Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
Forums
New posts
Search forums
Members
Registered members
Member Map
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
What's new
New posts
All posts
Trending
Latest activity
New media
New Events
New review items
New Users & BDays
New User Announcements
Birthday Announcements
New classified ads
New showcase items
New classified comments
New showcase comments
Classifieds
New ads
New comments
Latest content
Latest feedback
Latest questions
Advertiser list
Search classifieds
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Events
New events
Donate
My CCF
Toolbox
Mailing Lists
My Shop
Reviews
New items
Latest content
Latest reviews
Latest questions
Brands
Search reviews
Showcase
New items
New comments
Latest content
Latest updates
Latest reviews
Author list
Series list
Search showcase
Log in
Register
Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Members
Registered members
Member Map
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Menu
Install the app
Install
Reply to thread
Corvette
C1 and C2 Forum
Beauty
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Black 03 Z06" data-source="post: 219610" data-attributes="member: 1852"><p>And speaking of burn outs...The story of Don Kirby's Beach City Chevrolet Funny car</p><p></p><p><strong><em>"Don Kirby found out that it was much more profitable to paint funny cars than to own and race one. Kirby's Beach City Chevrolet Corvette was a fan favorite in the late 1960s and early 1970s Southern California racing scene. With drivers like Pat Foster and Gary Gabelich the red 'Vette received many a booking on the left coast. Things were lookin' good when Gabelich took over the driving chores from Foster but soon everything turned sour at a race one evening long ago at Irwindale, California. Gabelich and the roadster style Corvette were on a banzai run when the 'Vette exploded into a ball of flames. Gabelich bailed out quickly as the fire grew hotter and hotter. There at the end of the Irwindale Raceway, the Beach City Chevrolet Corvette burned to the ground.</em></strong></p><p><em><strong>The burned out funny car was returned to Kirby's shop to salvage any usable parts. Soon a new Beach City Chevrolet Corvette returned to SoCal funny car wars. Gabelich gave up the driving chores for a chance to drive the Blue Flame at Bonneville. This opened the seat to veteran top fuel pilot Ronnie Goodsell. Goodsell did okay in Kirby's Corvette but the end was near for BCC #2. At OCIR, while on a single run late on a Saturday night, Goodsell left hard in the right lane (looking down the track); in the finish line lights, the 'Vette erupted into a massive fireball. I was on the top of the OCIR tower watching the Corvette's fiery plight as it crossed over into the left lane and missed the end of the guardrail on that side of the track. The car was ablaze and racing backwards through a group of trees at the far end of the pit area. The car was still on fire when it went through an eight foot chain link fence, up a hill, and on to the Santa Ana Freeway. The car stopped in the slow lane and yes it was still on fire. Goodsell wasted no time getting out as a truck driver stopped his rig and was trying to put the wayward funny car's fire out.</strong></em></p><p><em></em></p><p><strong><em>Fire trucks and CHP were quick to arrive on the scene and the still smoldering wreckage was loaded on its trailer. The CHP officer handed Kirby and Goodsell a ticket for littering on the freeway. That was the end of the Beach City Chevrolet Corvette."</em></strong></p><p><strong><em></em></strong></p><p><strong><em>[ATTACH=full]43165[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]43166[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]43164[/ATTACH]</em></strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Black 03 Z06, post: 219610, member: 1852"] And speaking of burn outs...The story of Don Kirby's Beach City Chevrolet Funny car [B][I]"Don Kirby found out that it was much more profitable to paint funny cars than to own and race one. Kirby's Beach City Chevrolet Corvette was a fan favorite in the late 1960s and early 1970s Southern California racing scene. With drivers like Pat Foster and Gary Gabelich the red 'Vette received many a booking on the left coast. Things were lookin' good when Gabelich took over the driving chores from Foster but soon everything turned sour at a race one evening long ago at Irwindale, California. Gabelich and the roadster style Corvette were on a banzai run when the 'Vette exploded into a ball of flames. Gabelich bailed out quickly as the fire grew hotter and hotter. There at the end of the Irwindale Raceway, the Beach City Chevrolet Corvette burned to the ground.[/I][/B] [I][B]The burned out funny car was returned to Kirby's shop to salvage any usable parts. Soon a new Beach City Chevrolet Corvette returned to SoCal funny car wars. Gabelich gave up the driving chores for a chance to drive the Blue Flame at Bonneville. This opened the seat to veteran top fuel pilot Ronnie Goodsell. Goodsell did okay in Kirby's Corvette but the end was near for BCC #2. At OCIR, while on a single run late on a Saturday night, Goodsell left hard in the right lane (looking down the track); in the finish line lights, the 'Vette erupted into a massive fireball. I was on the top of the OCIR tower watching the Corvette's fiery plight as it crossed over into the left lane and missed the end of the guardrail on that side of the track. The car was ablaze and racing backwards through a group of trees at the far end of the pit area. The car was still on fire when it went through an eight foot chain link fence, up a hill, and on to the Santa Ana Freeway. The car stopped in the slow lane and yes it was still on fire. Goodsell wasted no time getting out as a truck driver stopped his rig and was trying to put the wayward funny car's fire out.[/B] [/I] [B][I]Fire trucks and CHP were quick to arrive on the scene and the still smoldering wreckage was loaded on its trailer. The CHP officer handed Kirby and Goodsell a ticket for littering on the freeway. That was the end of the Beach City Chevrolet Corvette." [ATTACH type="full"]43165[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full"]43166[/ATTACH][ATTACH type="full"]43164[/ATTACH][/I][/B] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Corvette
C1 and C2 Forum
Beauty
Top
Bottom
You're browsing as a
Guest
. Please register to receive all manner of go-faster benefits on CCF. Click
HERE
to login or register.