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This shot started discussion someplace else…so I moved it all here:
From what I can remember, he also lettered it the Bardhal Bug. I don’t know if it was before or after that crash he had into the crowd at NY National. “Leadfoot” Charlie, had some bad luck with this car. Another time he was up in Canada and was doing burnouts off the line in the Bardhal Bug with the door open and was leaning out to see and he fell out of the cab, landed on the asphalt and drove over himself. Half of the track crew was running to help Charlie and the rest chasing the truck as it rolled down the strip. Charlie had no insurance outside of the United States, so refused to go to a Canadian hospital. He insisted on being driven to the U.S.A. and then having an ambulance called. Charlie was back racing that following year.
Leadfoot” Charile also crashed at NY National in the right lane at about the 1,000′ mark. I have a photo I will post. I thought it was the Barhaul Bug that crashed into the crowd. So many of the wheelstanders crashed bach then including the Litte Red wago, that almost took Bill “Mavericks” life.
Andy Plain Busted
Dino answered:
So About this VW Wheelstander …Got two drivers and three names ?Al Hanna …Leadfoot Charlie and ….Either BARDAHL BUG …..WILD THING OR ….Super HEMI -BUG…. what gives ?…I Remember seeing the Bardahl Bug “testing” at Dover and having real problems trying to ‘get it up’ …to the point they quit that day and packed it up.
Accident at N.Y.National with “Wild Thing”….AHRA Summernationals…1968…Billy C. was there.
From what I can remember, he also lettered it the Bardhal Bug. I don’t know if it was before or after that crash he had into the crowd at NY National. “Leadfoot” Charlie, had some bad luck with this car. Another time he was up in Canada and was doing burnouts off the line in the Bardhal Bug with the door open and was leaning out to see and he fell out of the cab, landed on the asphalt and drove over himself. Half of the track crew was running to help Charlie and the rest chasing the truck as it rolled down the strip. Charlie had no insurance outside of the United States, so refused to go to a Canadian hospital. He insisted on being driven to the U.S.A. and then having an ambulance called. Charlie was back racing that following year.
Leadfoot” Charile also crashed at NY National in the right lane at about the 1,000′ mark. I have a photo I will post. I thought it was the Barhaul Bug that crashed into the crowd. So many of the wheelstanders crashed bach then including the Litte Red wago, that almost took Bill “Mavericks” life.
Dino answered:
So About this VW Wheelstander …Got two drivers and three names ?Al Hanna …Leadfoot Charlie and ….Either BARDAHL BUG …..WILD THING OR ….Super HEMI -BUG…. what gives ?…I Remember seeing the Bardahl Bug “testing” at Dover and having real problems trying to ‘get it up’ …to the point they quit that day and packed it up.
OK GANG ….”LEADFOOT CHARLIE HOLMES” JUST CALLED to Set the record Straight.
Always We get the Real Truth ……
He never ran Himself over …That was his partner Joe Vanni. Joe tried to pull off Charlie’s trick of jumping out of the truck ,taking a bow and throwing his Helmut in the air(the crowd loved it).But they way Charlie did it ,was to turn the truck OFF …let it coast. Joe DIDN’T do that ..it got stuck in gear -running and Did run him over. Charlie Is noted for having the original No.1 Wheelstander Drivers license ever by NHRA. Problem was,the wheelstanders we having so many crashes….NHRA wanted them licensed. So Charlie got No.1 .BUT Bill ‘Maverick ” Golden (little red wagon) wanted No. 1 and pulled some political moves ,and Charlie got a letter telling him to send it back, He did ,as he said like a dummy and refilled later getting No.6 Still pissed at NHRA over that. He Drove The Bardahl Bug…Later The Hemi Bug …then lastly the Super Hemi-Bug for 8 years. Lynwood Hardy only drove it for two months. He never crashed at New York National and since then has operated a garage in Rhode Island. He’s going to be 72 in Aug. And is planning to be at our event. So There …’and that’s the truth” ,right from the horses mouth.