› Forums › Forums › WHERE ARE THEY NOW ? › THe "Brewmaster " AA/FD of Jimmy Messenger
Can’t find too much on the Jim Messenger Fueler out of the Bronx. Believe he made it to Dover. Quialifed 11th at the ’67 Indy Nationals. B U T ….No photos- whereabouts – nothin ! now get this ….Roseanne ,who is assistant to the Dover Town supervisor,IS from the Bronx and remembers Jimmy And the car.Will be talking to her husband ,and trying to get more info. Any of you guys have anything! -?
Best I found so far —But I got his e-mail address! Had a bright yellow enclosed trailer with “brewmaster in big black letters
1968 – : AA/FD, Div: 1
“Brewmaster” Owned by Jim Messenger, Dennis Barbaria & Ed Polchinski from Bronx, New York – Crew Chief: Dennis Barbaria
’67 Dragster by Woody Gilmore .Powered by a 392 cubic inch Chrysler Hemi by Dennis Barbaria with direct drive
1/4 Mile ET: 6.820 . 1/4 Mile MPH: 223.88
1967 – AA/FD, Div: 1
“Brewmaster” Owned by Jim Messenger, Dennis Barbaria & Ed Polchinski from Bronx, New York – Crew Chief: Dennis Barbaria
’65 Dragster by Woody Gilmore – Powered by a 392 cubic inch Chrysler Hemi by Dennis Barbaria with direct drive
1/4 Mile ET: 7.000 at Long Island 67 & Indy | 1/4 Mile MPH: 223.32 at Long Island NY 67 & Indy
Set AHRA mph record in 67 at LI National Raceway at 223 mph. Qualified 11th at 67 Indy nationals out of 32 car field.
Photo By Brian Beatie
… the info well on Jim has gone dry, until I successfully contact him…except that in “69 & ’70 he ran by himself with a new Car name “Eastwind”
Well Well …connecting the dots again….seems Rosanne Rifino ( Dover Town Clerk- …we’re doing backroom planning 😀 ) hung with Jimmy. He was friends of her cousin. Last she heard,he was living in Pound Ridge,N.Y. ….And she went to Dover to watch him .Lived in North Salem for years ,after the Bronx, before settling in Dover. Even went to the Aft North! ‘We have freinds in high places”
Got this on Facebook:
Brian Beattie
Dean, Awhile ago you wrote to me about any pictures of the Brewmaster. I FINALLY found the picture and can not figure out how to attach it correctly. Send me an E-Mail at aafd11@ptd.net and I will send it that way. By the way, I know who owns the car now if you are interested. Sorry about the delay. Brian
Never ran Dover w/the Brewmaster.I ran my 62 vet,then a b/g dragster w/a blown 265 chev and then a a/fd Wieght 950#s w/blow 265 in it.I think that was the last time I ran Dover.Mainly went to Conn dragway,Island, and couple others.
I decided to move to aa/fd after I was racing in conn for top eliminator against a 392 powered dragster from Calif,I forget the name.I blew him off out of the gate by 2 to car lenghts and at the 3/4 point i seen him out of the corner of my eye.He chuggin an went right by me.THATS WHEN I MADE UP MY MIND TO BIG TIME.
I told Terry Cook when i spoke to him after the race and he wrote it up in National Dragster
The east coast cars got no ink in National Dragster except for a few who made the pilgrimage to the west coast
Good to see some old timers still active
jim messenger
Welcome aboard Jim, glad to see your still around. The picture of the dragster next to a yellow trailer and someone working on the right side looks like National Speedway on LI. I think I seen you run their after I moved from NYC to LI.
Any pictures of the Corvette or 265 powered dragster.
Pat
Jim, do you remember a guy named Tom from Lindenhurst? He had a red AA/FD and I believe you did some machine work for him.
JIM….Welcome Aboard!…Hope you can Make our 3rd Nostalgia Drags At Lebanon !
Jim sent me this:
“The Eastwind was my 1965 Woody,the original Brewmaster,which was sold to Lou Ferrante(who just past away) and Billy Hansen who drove it.In 1968 I got a new Woody w/a Hanna fullbody.I ran that until 1971”
jim
FOUND!…The Original “Brewmaster!…Now owned by Dave Quintell, near Syracuse.He bought it from Dick Gaylord about a year age(Dick passed away in Nov.)…Dick helped him get it race ready and it now has a Hemi in it (Blown) on Alky. they ran it a couple of times. Will contact Jimmy and get them together. He’ll be showing it at “Gasoline Alley” -Syracuse Nationals, July 15-16-17.I’ll see if he’ll bring it to our Race. See:
My father was Ed Polchinski. He just passed away on Saturday and I’m learning more and more about him as the days pass. If anyone has any pictures they can share or know how to get in touch with any of the guys in the group picture. I would appreciate it.
Jennifer,
ED aka “Slim” was a good guy knew him well in the late ’60’s. Sorry he is gone. Bruce Hertel