don-kauer.
dino
Here’s the old ‘Copper Head’ gettin it on at the fast track…remember Frank? went on to run the “Travel Agent ” funny car amoung other notable projects. This is the first of his old scrap book shots he dug out and got to me through Brian.Scanning and editting the whole batch and will be adding to ODF gallerys soon. I’ll pop a few more here for kicks.
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Classic history moment from Franks collection…Running SS/J now in left photo and running Bobby Lagana’s Pro Camaro in right photo. Another dusty hot day at Dover …about 1970.
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“so ya wanna run …or what?”
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1969… …the Beatles release “Yellow Submarine and , with Billy Preston, gave their final live performance on the roof of the Apple building in London..Armstrong steps on the moon ..Easy Rider…Bell Bottom Jeans and tie-dye shirts … Gas was 35 CENTS a gallon..Woodstock …Nixon takes office…first U.S. troop withdrawls from Viet Nam…The 747 is debuted…………….AND FRANK MANCUSO wins Super Stock Elim.:
lot of familiar names here, good reading.
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More from Franks personal shots…On Display for some promotion at First Perfomance with Iorizzo’s Impala …both still hooked to tow bars.
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Frank had one of the few shots of Lagana’s (Bros.) Pro Camaro…ramp trucks at N.Y. National…Frank in his brown racing shirt.
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More Of the ‘brown version’ of “Copper Head” SS/J …was red in 68
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Moved up to B/FX…remember that ?…with the first of the “Travel Agents” …here at Summernationals.
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Then came his Driving chores in the ‘Travel Agent’ , Ed Pink powered Funny car.
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Heres Some More History on Franks Racing
…In 1972 Ron Leaf and Frank Mancuso teamed up on the pictured Vega in Div 1….They’de test at Dover… In 73 team hit the road… season highlight was qualifying 3rd at the NHRA Grandnationals and taking the runner-up spot to Dale Emery in the Jeg’s Camaro. In 74 Bob Lagana took over the reins of the Vega with Mancuso and Leaf getting back together in 77. In 78 they bought the ex-Rolling Thunder Monza and nicknamed the car “Travel Agent.” Team got off to an unceremonious when car flipped over the guardrail at the Gatornationals; came back to win the Div 1 flopper title later in the year despite the jet accident at Englishtown that knocked the team out mid-season. An Omni bodied “Travel Agent” carried the team into the 80s. In Mancuso’s words “We continued on until 1984… qualifying, and going a few rounds now and then…” before calling it quits. (Photo courtesy of Drag Racing Memories, info courtesy of Frank Mancuso)…
Frank Mancuso and his Travel Agent cars were one of the best independent fuel funny car acts of the early eighties. Mancuso managed to qualify for a couple of NHRA races, but he is better remembered for solid match racing efforts. The 120″ wheelbase Omni was owned by Mancuso, Novak, & DeLucia. A Keith Black Hemi powered the black Dodge to a best of 6.15 at 222…………………Interesting …Both Leaf And Mancuso started thier racing at Dover in the M/P (Leaf with Lagana-The record holding white wagon,that became Egloff’s “Dutch Boys”) ….and Super Stock ranks ( Frank) and continued on to Funny Cars.
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