Another Drag Racing Giant Gone - Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins Made His Last Pass Today At 81
Another of drag racings pioneers and a giant of the sport, Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, died today at 81. He'll be remembered as an avid Bowtie guy, but he had a lot of success driving Mopars from 1964-66. In fact, he won his very first National event at the '65 Winternationals driving a '65 Plymouth.
I couldn't find a pic of the real car but here's a pic of the diecast replica.
A great innovator, he pioneered and developed the use of dry-sump oiling systems, kickout oil pans, strut-style front suspension, gas port pistons, slick-shift manual transmissions, cool cans, and the electric water-pump fan on his cars. RIP Grump, you'll be missed.
