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When you see a green striped digger idling
its way to the starting line with its blown Chrysler whispering
violently, a touch of flame from the headers and a bold, yet
unobtrusive, Beebe and Mulligan logo outlined on the nose, hang
loose . . . here comes the "baddest" in the land. Driver
John Mulligan usually stages carefully and kind of quiet, if
a fuel dragster can be quiet, and grabs a handful of brake; no
noisy throttle winging to get the crowd's attention (the track
announcer usually handles that). Then the spectators rise with
a muffled roar: "Moe's gonna make a pass." The R's
come up as the starting system counts down.As the lust yellow
light fades, the clutch is released with vigor and the loud pedal
firmly |
mashed to the wood . . . the
resulting charge at the timing lights is a sight to behold. The
machine moves about 100 feet and starts to haze the tires. Flames
rise three feet above the headers. The big chizler starts to
sing in the mid-range and begins its top-end charge. Mulligan
works the steering with little effort as he guides the fastest
accelerating machine in the history of mankind to its target
one quarter of a mile away, Approaching the lights the car is
a green blur . . . and then silence. The motor cuts clean. The
P. A. system crackles with the sound of an excited announcer.
The spectators await reassurance of something they already know.
Fast time and low e.t. . . . AGAIN. (continued on page 2) |
2. The pair that are responsible for the "Rail
of the Year": Tim Beebe, left, and John Mulligan.