(Photo by Paul Broughton) – He was paralyzed by a sniper’s bullet during the Korean War and while he was restricted to a wheelchair for the majority of his life, Raymond Godman rose to become one of the sport’s earliest stars. Godman was also instrumental in working with the NHRA in helping to get the sport of drag racing to grow deep and permanent roots in the Mid-South, especially his native Memphis area where Godman was, until recent passing, well know as a big time legend in the world of drag racing and hot rodding. Many people today may be more familiar with Godman as a fixture on the Cacklefest scene where he would often bring multiple cars to thunder the night with. We were always so impressed with his ability to zip around in his wheelchair and keep tabs on two machines at the same time while others struggled with one!

After using the use of his legs due to the gunshot wound he received in Korea, Godman took a couple of years to settle his life out and then became interested in drag racing when he realized that he would not be able to participate in the world of stock car racing as he had in the past. Godman reached out to Wally Parks to lend help in working to get drag racing and the NHRA established in his home region. That initial contact would lead to a lifelong friendship with the NHRA founder and many of the sports great foundational names.

Godman’s racing career was defined by owning and tuning hard running, competitive, reliable cars. People around the country knew who what the Tennessee Bo-Weevil team was all about. Running in classes like AA/Comp and working his way up through the ranks, Godman opened his own track, Lakeland Dragstrip. This was the same place featured in the movie Two Lane Blacktop that many readers are familiar with. A guy named Buster Couch worked for Godman at that track as a starter and it was Godman who put Wally Parks onto Couch as someone who might be a good fit as a Division 2 director when the job was created. Pretty cool!

Godman made the move to top fuel in 1970, now racing with his most well known driver, Preston Davis. Davis was a great wheelman and a strong mechanic. The tandem were successful winning many match races and picking up wins at points meets as well. They transitioned into funny cars by the middle 1970s and by the end of the decade they had gone their separate ways with Godman concentrating on running his Godman hi-performance company and Davis making a life for himself outside of the sport.

In a great twist, the two longtime friends got back together during the rise of the Cacklefest phenomenon. Davis was restoring some of Godman’s cars and the two picked it right up where they left off. Over the last 10 years it has been rare to be at an event where classic nitro was going to be burned and NOT see Godman and Davis in the pits or running a fire belching car on the track to the delight of fans.

Raymond Godman lived a long and full life. A life that showed very clearly that a man is only ever limited by his own mind, not his means of moving about the world. The Tennessee Bo-Weevil cars were a representation of Godman’s passion and love for drag racing. The fact that the mid-south is the hotbed of competition that it is today is also due in some part to his hard work and dedication during the earliest stages of the sport’s development.

Ray Godman will be missed.