Last weekend Quaker City Dragway held a huge nostalgia race and generally speaking, it was pretty awesome. There were dozens and dozens of funny cars there from the Great Lakes Nostalgia Funny Car Circuit, the Ohio Outlaw AA/ Gasser group, and hundreds more cars all competing at the revitalized track. The event was packed and by all accounts, it was an awesome time. Unfortunately it was not an awesome time for gasser competitor Dave Cobb who went on a really rough ride in his Finders Keepers Willys. As you will see, the car really gets mashed and according to announcer Bret Kepner’s words, Cobb was on the way to climbing out as this video ends.
The Ohio Outlaw AA/Gassers are a cool group. We have seen them in action all over the country at both NHRA national events and other exhibitions. They are a tight knit group and support each other during a crazy racing season. The cars run the eighth mile and while they are not 100% period correct for their era, they are pretty close and encapsulate everything people love about these machines. The different bodies, the straight axles, the high riding stance, the blown engines, and the cool paint.
You can see Cobb’s car get upset right around the eighth mile. We do not know the cause of the wreck but once the car gets unhappy it turns on its side and slides directly across the strip, hitting the wall face first. The high center of gravity that these cars showcase certainly did not help but we’re thinking that even a “modern” chassis car would have been virtually impossible to save under these circumstances as well. The car turns, catches the air, and Cobb is just along for the ride.
Here’s to hoping that Dave and the car are both mending and back at the track soon!
Credit Dawn Mazi-Hovsepian with the exceptional video.