There are some things that have no comparison and have no reference point. Bob Motz’s truck is one of them. The beastly machine has been hitting drag strips since the late 1970s with Motz’s career stretching back to the 1960s. Motz was a mechanic and then a driver for both Walter and Art Arfons over the course of his career before deciding to build this masterpiece as an exhibition act. Not only did it succeed, the damned thing has to be in the top five most awe inspiring fans have ever seen hit the strip. This video put lots of smiles on faces, except for the guy who has the worst job in NHRA history. More on that in a minute.
The truck that Motz uses now is a new piece. This is the original in the video. Motz was the first guy to top 150 in a jet truck and the first to top 200. Back in 1981 he had a couple of seasons of running this beast under his belt and obviously it was a big enough deal for the NHRA to invite him down to the Gatornationals that year to make a couple rips for the crowd. If you have ever seen jet cars before, the only way to describe the rig is basically similar to a jet car but with a bass and thunder to it that the other machines cannot compare to. It is the same level of bad ass in 1981 as it is today in 2017.
So about this worst job in the NHRA thing. We feel like the worst NHRA job ever was being the GUY IN CHARGE OF HOLDING THE TREE AS THE TRUCK WENT DOWN THE TRACK! I get why they did it. I have seen Motz destroy trees on purpose. That being said, the dude with his back turned and basically praying loudly is at the mercy of the direction of the turbine and whatever crud it manages to kick up off the track. I’m not sure I would have signed up for that job!
i use to work the starting line at thompson dragway so got to stand next to the truck during runs
We certainly appreciate Mr. Bob Motz and team for what they have done as long as they have been around. Many people on a dark, rain soaked evening in Bristol, Tennessee ( Thunder Valley Dragway as it was known) during a natinal IHRA event in the late nineties where no one really wanted to leave the track because of the great racing action that had been seen there, Mr. Bob Motz was up ready to make a run in the Jet Kenworth when the rain started. The rain eased off some but it looked like action was to be halted the rest of the night and the music, lights, even lasers came on to lighten the place when I think it was Bret Kepner or one of the announcers said that Mr. Bob Motz was going to run the Jet anyway, (they joked to “try and dry the track”) most of us thought he was joking but then sure enough Mr. Bob Motz and team fired the jet truck up and although he made a complete run from burner pops to actual pass, it was not at full speed but lets just say he was not just easing down either. Talk about a show, I think we were all a little stunned as to what we witnessed that evening and for that matter that weekend. I had respect for Mr. Bob Motz before that but after that weekend there was no doubt that every chance we get to refer to that one of many instances, we would refer to him as MR. BOB MOTZ
Agree that holding the tree or equipment down as the Jets go by is definitely a tough job but one some of us would be willing to do. Years ago we were regulars at one of our local (now sadly closed drag strips) in Hudson, NC where we were invited to help work the track for that evening so of course we thought it would be an awesome idea. They had four or so alcohol funny cars there, remember Bobby Baucom, Monty Todd, and a couple of other fast cars plus others testing and grudge racing too. Then they tell us we could work the top end that evening and one of the track officials would be up there with us with a walkie talkie radio to signal all clear at top end and send the next pair. We still thought that was awesome, and it was a great experience. Yes we joked off and on about how the top end was laid out and how these close to 200 mph in the 1/8th mile cars were coming straight at us with little room for error for us or the drivers but we would do it all again in a second. Everyone had a great time and stayed safe so to us there was no better place to be at that time. The ones that were there that night saw alot and laughed alot as to the cool and sometimes strangest things happened there. (THE late Great Mr. Dick Rosberg ran a track record 200 plus mph there one night) (Top Sportsman then aka Quick Eight now known as Pro Modified race was held there in early1990 with local Sam Snyder’s camaro, Charles Carpenter’s 1955 chevy, Rob Vandergriff’s 1957 chevy, Ken Regenthal’s vette, Tommy Mauney I think was there, Scotty Cannons willys Ed Hoover’s camaro, Michael Martin’s camaro i believe, and a couple more I can’t recall right now, what a day) Thanks for Everything and keep up the great things you do.
I seem to recall one of the jet car jockeys managed to put 3 jets on their beast, but NHRA stepped in with their size 1320 boots and said that there could be no more than 2 engines on any car. I believe it was Mr. Motz. This happened some time between 1981 & 1984. There was an early season event at New England Dragway with jet cars, and the 3 engine behemoth was there. Then at a late-season event, the 3rd one was gone. The track announcer was giving his 2 cents-worth about how stupid he thought it was. I will have to look thru my old photos, but I seem to think I looked before and didn’t have any shots with the 3 engines. Ehhh…