Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Neat pic of Thomas's Retribution II on the back tires.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v9...ributionII.jpg

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Here it is in color. Note the sparks from the bumper dragging on the track. The good old days!

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Is this Dick Harrell driving?

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

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Is this Dick Harrell driving?

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I think so.

Something interesting about the name "Retribution II", I was told the car was named that because Dick was upset at NHRA because he had won one of their events, but was later disqaulified because of a protest from another racer, I think Mickey Thompson, and/or one of his drivers. Dick felt it was political, thus was very upset at NHRA. This was why DH became so involved with the AHRA.

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Any way to expound on what exactly that protest was about?

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

I think engine related.

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Rick,

A couple of incidents that I have heard about was after winning the Winternationals he was disqualified because of the heads on the 62 409. DH's car had the valves ground several times to freshen their sealing ability, which left them recessed, creating more volume, or as we know CC's? Their claim was that more volumn was an illegal advantage, while actually it was creating less compression. Another incident, was his losing a gas cap and stuffing a rag in the filler neck to keep gas from pouring onto the track. He was disqualifed for this as their claim to a safety issue. I don't think he had any problems until he started to become a crowd favorite and eliminating some of the major names of the sport? I think DH felt this, therefore made his decision?

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

I had no idea.
Thanks Tom & Ray.

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Strange how they would pick on a crowd favorite...you would think it should be the other way around...

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

You would know. http://www.watchfarscape.com/forums/...myl%20amis.gif

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

The story I heard! It was Dale Pulde driving the Car. The irony of this is that Dale lives with Dick Harrell's daughter. WOW I don't know if that's true but it makes a damm good story. Kim https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/flag.gif

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Pulde was driving what car ?

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Mickey Thompson's car

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Another rival of Dick's (friendly) was Bruce Larsen, who drove the USA-1 cars. While both raced Chevys, steel bodied and glass, Bruce ran mostly NHRA events. But, during this time period match racing was big, as well as certain events. One of these events was the "Super Stock & Drag Illustrated" magazine event held each year at York US30. In 1969, Bruce defeated DH in the funny car finals, Bruce driving his 1968 Camaro (which he stilll races) and DH in the Gibb/Harrell '69 Camaro.

As always, Bruce's '68 will be featured at the annual York show, along with Dick's '68 flopper.

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Tom, Maybe Dale could come and help you on your Funny he doesn't seem to have anything to do on Sundays. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/eek.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/flag.gif

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Not sure this fits with this topic, but the comment about Bruce Larsen raised a memory of mine.

Around 1989 (or so???) I was looking for a racecar, and answered an ad in the Madison paper about a 1966 Chevelle drag car. Went to look at it (located just northeast of Hwy 30 off Fair Oaks Ave) and it was awfully rough, but complete and even came with a torn down 427. Guy wanted $2,200, but I didn't have the coin and couldn't sell the parents on it.

Car had the notched windshield and firewall much like a picture of Bruce Larsen's 1966 USA-1 I found years later in an old Hot Rod magazine. It was definately a vintage piece, but I had no idea about what the car might be...

Several years later, I went back looking for the car to get another peak, both it and the owner were long gone.

Does anyone know if this car has ever been found or what happened to it?

Blair

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Blair, was this car on mayfair ave?

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Roger,

I checked on mapquest and you have the correct street. It was on (like the corner of burke and mayfair). After I saw the magazine photos years later there was a striking resemblance.

The guy was probably in his early 30's with a young child. Car was packed into a small garage and he showed be the boxes of engine parts.

Blair

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Bumped a great thread back up......guys wondering if anyone has real good hi res pic of Retribution II doing the big wheelie next to McEwen....I had one and cant find it anywhere.

Thnx Bud, https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Bud, there's a couple of still photos of that particular race between Harrell's Retribution II Chevy II and McEwen's rear-engined Hemi Cuda on the Lion's Drag Strip Documentary. Please don't hold me to it, but I wanna say that that particular run was also captured live-action but I couldn't find it exactly when I watched the DVD earlier. That wheelie by Dick Harrell was one of the most famous wheelies of all time! Bud, I know you're a big fan of the early-60's drag racing (like me!) and if you don't have this 3-disc set of the Lions Drag Strip Documentary, you're really missing out on something special. It's great! Kinda pricey, but trust me......it's well worth it and to the younger generation like myself that grew up in the Midwest, I feel very fortunate that someone like Don Gillepie put this thing together for future generations to enjoy. Heck, even people that aren't into drag racing that I know thought this was a great video and sat through the whole thing enjoying it. Here's a link: http://www.lionsvideo.com/index4.html

Re: Bill Thomas Race Car's Retribution II getting air
 

Hope these help a bit.

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'nother

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Black & white

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Black & white

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Thnx Mark, this is the one I am after I had a full screen size of this and lost it somehow, Dam Cool pic when its blown up, great detail!!!. it brings a big smile to my face everytime I see it, story goes he stayed in it through second gear on the bumper, had to be simply awsome to be at the track that day https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/worship.gif