John Peters & Nye Frank
Perhaps no car in the history of drag racing so completely dominated division as the “Freight Train” gas dragster of John peters and Nye Frank. Peters and Frank came out of the pool of the hot-rodding talent on the west side of Los Angeles which produce such stars as Jean Adams, Stu Hilborn, Jack Engle, and The Surfers. Their car began in 1960 as the Quincy Auto dragster utilizing a pair of unblown, bored out 283 Chevy’s mounted nose to tail in a heavy home-built frame. The induction system evolved through several configurations until both engines featured top mounted blowers. It got its nickname in a Drag News story by Judy Thompson because it won a race by “a freight train length”, weighed over 2100 pounds, and puffed black smoke on the starting line. The Freight Trains (there were three different chassis) raced for over a decade and made over 1700 runs in 24 different states at the hands of over a dozen different drivers including: Bob Brissette, Roy “Goober” Tuller, Walt Rhodes, and Bob Muravez (a.k.a. Floyd J Lippencott Jr). The first major win came at the 1962 March Meet, followed by the 1963 Winternationals, three more NHRA national events, two more March Meets, and countless independent races. In 1966, when a new lightweight frame was built, the Train almost immediately hit a 7.99 ET and the cries “ban the train” spread through the Top Gas pits. It was the first in the 7s, first in the 6s, and first over 180, 190, and 200 mph on gas. Muravez once won 28 straight rounds before losing to a red light. By the time Top Gas was discontinued after the 1971 season, the then twin Chrysler powered Freight Train often had as much as a half second advantage over the field. Frank, an outstanding fabricator and metal craftsman, left the crew to build his Pulsator twin engine, unblown top fuel streamliner and assist in several Land Speed Record attempts. Examples of his tremendous talent have appeared on everything from Land Speed Records and Indy cars to the latest state-of-the-art off-road racers. Peters retired after 25 years as a machinist at Engle Cams and would go on to operate Freight Train Racing Engines in Northern California.