Despite the stock wheelbase, Bill Shirey's Plymouth was a funny car with an injected Hemi under the hood and a drag chute on the rear bumper.
The Professor Plymouth funny car is pushed off after breaking at Detroit Dragway in 1966. Tom Bonner photo (Kodak Instamatic)
May 1966. Detroit Dragway. I finally got to witness live drag racing. Accompanied by my parents, three friends and I attended an “Invitational” event at the Ditch. I remember it was a blustery, cold day; coats were definitely required. It didn’t matter to us; after dreaming of funny cars for years, we were finally seeing the altered wheelbase machines in person.
Funny Cars on Gasoline?
The only problem was I didn’t know any of the drivers or recognize any of the cars. The midwest didn’t get much press in those days and gas funny cars didn’t rate exposure in any case. The Detroit area could boast a number of nationally-known nitro funny cars: the Ramchargers, Seaton’s Shaker, Roger Lindamood, Dick Jesse, Eddie Schartman (in Roy Steffey’s Comet) and others. The cars at this event, however, were running pump gas. The big racing magazines didn’t devote ink to gas funnies.
The only name I did recognize was Al Bergler. In the years to come, Bergler would earn fame with a series of Motown Shaker flip-top funny cars, but in the spring of 1966 Bergler had yet to enter the funny car ranks. This day, Bergler was running in the competition eliminator with his well-known supercharged Chrysler powered altered. As for the funny cars, it was like we had entered a strange alternate universe. The cars looked and ran like funny cars, but both the drivers and cars had strange, unfamiliar names.
Stock Wheelbase, but a true Funny Car
The car in the photo above in Bill Shirey’s “The Professor” Plymouth. At first glance, calling it a funny car seems like a stretch. It has a stock wheelbase, and except for the lettering, it looks like a glorified grocery-getter. Look more closely, however, and you will detect a drag chute above the rear bumper. Further inspection reveals foot-high injector stacks protruding through the hood. That indicates the big Plymouth relied on a fuel-injected hemi for power.
I didn’t know it then, but Shiery at one time was part of the famous “Golden Commandos.” The Commandos were comprised of Chrysler engineers, similar to the Ramchargers. What the Rams were to the Dodge division, the Golden Commandos were to Plymouth.
At some point, Shiery left the team to campaign his own car. I can’t say for sure, but I think this car might have been Shirey’s first ride after leaving the Commandos.
In the following years, Shirey would switch to an A/FX Dodge Coronet that would run deep into the nines on nitro – not bad for that era. This wasn’t a good day for Shirey, however. As you can see, the front wheels are cocked to the right and someone is leaning on the rear fender. I can’t remember this particular run (over forty years ago!) but it looks like Shirey’s Plymouth broke on the starting line and they are starting to push him off.
From quarter-mile to high-bank ovals?
I don’t remember seeing Shirey after this event. Google found a Bill Shirey from Detroit who drove in the NASCAR cup series from 1969 to 1972. Did the former funny car driver move to the high bank NASCAR ovals? It would be a huge coincidence if that was a different Shirey.
I don’t know where the “Professor” name came from. As far as I know, there is no connection to Kelly “the Professor” Chadwick who campaigned a series of Chevy funny cars out of Texas in the late ’60s and early ’70s.
The original Detroit Dragway Tower
In the background, you can see the original Detroit Dragway “tower.” It wasn’t really a tower; instead it was a trailer that was converted into timing station and announcing booth. In the late ’70s, track manager John Broaden would build an honest tower at the track. The old trailer, however would continue in service for another ten years after this photo was taken.
The tower carries the oversize NHRA logo. Detroit Dragway started as an NHRA track in 1959 and continued under NHRA sanction through 1966. The track switched to UHRA and AHRA rules in later years, before returninmg to the NHRA fold in in 1977.
10 thoughts on “Bill Shirey “The Professor” funny car | Detroit Dragway”
The name “Professor” came from the dealership’s name that Bill Shirey worked at as Used Car Mgr. (University Plymouth on Livernois in Detroit)
I worked there as well and I drove the “Student” Barracuda
Derrick, thanks for the info. Another lingering question laid to rest!
–Tom
Rick,
Your comment is very interesting. I wonder if there’s any chance the dealership’s sales records still exist somewhere.
I have a 65 Belvedere Street Wedge cars that I’m always
looking for info on. I got it several years ago and was told it was
raced by Bill Shirey as “The Professor”, but I have no concrete
evidence of this. I’ve seen pictures of “The Professor”, and the roll
cage and such look the same, and it was delivered to the same
dealership that Shirey took deliveries to, but other than that I
haven’t been able to dig anything up or contact Bill Shirey or his
family. I contacted a Shirey in PA who races Max Wedge nostalgia
classes, but they’re unrelated. It’s originally a 426 Street Wedge 4
speed blue car. It now has a 383.
I’d certainly be interested if anyone has info or pictures of Bill
Shirey and “The Professor”.
– Jim
I’m Bill Shirey’s son. Though I was very young, I remember the student (Barracuda)
very well. As for where the name came from, your half right, he was working at the dealership that sponsered the car and the High performance club he started. The name came from my Mother in a friendly argument acussing him as thinking he was the smartest. Also, the picture of the professor, my Mother drew, I still have his orginal racing helment with the Professor pict. on the side that he took all the way with him to NASCAR. I remember this stuff very vividly because soon after or during, they were not so friendly torwards one another.
My dad owned University Plymouth and I drove to Student before I went to college and then Rick took over the wheel. I have been trying to run down Rick or Bill Shirey for a number of years now. If you have info please email me at dave@mopardave.com I have re-created The Student as it existed in 1964 and would be glad to share pictures. I would love to hear from Mark Shirey as well.
Hi Mark Shirey, ….I need to talk to you….My name is Erik…..I have a 1965 Race Hemi Plymouth factory car. I am convinced its your dads old car. Hope you may see this comment !!!!!!!
Hi I’m Bill’s grandson Paul. I believe Bill had passed away a few years ago. I’ve been looking for information about him since i didn’t see him very much. I have that picture of him with the drag car hanging in my room. My mother is his daughter. I did see him a little bit in my 20″s. I knew he worked for Chrysler but not sure what capacity. I owned a ’95 Dodge Ram pace truck in the 90’s when he visited and he loved it i was watching Mecum auction last night and thought of him, they were auctioning off old 60’s drag cars.
Dave Todd again. Same question and offer as above, but email change to dtodd@cbmc.com. To Paul and Mark, I have a picture of Bill and me standing next to the Student at the Nationals in Indy in ’64. It’s a real good picture of him.
I was good friends with the Shirey kids back in the day… I spent alot of time with Mike the oldest who I would like to know if he is still with us, also Nina the daughter back when I was going to Edsel Ford High in Dearborn. Mark or Paul please let Mike and Nina I said hello and hope all is well. I live in Brighton and am on facebook… I remember when Bill would bring his drag cars home and fire them up just to get the neighbors going.. The good old days…
I am also pretty sure Bill Drove the Golden Commando as well as the Professor…
The name “Professor” came from the dealership’s name that Bill Shirey worked at as Used Car Mgr. (University Plymouth on Livernois in Detroit)
I worked there as well and I drove the “Student” Barracuda
Derrick, thanks for the info. Another lingering question laid to rest!
–Tom
Rick,
Your comment is very interesting. I wonder if there’s any chance the dealership’s sales records still exist somewhere.
I have a 65 Belvedere Street Wedge cars that I’m always
looking for info on. I got it several years ago and was told it was
raced by Bill Shirey as “The Professor”, but I have no concrete
evidence of this. I’ve seen pictures of “The Professor”, and the roll
cage and such look the same, and it was delivered to the same
dealership that Shirey took deliveries to, but other than that I
haven’t been able to dig anything up or contact Bill Shirey or his
family. I contacted a Shirey in PA who races Max Wedge nostalgia
classes, but they’re unrelated. It’s originally a 426 Street Wedge 4
speed blue car. It now has a 383.
I’d certainly be interested if anyone has info or pictures of Bill
Shirey and “The Professor”.
– Jim
I’m Bill Shirey’s son. Though I was very young, I remember the student (Barracuda)
very well. As for where the name came from, your half right, he was working at the dealership that sponsered the car and the High performance club he started. The name came from my Mother in a friendly argument acussing him as thinking he was the smartest. Also, the picture of the professor, my Mother drew, I still have his orginal racing helment with the Professor pict. on the side that he took all the way with him to NASCAR. I remember this stuff very vividly because soon after or during, they were not so friendly torwards one another.
My dad owned University Plymouth and I drove to Student before I went to college and then Rick took over the wheel. I have been trying to run down Rick or Bill Shirey for a number of years now. If you have info please email me at dave@mopardave.com I have re-created The Student as it existed in 1964 and would be glad to share pictures. I would love to hear from Mark Shirey as well.
Hi Mark Shirey, ….I need to talk to you….My name is Erik…..I have a 1965 Race Hemi Plymouth factory car. I am convinced its your dads old car. Hope you may see this comment !!!!!!!
Hi I’m Bill’s grandson Paul. I believe Bill had passed away a few years ago. I’ve been looking for information about him since i didn’t see him very much. I have that picture of him with the drag car hanging in my room. My mother is his daughter. I did see him a little bit in my 20″s. I knew he worked for Chrysler but not sure what capacity. I owned a ’95 Dodge Ram pace truck in the 90’s when he visited and he loved it i was watching Mecum auction last night and thought of him, they were auctioning off old 60’s drag cars.
Dave Todd again. Same question and offer as above, but email change to dtodd@cbmc.com. To Paul and Mark, I have a picture of Bill and me standing next to the Student at the Nationals in Indy in ’64. It’s a real good picture of him.
I was good friends with the Shirey kids back in the day… I spent alot of time with Mike the oldest who I would like to know if he is still with us, also Nina the daughter back when I was going to Edsel Ford High in Dearborn. Mark or Paul please let Mike and Nina I said hello and hope all is well. I live in Brighton and am on facebook… I remember when Bill would bring his drag cars home and fire them up just to get the neighbors going.. The good old days…
I am also pretty sure Bill Drove the Golden Commando as well as the Professor…