Comments on: The mystery of the Competition + Mustang funny car

By: Scott W

Scott W — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 06:24:26 +0000

I sent in a comment several weeks ago regarding Larry Coleman’s Super Ford Mustang funny car. I was 15 in 1967 and attended numerous races at Lakeland Drag Strip as well as the 67 Springnational, 67 Nationals and 67 World Finals, all as a spectator only. I was hoping that my comment was worthy of some value. I signed up as a subscriber to Vintage-Nitro last week if that helps.

By: JOHN MOLNAR,

JOHN MOLNAR, — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:39:32 +0000

Hey Tm,
I have a couple of photos I could send you but i can’t figure how to attach them. copy past don’t work
John Molnar

By: Tom Bonner

Tom Bonner — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:14:51 +0000

Hey John,

Thanks for your input. It’s great to hear from someone actually involved with the car. If you do find someone with photos from that event, let me know!

Regards, Tom Bonner

By: JOHN MOLNAR,

JOHN MOLNAR, — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:43:48 +0000

I WAS THE CREW CHIEF ON THIS CAR AND SOME BUT NOT ALL THE INFORMATION IS CORRECT. STEVE MCKESSION AND I RAN AT SEVERAL TRACKS, INCL DETROIT, MILAN, GILL KOHENS TRACK IN NEW YORK, US 30 IN YORK PEN WHERE WE RAN AGAINST NICHOLSON, SHYTOWN HUSLER AND JUNGLE JIM AND WENT AIRBORNE AGAINST JUNGLE JIM IN THE SEMIS OF A TWELVE CAR MATCH RACE. WE DID RACE AT LAKELAND DRAGWAY IN MEMPHIS WHERE MCKESSON CLEANED DEL’S CLOCK IN THE COLEMAN TAYLOR MUSTANG AFTER THAT COLEMAN TRIED TO BUY THE CAR ON THE SPOT AND MCKESSON TOLD THEM IT WAS NOT FOR SALE. STEVE DID BLOW THE ENGINE AFTER THE RACE WHEN HE FAILED TO CRANK THE ENGINE OVER TO CLEAN OUT THE CYLINDERS BEFORE TURNING ON THE IGNITION. AFTER RETURNING BACK TO CARLETON, MI THERE WAS A FALLOUT BETWEEN PARTNERS STEVE MCKESSION AND BOB WILHITE. ONLY THEN WAS THE 1967 MUSTANG FUNNY CAR COMPITION + SOLD TO COLEMAN & TAYLOR TRANSMISSION. THE CAR WAS REPAINTED THEIR SIGNITURE GOLD AND BLUE METALFLAKE AND THE FUEL INJECTION WAS REPLACED WITH A BLOWER. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO INDY WHERE DELMAR AND THE CAR MADE IT’S FATAL AND
FINAL RUN.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR PHOTOS THAT ANYONE MIGHT HAVE TAKEN THAT NIGHT IN PENN 1N 1967

JOHN MOLNAR
22176 COLETTE
WOODHAVEN, MI 48183
CELL 734 626-2771

By: Daryl Huffman

Daryl Huffman — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 04:10:18 +0000

The Competition Plus became a Holman- Moody Coleman and Taylor Mustang. It is the car Del died in. McKesson blew the cammer up and sold it to Coleman and Taylor right then and there. Within a months time, Del died in the car. Told to me by Steve McKesson hisself. The old Coleman and Taylor 66 Mustang was later sold to Clester Andrews. It was also Dick Brannans original car.

By: LEE MOORE

LEE MOORE — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 01:07:02 +0000

Sorry, left out most important part..Delmar was driving the Holman-Moody Coleman Taylor Mustang…the car of record at Indy…on Draglist…

By: LEE MOORE

LEE MOORE — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 01:01:48 +0000

Just found info tonight that proves us all wrong! 3 weeks before Delmar was killed, he cleaned everybody’s clock, in Memphis! Among them…Steve McKesson…in the Competition + Mustang! The mystery continues…email me and I’ll send you the link.. What made me think it was the C+ Mustang was all the GUNG-HO references and kidding in the shop coming up to the Nationals..I thought it was the car…the reality was..they were probably joking over the Memphis win!

By: William Sanders

William Sanders — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:20:25 +0000

this is good stuff,
hope you can dig up more information like this to publish

By: Lee Moore

Lee Moore — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 07:00:32 +0000

Daryl is correct. Car was destroyed at 67 Indy and Delmar was killed. I was working at Racing Head Service at the time..and we did all the machine work on Larry’s motors. Woodard told me they thought Del had a heart attack. It was a sad time.

By: Tom Bonner

Tom Bonner — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:49:23 +0000

Hi David,

I saw Paul Stefanski run a number of times at Detroit Dragway. His early flip-top Mustang was a notch-back style called “Boss Hoss.” He later campaigned a fastback fiberglass Mustang he called “Super Stang.” I think Daryl Huffman called this one, as I have found references to Steve McKesson and the Competition + Mustang in old issues of Drag News from 1967.

Thanks for commenting! Tom