(Words and Photos Darr Hawthorne)
Veteran Nitro Racer to the Dark Side?
We’ve now heard from a number of sources that multi-event and March Meet Top Fuel Dragster winner Adam Sorokin will soon be sitting behind the butterflies of a nitro funny car.
After a call to Sorokin, the second-generation driver was quick to say, “No, I’m not giving up my Champion Speed Shop top fuel ride with Bobby McLennan, I’ve been offered an opportunity to shakedown the “Nitro Express” Dodge Charger owned Tom Burke and Carl Stillwell. But no, I am not going over to the “dark side” of funny cars and getting out of the dragster cockpit, I’ll be driving their funny car in testing and in a few events that don’t conflict with the dragster schedule.”
The car was formerly campaigned by SoCal racer Gary Messenger as the “Future Flash” and has a cool drag racing pedigree, the funny car chassis was a former Roland Leong “Hawaiian” and the fiberglass body was an original, vintage Gene Snow “Snowman”. Since the body weighs an estimated 400 pounds, the team is currently looking at lighter, more modern alternatives. Messenger’s car often ran in the 5.90’s at over 230 miles per hour with drivers like Mendy Fry and Dennis Taylor.
Co-owner Tom Burke said that, “Adam is a great driver, an old friend and with his experience he’ll be helping with the set-up of our Mike Patterson-built engine and also help in getting the trailer together for racing.”
According to Sorokin, they’ll soon be testing and hope to make it to the final Saturday Night Nitro event on September 7th at Auto Club Famoso Raceway near Bakersfield.
This weekend, the second Saturday Night Nitro event of the year at Famoso Raceway looks to attract at least thirteen nitro funny cars, some nostalgia top fuelers, nitro Harleys and then they’ll finish off the evening with dueling jet cars, the Terminal Velocity and the MavTV Missile.
There are two big nitro sessions at 8:30 and 10:30 PM with Dan Horan Jr. and his Ronnie Swearingen-tuned “Patriot” ’66 Mustang funny car leading the series with a June 15th win, while runner-up Robert Overholser, driving Don Nelson’s “California Hustler” is close behind wanting to knock off the leader. Gates open at 5:00 PM on Friday and Noon on Saturday for a $20 ticket on Saturday with kids under 12 free with a paid adult and the first 500 kids get a free event poster and a Hot Wheels car.
There’s more info on Saturday Night Nitro at: http://www.famosoraceway.com/snn.htm
but man is that FC sexy!