Paul GOMMI on BERNIE SHACKER

[dinoKeymaster]

Paul’s a WEALTH of info …in another post about his first Fueler,he related he got Bernie Schacker to build him the Chassis ..So I asked him for some more background.This is what He sent :

Bernie Schacker lived on Long Island, (I think Lindenhurst.) He and partners ran the Delta V Dragster, a blown small block on fuel. Tom Gilmer
was a partner (I think related to Gilmer Belts). Bernie was an electrical contractor as I remember. I would ride from Connecticut on a Honda motorcycle (to save money) out to Bernie’s house during the day and prepare and cut tubes and fit stuff, and when Bernie got home, he would heliarc weld the tubing. As far as I know, he built the Delta V Dragster, then my super light (.035″ car). At one point, we ran Englishtown and when I pulled the chute, the engine ripped the motor mounts right out and slid down the frame rails. It was a miracle I wasn’t killed. We won the round and we actually slid the engine back and bailing wired it to the frame and pushed down for the final. I went up and staged and hoped the other guy would red light, or break. He didn’t.
Then we built the “Beast From the East”. I do not know of Bernie building any other cars for anyone but himself. He was a great craftsman. After I came to California, Bernie built a rear engined Dragster with an iron 392. IT WAS REALLY THE BLUEPRINT FOR ALL MODERN DAY REAR ENGINED DRAGSTERS.
Garlits actually looked at Bernie’s dragster and Mark Williams’ Kiaser Brothers car before building his first rear engined car. It’s too bad Bernie was not an engine guy too, because his car was way ahead of its time. I don’t know what happened to him after that. I have no idea what ever happened to the “Beast”. I left it with him (we were partners) and I took the engine and some mechanicals with me to California. and went to work for Shelby and after we won Le Mans, went to work for Keith Black developing the 426 for racing.

…………….Bernie DID run at Dover…with a couple of other fuelers in a booked in “show” A&P Automotive,East Coast Headers,Fred Forkner and others …looking for photos.FOUND THIS on Bernies Rear Enginerd Car:

http://www.draglist.com/stories/SOD%20Sep%202000/SOD-091200.htm

[dinoKeymaster]

PAUL doesn’t Known what happened to Bernie BUT we Do …He’s still on Long Island …See this article and noice it says “Bernie Stopped by”
http://www.longislandexchange.com/press/2009/08/27/east-neck-auto-hsbc-bank-show-support-for-wounded-warrior-project/

[gene-terenzio-srParticipant]

If I’m not mistaken Bernie built one of Antone’s cars, never ceases to amaze me how people(garlits) take credit for other peoples ideas.Don bet you feel like a big salami now that the truth is out!!

[randy-fish]

I remember Shacker running a successful blown alcohol dragster into the late ’80s (at least). If my aging memory serves me, it had an unusual body configuration.

[dinoKeymaster]

Here Ya Go….Did my own Dover CSI…Found a cool contact AND will be calling Bernie!

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[dinoKeymaster]

Bernie ran at Dover as early as 1964…Brian’s Stash unvieled this ! One (June)is cropped down (I Am in Process of Scanning ALL of Brian’s ECD and will post entire articles in Dover Chronicals) Put the entire Aug article here…Shacker–>”new Car” in Aug.? Good reading..Many familiar names and some questions in writing -spelling …. also coming events .Sanford Ad -$ -interesting ..Enjoy

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[striker59]

Just found this page by searching for Bernie, do you remember his friend, Tom Ingrao, Toms Speed Shop in Lindenhurst? Bernie and Tom were good friends, I was a teenage kid who lived across the street from Toms Speed Shop. Went racing with him when he had his A fuel dragster, injected 283. Then he moved up to AA fuel. I remember Bernies “Beast From The East”. It was green and had a big tail that swooped up and a dragons mouth. One time he was showing it at a mall on LI and his tow car broke down, so Tom and I went out to help him. One time Bernie had a blower belt break and it cut a fuel line, big fire but he only hurt his hand a little (forget what track that was). We raced mostly in Center Moriches and travelled to a few others, like Englishtown and Dover. Fun times.

[pacers-auto-incParticipant]

Hi guys…

Bernie is doing just fine and is still one of the finest fabricators on Long Island.

He was just inducted this past October into the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame. There is coverage in the March 2012 issue of Drag Racing Action.

Well done, Bernie!

[Author]

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