666” Damien were tired and needed freshened. My crew including my Linda Lou spent the week end matching the new engine to the Probe. . We had a Big week coming up. Three days at Great Lakes Wisconsin, then Weds. Night with Bill Kuhlmann at Houston, Texas and the week end with Bill and I at McCalin Texas. Over a dozen runs total and several thousand miles traveling. There is so much more to tell about the Probe. But I think I have rode this horse enough. What us old timers started, in 87 with Bill Kuhlmann leading the way, Pro Mod today is now For the rich and crazy brave, and bigger than ever imagined. God Bless all and In the words of the late Bob Fink, “I love yuuse ALL! RIP Bob. Written by Animal Jim June 23/25