wagner Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 One of the best ever in drag racing and did a lot for racing in general Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagner Posted March 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 http://www.mshf.com/hof/jenkins_bill.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patterson Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Wow. The man had a great career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagner Posted March 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Wow. The man had a great career. William Tyler "Grumpy" Jenkins (born 1930) (died March 29th 2012) is an engine builder and retired drag racer. Between 1965 and 1975 he won a total of thirteen NHRA drag races.[1] Jenkins raced in the clutchless planetary gear transmission era. Most of these wins were won with a manually shifted four speed transmission. In 1972 he recorded 250 straight runs without missing a gear shift.[1] He was formally trained as a mechanical engineer at Cornell University, and he used his training and skills to build engines.[2] He has been inducted in numerous motorsports halls of fame for his engine building skills in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock division. His innovations include drag racing's first kickout oil pans, Pro Stock strut-style front suspension, and dry sump oiling system, and cool cans, electric water pump fan, gas port pistons, and slick-shift manual transmissions.[2] Considered the "Father of Pro Stock", Jenkins-built engines were used to win five NHRA Pro Stock championships and three American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) championships.[3] He was nicknamed "Grumpy" for having a no-nonsense attitude at races.[1] The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America said: "his continual search for improved performance left little time for idle chatter with his racing colleagues."[1] Jenkins grew up in Malvern, Pennsylvania.[4] He began drag racing in a 1955 Chevrolet convertible at Berwyn, Pennsylvania. He became nationally known after helping to build 30 cars that set national records.[2] He became known in national circles as the engine builder for Dave Strickler in the early 1960s. Jenkins teamed with Dave Strickler to win the 1963 Little Eliminator Nationals with an A/FX 427 Chevy.[2] He drove Hemi-powered Dodges in 1964 and 1965 after Chevy left drag racing early in the 1963 season. His first driving victory was at the 1965 WinterNationals in a Dodge Black Arrow. In 1964 Jenkins and Strickler travelled to England, as part of the U.S. Drag Racing team, to take part in the First International Drag Festival, a series of six events held that fall. Jenkins couldn't agree on terms with Chrysler for 1966, so he decided to run a Chevy independently by making his own Chevy engine package.[2] Without factory support, Jenkins developed his first "Grumpy's Toy", a 327 cubic inch / 350 horsepower Chevy II. When he found out that the compact car was to be placed in the same class as the 426 Hemi-powered / 425 horsepower Dodge and Plymouth muscle cars, he commented that it "looked like a pretty good gimmick at the time".[2] The lower displacement engine in the smaller car was able to outrun the larger engines in the heavier cars. He set a class record with a 11.66 second run.[2] He was added to Chevrolet's team in 1967. He became known as the premiere normally aspirated drag race engine builder after his victory at the 1967 Nationals Super Stock event.[1] He joined the Pro Stock division when NHRA started it in 1970. He won the first two events of the year (the Winternationals and Gatornationals) in a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro.[1] After going winless in 1971, NHRA changed the 1972 rules to allow drivers with a small block wedge engine to run a lighter car. He used a small block 331 cubic inch engine in a Chevrolet Vega fitted in the division's first tube chassis.[1] Jenkins showed up at the 1972 Winternationals with the untested Vega. He had a subpar 9.90 second run to qualify 17th of the 32 entries at the season opening event. After reconfiguring the chassis, the car ran low 9.6 second runs on race day and Jenkins won the event.[2] Jenkins used the car to win five of the first eight events of the season (some events are regional) and six of the eight national events.[2][2] Jenkins earned a total of $250,000 that year, including event and manufacturer support.[2] He matched Wilt Chamberlain as the professional athlete with the highest salary in the United States.[2] That year he was featured in Time magazine, the first drag racer to experience mainstream national coverage.[2] Jenkins built a Vega in 1974 (dubbed Grumpy's Toy XI) that had several firsts which impacted future drag racing cars. Innovations that are still standard equipment on drag cars include the first dry sump oiling system and a McPherson strut front-suspension configuration.[2] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickey4271647545519 Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 One my favroite drag racing heros. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 RIP What an awesome guy, and an amazing career. He forgot more then all of the technicians on CR will ever know about engines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTA09 Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 RIP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagner Posted March 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 RIP What an awesome guy, and an amazing career. He forgot more then all of the technicians on CR will ever know about engines. I was lucky to meet Grumpy a few times at the track. Always had a notebook on him taking notes of each pass for the car he was helping. Him and that damn cigar too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
excell Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Super sad. I met Grumpy several times, always a cordial dude and super humble in spite of all he gave to the sport of racing and the craft of engine building. He had a GREAT life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patterson Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 I always got a kick out of the old Super Stock clips of him driving his Novas. The Vegas were cool too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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