Now this is a legit jaw dropper. You are about to see some really amazing footage, shot at Maple Grove Raceway in the mid 1970s which shows young Jake Crimmins making a test rip in Jungle Jim’s Funny Car. Crimmins would go on to be a hired driver for Jim, perhaps stemming from this very session where he wheels the car to a then Maple Grove funny car track record of 6.33 seconds. But the clip is so much more than the run.
It is exceedingly rare to see people in their “natural” environment. This is shot kind of shotgun documentary style. It is not artistic, it is not over-produced, it is raw and real. It is also up-close and personal. No one is hamming it up for the camera, instead everyone is doing their job and taking it pretty seriously. Those people include Crimmins who seems almost grimly determined to do a good job here.
We believe this was a return to the sport for Crimmins after recovering from a crash, which if our research is correct makes the track record even MORE gutsy. Jake would suffer a fire in this car at Pomona the the year this video was made, which we think is 1976 or 1977. Lastly we like the short scene in the pits after the run were Jim is having to kind of shoo fans and gawkers away from an area so they can do their work.
What a raw, real, and awesome thing to watch!
