jeff morocco
10-22-2009, 05:35 PM
a friend of mine had me come over to his shop to see this 70's funny car. so i took some pics. below is the story on the car and pics.
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/circuscuda.jpg
Bob Larimore was a popular Midwest match racer during the mid-70s. He got his start in doorslammers, then moved up to a '23-T A/Altered. Junior fuel racer Ron Rice put his injected fuel Chevy in the altered. Larimore said the car could beat Top Fuelers at U.S. 30 when the fuelers messed up. Bob then had B&N Fiberglass build him a 66 Chevelle body to fit on an A/FA chassis. The lightweight Matchmaker Chevelle debuted in 66 with tons of press. Uncle Sam postponed Larimore's budding funny car career in 1967. When Bob returned home in 1971, he raced Pro Stock for a time. Bob then built the Pegasus Pinto BB/FC with his brother in 1973. The team ran on the Smoker Smith and Nick Boninfante circuits, and had lots of match races at "down home tracks." Bob also found himself filling in on the Coca-Cola Cavalcade of Stars circuit, booked by Ira Litchey's Gold Agency. The Pinto was destroyed in a top end crash at Spartanburg, SC, in 1975. The team rebuilt the chassis from firewall forward and mounted the ex-Don Schumacher Cuda body. Bob recalls that they only missed three or four weeks.
In 1976, Litchey began to demand that Larimore run nitro to get booked. On pop, the 392 Chrysler went 6.80s at first, and finally mid-sixes with a bigger motor and load. The Cuda was renamed the Circus Wagon and finally the Circus Cuda. It began black (as pictured) but was later painted in the familiar white Wonder Wagon scheme to fit the circus theme. Larimore ran down South a lot, hitting IHRA races and nitro match races. Bob raced the Circus Cuda through 76 and then sold it to Chuck Finders. Larimore debuted a new Pinto in 77 and attempted to get his NHRA license. Bob lost the body on the final pass and didn't get the license. Larimore kept racing in match races, where money and fun were more plentiful. Bob said that he raced on scary tracks and suffered a couple of fires, but he managed to make money and have fun. (Gary Hojacki shot; information from Bob Larimore)
it now has an old Don Schumacher body on it (Don came to the shop to verify..AND make an offer to buy body only ) the one in the 1st pic was launched 100 ft in the air and destroyed. his plan is to return it to its former glory when it was painted like the wonder wagon circus theme colors.
anybody remember this car or have any photo's from back in the day ?
here it is now........
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/086.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/087.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/088.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/090.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/082.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/077.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/078.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/circuscuda.jpg
Bob Larimore was a popular Midwest match racer during the mid-70s. He got his start in doorslammers, then moved up to a '23-T A/Altered. Junior fuel racer Ron Rice put his injected fuel Chevy in the altered. Larimore said the car could beat Top Fuelers at U.S. 30 when the fuelers messed up. Bob then had B&N Fiberglass build him a 66 Chevelle body to fit on an A/FA chassis. The lightweight Matchmaker Chevelle debuted in 66 with tons of press. Uncle Sam postponed Larimore's budding funny car career in 1967. When Bob returned home in 1971, he raced Pro Stock for a time. Bob then built the Pegasus Pinto BB/FC with his brother in 1973. The team ran on the Smoker Smith and Nick Boninfante circuits, and had lots of match races at "down home tracks." Bob also found himself filling in on the Coca-Cola Cavalcade of Stars circuit, booked by Ira Litchey's Gold Agency. The Pinto was destroyed in a top end crash at Spartanburg, SC, in 1975. The team rebuilt the chassis from firewall forward and mounted the ex-Don Schumacher Cuda body. Bob recalls that they only missed three or four weeks.
In 1976, Litchey began to demand that Larimore run nitro to get booked. On pop, the 392 Chrysler went 6.80s at first, and finally mid-sixes with a bigger motor and load. The Cuda was renamed the Circus Wagon and finally the Circus Cuda. It began black (as pictured) but was later painted in the familiar white Wonder Wagon scheme to fit the circus theme. Larimore ran down South a lot, hitting IHRA races and nitro match races. Bob raced the Circus Cuda through 76 and then sold it to Chuck Finders. Larimore debuted a new Pinto in 77 and attempted to get his NHRA license. Bob lost the body on the final pass and didn't get the license. Larimore kept racing in match races, where money and fun were more plentiful. Bob said that he raced on scary tracks and suffered a couple of fires, but he managed to make money and have fun. (Gary Hojacki shot; information from Bob Larimore)
it now has an old Don Schumacher body on it (Don came to the shop to verify..AND make an offer to buy body only ) the one in the 1st pic was launched 100 ft in the air and destroyed. his plan is to return it to its former glory when it was painted like the wonder wagon circus theme colors.
anybody remember this car or have any photo's from back in the day ?
here it is now........
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/086.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/087.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/088.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/090.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/082.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/077.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o229/killr68/circus%20cuda/078.jpg