TOP FUEL DRAGSTER FULLER-ROBERTS STARLITE III [Vendu]

À l’ère de la course où les dispositifs de sécurité étaient principalement constitués par un arceau et un harnais de sécurité, les dragsters Top Fuel étaient l’attraction majeure en termes de compétition automobile. Allumant leurs pneus arrière dans un tonnerre de feu et de fumée, ils emplissaient les foules de folie.

Ce dragster a été construit en 1964 pour le patron de Pomona Drag Strip, Chuck Griffith par Kent Fuller, qui était réputé pour ses prouesses techniques. Pour ce modèle il s’est appuyé sur Arnie Roberts qui a construit un châssis en aluminium.

Fuller était le constructeur incontournable des années 60, fournissant un châssis clé en main à toutes les meilleures équipes et pilotes.

Construit en seulement 3 mois à la fin de 1964, le Starlite a été présenté dans le numéro de février 1965 du magazine Hot Rod. Au printemps, il a été expédié en Angleterre pour la tournée européenne organisée par la National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). En mars 1966, il est apparu dans le célèbre Championnat américain Smokers U.S Fuel and Gas à Bakersfield, en Californie.

Chuck Griffith a non seulement piloté ce dragster lui-même, mais il en a également construit le moteur qui est alimenté au nitro-méthane.
Entre 1966 et 1970, il a participé à de nombreux événements sur la côte ouest. Il s’est qualifié pour le Top Fuel Eliminator aux NHRA Winternationals de 1970. Ce jour là, le Starlite a parcouru le quart de mile en 7,5 secondes et plus à 200 miles par heure!

La voiture a été retirée de la compétition active au milieu des années 1970. Bill Turney a acheté la voiture en 1999 et a entamé une restauration complète pour lui redonner sa propre gloire des années 1960.
La restauration a été achevée en 2007 et la voiture est apparue au California Hot Rod Reunion. Tous les efforts ont été faits pour remettre la voiture exactement comme elle l’était dans les années 1960.
Tous les lettrages sur la voiture ont été peints à la main (pas de graphiques en vinyle) et des décalcomanies correctes ont été fournies par le musée Wally Parks NHRA.

Le cœur de tout dragster est son moteur, et ce moteur est celui que vous souhaitez vous propulser sur la piste. Un moteur V8 suralimenté Chrysler Hemi de 400 Ci surmonté d’un énorme Ccompresseur Clayton / Mooneyham GMC 6-71, construit par Ray Ferry, assure une puissance disons… suffisante.

En février 2009, le dragster a fait sa première apparition chez Canepa. Sans surprise, le Starlite s’est vendu rapidement à son actuel propriétaire qui est resté son gardien pendant plus de 10 ans..

AUjourd’hui, Starlite III, restauré à ses spécifications d’origine est le témoin incontournable des « Top Fuels  » des sixties/seventies.


On sale, 1964 Fuller/Roberts Starlite III Top Fuel Dragster.

Owned and driven by Pomona Drag Strip manager, Chuck Griffith
Built by renowned builder Kent Fuller, body formed by Arnie Roberts 
2,000 + horsepower 400 Cubic Inch Chrysler Hemi Supercharged V8 engine
Quarter mile time 7.5+ seconds – 200+ miles per hour 
Restored by Bill Turney in 2007.

In the era of racing when safety features were mostly a roll bar and some seat belts, Top Fuel dragsters were the trump card of all race cars. Lighting up the rear tires and bellowing pillars of fire and smoke, crowds gathered and covered their ears to get a glimpse of these nitro-methane-powered monsters. When the tree turned green, all 1,500+ horsepower coursed through the rear axle and rocketed the drivers to insane speeds in seconds. Fireballs erupted from the ends of the open headers as they made their way down the drag strip, with crowds cheering as their favorite racer made it to the finish line. Top Fuel was easily cemented as of the most raw and powerful forms of racing to ever grace motorsport.

This dragster was built in 1964 for Pomona Drag Strip manager Chuck Griffith. Built by Kent Fuller, who was renowned for his engineering prowess, and a hand-formed aluminum body by Arnie Roberts. Fuller was the go-to builder of the 60’s, supplying turn-key chassis to all of the top teams and drivers of the day. In addition to Fuller and Roberts’ efforts, the rest of the names of the talented individuals who helped build this car reads like a who’s who list of the Southern California drag racing industry. The padded interior was done by Tony Nancy, Ray Muller supplied the aluminum fuel tank and drive shaft cover, the Summers Brothers supplied the rear end and axles, and Mickey Thompson supplied the rear axle housing. In addition, Weland, Donovan, Hays, Crager, and Airheart also supplied various parts of the car.

Built in just 3 months at the end of 1964, the Starlite dragster was featured in the 1965 February issue of Hot Rod magazine. In the spring it was shipped to England for the National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) month-long European tour. In March of 1966 it appeared at the famous Smokers U.S. Fuel and Gas Championships in Bakersfield, California. Pulling double duty, Chuck Griffith not only raced the dragster himself but he also built the nitromethane engine. Between 1966 and 1970 it competed in numerous events up and down the West Coast. It qualified for Top Fuel Eliminator at the 1970 NHRA Winternationals. In the day, the car ran the quarter mile in 7.5+ seconds at 200 + miles per hour!

The car was retired from active competition in the mid 1970s. Bill Turney purchased the car in 1999 and began a full restoration to bring it back its proper glory of the 1960s. The restoration was completed in 2007 and the car appeared at the California Hot Rod Reunion. Every effort was made to put the car back to exactly as it was in the 1960s. All the lettering on the car was hand painted (not vinyl graphics) and correct period-correct decals were supplied by the Wally Parks NHRA museum.

The heart of any dragster is its engine, and this engine is the one you’d want propelling you down the drag strip. A 400 cubic inch Chrysler Hemi supercharged V8 engine topped with a massive Clayton/Mooneyham GMC 6-71 blower, built by Ray Ferry, ensures plenty of power to smoke the competition.

In February of 2009 the dragster made its first appearance at Canepa after being purchased from Bill Turney. Unsurprisingly, the Starlite sold quickly to its most recent owner who remained as its caretaker for over 10 years, only recently returning to Canepa for a second time.

This rare piece of dragster history is ready for its next owner looking for something a little different but the pure essence of motorsport. Early Top Fuel dragsters were the purest essence of racing that a driver could get and gained them the reputation of being the “baddest” ride. Now this Starlite III, restored back to its original specifications and with some of the best names in the racing helping build this car, it is nothing short of a stunning example of early Top Fuel racers.