Saga Of A Race Car!
1970 “Super Nova” Funny Car built, owned & driven by Randy Walls

Historic restoration featured on TV Discovery Channel in 2005: In 1997 former racer Randy Walls decided to rejoin the game! All he needed to do was relocate his original/historic “Super Nova” funny car from the 1970’s and then dig into his memory and records and so he could rebuild this piece of racing annals. And that is exactly what he did.

Why reconstruct the past? “If you were around in the early days of the Funny Car class (floppers), then you remember the kind of wild and wooly machines that used to race then.” And Randy’s Nova was one of the wildest with wheel stands and tires smoking sideways-runs over and over again. (Quotes taken from NOVA Chevy’s Little Classic Annual 2004, page 25) So why did he do it, because like many of us he wanted to relive former times. Why restore this particular car? Hey it was one of the first West Coast cars in the 6 second bracket and the only Chevy to go 205, 210 and 216—wow! He found his race car chassis in a barn in Pottstown PA where it had been waiting to return to racing for some 2-decades. Let’s get it done!

With the chassis in hand Randy began searching for parts and sponsors. Before he could even get started he had an invite to display the car at NHRA’s inaugural opening of the Pomona museum in January 1998. Randy located the original mold for the fiberglass car so what was holding him back—nothing.

Let the festivities begin—‘here I come’ says Randy to all the TV show appearances and match races he’s been offered. The 100% original restoration of a Chevy Nova was restored with a 6-71 blower, Hilborn 4 port injection on a big block, and a trend setting chassis with a 20 inch wide frame (compared to the 36” standard in those early years). Randy is quoted as stating, “I found the thing (“Super Nova”) in a barn in Pottstown, PA and am in the process of restoring it. It should be done in April or May, and I have every intention of driving it at tons of the nostalgia events.”

Former glory: In yester years you remember Funny Cars were associated with the East Coast, but in time Gas Ronda, Doug Thorley, Hayden Proffitt, Junior Thompson, Fred Goeske, Dick Landy, Gene Conway, Mike Van Sant, Gordon Mineo, Ray Alley, Big John Mazmanian and Randy Walls became headliners at West Coast area drag strips running over 200-mph.

In those days Randy booked his car all over the country 70 times a season and that means he was a serious ‘travelin’ man.’

Where did Randy get his start? Biloxi, Mississippi circa 1960 he ran a ’57 Chevy and got the grand prize money of $10 for going a hundred miles an hour—wow? Later moving to the West Coast he ran a C/Modified Production ’55 Chevy for two years. (Remember that class?) He ran at Lions, San Diego Raceway and Carlsbad and finally at the ’64 Winternationals—wow was that the year I was there wrenching for Wade Carter when he took A/Stock with his Max Wedge head Dodge…those were the days for many of us old-timers?!?!

In mid-1968 he bought Hayden Proffitt’s Corvair. What a death-defying ride that was! Randy was in pursuit of Frankie Pisano in the “Pisano’s Corvair” when the Pisano car knocked him for a loop at Irwindale Raceway and he broke his back and neck, but by October he was back with his first Nova Funny Car.

Later with a 1970 Nova he entered an 8-car line up at Lions Dragway where they were all trying to hit the elusive 6-second bracket. Here is how it went. He entered. But, unfortunately for Randy, he had loaned a friend his fire suit for a costume party and the guy and fire-suit was nowhere to be found at race time. Plus, as if that wasn’t enough, the officials disqualified him with scales that were malfunctioning that day. But in a moment of frustration—friends to the rescue! Racing buddies helped ‘track down’ the fire suit and convinced Lions that the scales were off.

Here is how Randy describes the line up and race, “For some reason, I can’t remember the date of that race, but I do recall it was two minutes before six when I pulled the car to the line to run. I didn’t even have time to fire it. I just poured in the oil and fuel and went up there. To even my surprise, the car ran incredibly well, and I got a 6.90 time slip, one of the first West Coast Funny Car sixes.” (As reported in National Dragster Weekly, January 30, 1998.)

History relived: Results “Super Nova” winner of the Funny Car Championship Goodguys Pomona Nitro Nationals 2004 where Randy Walls went 6:35 seconds and 222.52 mph, not bad for this piece of racing history, huh?!!!

Were you back at Pomona in 2005 for the 8^th Goodguys Pomona Nitro Nationals August 5, 6 & 7? If you were you remember Randy’s car featured on the race entry form. (“Super Nova” was featured on the ad-flyer.)

What were the nostalgia racing requirements? Format “Heads up”; Chassis: Wheelbase limited to 118” minimum and 125” maximum; Engine: Any block iron/aluminum, 505ci max with superchargers no larger than 6-71, Transmission: Limited two speed planetary; Tires: Maximum 34.5x17; Ignition: Limited to single point type mag/coil ignition only; Body: Limited to pre-1980 American.

So in the long run what do we know about this guy Randy Walls? He’s a die-hard Chevy guy who’s made a living racing and building cars. Does he have any race secrets to share with all of us?

Well they wouldn’t be secrets if we told you, but maybe just one. On an occasion long-long ago Randy rented a Hertz rental car, a Nova. He filled the seams of the trunk, doors and hood with green clay, removed all door handles, wipers and trim-pieces then covered the Nova with cellophane. Then, he laid down strips of soaked material into hardening agents and left them to dry. Thus, the mold for a “Super Nova” original car in the 1970’s was created with some serious ingenuity, BUT WHAT WOULD HE DO for the “restoration project” since only the chassis was intact from his barn find in Pennsylvania? Listen to his comments: I started calling all the fiberglass manufacturing companies but they were extinct. So now go back to square one and get someone to let me borrow his Nova to make a mold out of it—I don’t think so, they’re classics now. However, when I was at my whit’s end I found the original mold in a backyard in Lemon Grove California. Amazing the mold after sitting for 30 years was still in good shape—thus adding to the ever growing ‘saga of a race car.’ Now all he needed to do was make the fiberglass car from the ‘old mold’ and have professional painter Mark Bauer paint the car with the original Charcoal Gray with yellow accents and Murano Pearl. (For your info Mark is now wrenching with Randy crew in the pits.) Remember this is a secret? 

What about the rest of the story? As most West Coast fans know Randy Walls is now running his contemporary Chevy II (NOT his historic car!) in nostalgia racing. He did this up until the 16^th Annual California Hot Rod Reunion where his car exploded in fire at 300 foot mark. In the annuals of drag racing this is one of those scary moments where a weld on the gas tank began leaking nitro at the starting line and at the end of the run the car was ‘burnt-toast’. Randy scathed through this event with little harm to himself. You can view the actual run with 100’s of shots by several professional photographers at http://www.WeDidItForLove.com/2007-CHRR-6.html . Take the time to see some incredible photography. We are happy Randy made it through with minor injuries and is doing well where he lives to race at his long-time home in the hills east of San Diego California. Randy will continue to race, so when you see him at the next nostalgia event with his Chevy’s running again take the time to say hi and meet one of racings historic driver-builder-owners who is just one of us!

Historic Reconstruction Details

Engine: A Chevrolet 427 block with Hilborn injection and 6.71 GMC blower to burn off the nitro. Aluminum heads. Inside is a Schneider roller cam and valve train with Manely stainless-steel valves and Crower rocker arms and valve springs. It is driven by a set of JE pistons and Howard connecting rods in an original GM cast-iron block. It was then backed up with a Lenco three-speed transmission, direct drive with a Crowerglide Clutch encased in a Pro Bell bell housing.

Rear: Lenco Ford 9 inch

Chassis: Pro-Built Byron Blair chassis for this 1970 Chevy Nova.

Race certification ready: Randy says, “All this car needs to race is the 3 Safety Blanks, new rear tires and a chassis inspection by NHRA (it will pass) and then turn 6.5 second et’s at 215-220 mph real easy.”

♦ ♦ ♦

Terms of sale: This car is being made available for the first time January 1, 2009. We are now accepting offers. Please contact Don Burdge at 619.804.8033. If you have questions feel free to contact Don or view the full-presentation and history of this, and his other historic race cars at www.HistoricRaceCarForum.com.