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© Ted Pappacena
Photog Web |
Leroy Goldstein (M) from
Allen Park, Michigan
USA
(Comp Nr/Finish:
377 ) |
1971 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 3 |
| "Ramchargers" Owned by The Ramchargers
from
Taylor, Michigan
USA
| Crew Chief: The Ramchargers |
| '70 Dodge Challenger by
Woody Gilmore |
Powered by Supercharged Nitro 426 Chrysler Hemi by Ramchargers with
2 speed manual transmission |
| 1/4 Mile ET: |
6.710 at NHRA Gainesville FL 3/21/71 |
1/4 Mile MPH: |
220.58 at NHRA Gainesville FL 3/21/71 |
| 1000 FT ET: |
Unknown at Unknown |
1000 FT MPH: |
Unknown at Unknown |
| 1/8 Mile ET: |
Unknown at Unknown |
1/8 Mile MPH: |
Unknown at Unknown |
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Entry's 1971 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
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1/4 Mile Rating: ET 76.99,
MPH 82.63 |
Entry is 0.96132 times average ET and 1.06048 times average MPH |
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1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00,
MPH 00.00 |
Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH |
| 1/8 Mile Rating:
ET 00.00,
MPH 00.00 |
Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH |
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| 1971 Records: |
1/4 Mile: 6.480 ET, 227.27 MPH |
1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
1/8 Mile: 4.520 ET, 173.00 MPH |
| 1971 Average: |
1/4 Mile: 6.980 ET, 208.00 MPH |
1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
1/8 Mile: 4.780 ET, 161.29 MPH |
| 1971 Minimum: |
1/4 Mile: 7.480 ET, 194.10 MPH |
1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH |
1/8 Mile: 5.110 ET, 150.87 MPH |
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Notes: Won 1971 Gators in a dominant performance. Quickest and fastest funny car run in history at the time, but by the end of the year, Bill Leavitt lowered the mark to 6.48. | Goldstein was tough to beat driving the "Ramchargers" car in '71. He started the season at Lions on January 10 for the AHRA Grand American. He was the low qualifier of the "seeded" entries with a 7.16. In the first round, he improved to a 6.96/207.85 that beat "Jungle Jim" Liberman's late 6.89/206. Another 7.16 at 201.79 advanced when Don Prudhomme broke a rear end. Unfortunately, Leroy broke in the semifinals against eventual winner Gene Snow. The team then went to Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals. A 7.22/205 qualified #11. Goldstein's 7.16/208.81 beat a Richard Tharp driving the "Blue Max in the opening round.” In round two, he ran 7.14 to beat Mike Snively in Jim Annin's car. He improved to a 7.09 in the semifinals to trailer Jake Johnston driving Snow's second car. He went up against Butch Maas, driving the "Hawaiian" in the final, and despite running his best time of the weekend, a 7.08, he lost to Maas, who stepped up with a 6.93 for the victory. The AHRA Winternationals was held at Beeline Dragway in Arizona, and it featured a 32-car show. Goldstein was one of AHRA's seeded cars (guaranteed a spot in the show), and his 7.19 qualified #4 among that group. A 7.03 beat Ron Sutherland in the first round, but an off-pace 7.39/209.30 in round two lost to Gordon Mineo's 7.28/195. LaPlace held a four-car show before the Gatornationals, and Goldstein was declared the winner by winning all three of his races. He ran 7.09/192.71 to beat Chris Karamesines' new Mustang, a 7.07/189.47 beat Bobby Rowe in the "Super Duster," and he was to race in the final. Pat Minick in the "Chi-Town Hustler." Minick blew his engine on the burnout, and Leroy made an easy pass for the win. At the NHRA Gatornationals, Goldstein dominated the race. He qualified #1 with a 6.80/219.51 and then opened eliminations with a 6.71/220.58 (Low ET and Top Speed) to beat Larry Reyes. In round two, another strong 6.75/220.44 dropped Dick Rosberg's 6.96/190 in the "Fighting Irish" Camaro. He then ran 13.96/59.32 to win in the semifinals when Phil Castronovo had his throttle stick open and crashed into the guardrail. He went up against Rowe in the final. The "Super Duster” had broken in the semifinals and was unable to make the call. So, Leroy ran 9.28 to pick up the win. In April, he won over an eight-car field at Aquasco. There he ran 7.04/199.10 and 7.09 over Tom Sneden and Pete Hill to reach the final, where he faced Sneden again, who had gotten back into the show on the "break rule." Once again, Leroy beat the "Bob Banning" Challenger. The finals times were 7.06/176.12 to Tom's 7.40/183. The "Ramchargers" were at Edgewater for a best of three match against the track record holder, Pat Minick, driving the "Chi-Town Hustler." In the first race, Leroy ran the track's first "six" while beating Minick. He reset his own record with a strong 6.79 to win two straight. Leroy made a third solo pass when Pat could not run after burning a couple of pistons in their second race. Another win came at Capitol Raceway on April 17. There he came away with a 6.81 track record, and in the final, he beat Tommy Grove's Ford-powered car. The following day (April 18), he was at West Palm Beach for the AHRA Pro-Am Championships. There he qualified #2 among the "seeded" cars with a 6.93/207.36. Goldstein got a solo in the first round, but he fouled away a 6.89 against Snow in round two. Goldstein was at US 131 in May for an eight-car show, and while he failed to reach the final, he did reset his own 7.03 track record with his 6.81/210 defeat of Tharp in the first round. Things didn't go so well at Green Valley Raceway for the AHRA Grand American. Leroy beat Ronnie Runyan's Chevy-powered car in the first round, with a 6.98/190.26, but the Challenger got out of shape in the second round while facing Cecil Lankford. Leroy corrected, and the rear end housing ripped free of the chassis. The body flew off, and the car skidded down the track on its chassis. Things weren't right with the car when it showed up at Baton Rouge for the AHRA Southern Nationals. The new rear end wasn't properly aligned, and the car was torn down and rebuilt in the pits. The work paid off with a first-round win over Paul Gordon driving the "Red Baron" with a 7.01/210.77, but in the second round, the car went up in tire smoke and lost to Cecil Lankford in the "Brand X" Mustang. It was then off to Dallas for the NHRA Springnationals. Goldstein had won the race the previous year, but he lost to Rowe in the opening round this time. More bad luck hit the team at Martin, Michigan, on July 3 when they had an engine let go, and the car caught fire. The body started to break up, and the air got inside, lifting the entire car off the track for a short distance before the body broke free. Leroy still went through the lights with a 6.93/213! But the team was already mounting their third Challenger body since the start of the '71 season. The team wasn't down for long as on July 18, Goldstein set Low ET and Top Speed at 6.80/215.32 in qualifying #1 at Englishtown for the NHRA Summernationals. A first-round 6.88/208 beat a fireballing Sam Miller, and in round two, he made an easy solo as the field was short. In the semifinals, Leroy’s 7.02/208 lost to his future employer Leonard Hughes' 6.89/211. Two days later (July 20), the team was at Lebanon Valley for an eight-car show. Unfortunately, Goldstein failed to reach the final. The last weekend of July meant just one thing, the Rockford Manufacturer's Meet. Goldstein won all three of his races, but his times were not good enough to get him into the final round. He started with a 7.01/204.54 over Gary Bolger's 7.03/209 in the "Golddigger." A second-round 6.91/209.30 beat the only GM-powered car at the meet, Dean LaPole's "King Camaro," and a third-round 6.92/198.67 got around Tom McEwen, who broke. August started with a runner-up finish to Tom Hoover at St. Louis for the AHRA Gateway Nationals. A week later (August 7), the team was back at Martin, Michigan, for the PHR Championships. Thirteen cars were attempting to qualify for the eight-car show. All ran the first-round, with the low eight ETs advancing into round two. Goldstein just made the show with his 7.29 getting him the #8 spot. It did him little good as the car came up ailing in the first round, and lost to "Flash Gordon" Mineo's 7.39. On August 15, Leroy was at York US 30 for the AHRA Nationals. He set the Top Speed of the meet on Saturday night during qualifying with a 6.87/220.58. On Sunday, he began eliminations by beating Johnny Roderiques. But in the second round, the team overpowered the track and smoked the tires, losing to Mart Higginbotham. He was back at Martin, Michigan, for a four-car show on August 22, but he and his opponent, Dale Pulde driving the M/T Pinto, probably made the track promotor cry on their first run. Both had their rear ends break free from the chassis. Then came the AHRA Grandnationals at Marion County, Ohio, on August 29. A 6.97/214 qualified #1, and Leroy lasted until round two before smoking the tires and losing to Lankford. If the team didn't already have enough bad luck, the NHRA US Nationals at Indianapolis had more in store. During qualifying, Leroy was making a run with Tom Prock driving Al Bergler's Vega. Prock lost a wheel, veered into Goldstein's lane, and clipped the right rear of the Challenger. The "Ramchargers" team thrashed all night to get the car ready for eliminations, as they had already qualified #8 in the show. All the hard work went for naught as in the opening round, Richard Tharp drove the "Blue Max" to a 6.72/216 to beat Goldstein's 6.93/214. After the Indy race, the team stopped at US 30, Gary, Indiana, for the Larry Reyes Benefit race. All cars were to run one race, with the lowest ET car being declared the winner. Goldstein smoked the tires to a 7.51/203 in a loss to Dick Harrell's 6.99/217. Dick would lose his life two days later in a racing accident in Toronto, Canada. We needless to say, Goldstein did not win that race. Before the month was out, Arnie Behling replaced Goldstein as the driver for this car. |
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Submitted by Danny White, Last updated on Friday, August 27, 2021, 11:39:07 PM by
Ron Howard.
Approved by Super Crew. |
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Rankings updated: 06/14/26 03:04:41 am EDT
