Drag racer goes extra mile to bring home coveted car

Mount Maunganui's Craig Mullan is about to take ownership of half a century of drag racing history.
Mullan flew to California yesterday with partner Andi Whitley to race the "Nitro Ape" fuel-altered dragster at one of the headline nostalgia drag racing events in the United States, before bringing the car back to New Zealand for a local racing campaign next summer.
The couple began their association with the car while living in California during 2009-10.
They saw the car racing and collected some "lucky" souvenir poker chips from owner "Sparky" Horaczko.
While most race teams hand out promotional stickers or cards, the poker chips depicting the car are a novelty item associated with the 1960s-era roadster.
"Then we saw the car again at the Mooneyes Christmas Party at Irwindale Speedway in 2009 and Sparky asked Andi if she wanted to sit in the car while it was fired up for the 'cacklefest'," said Mullan.
The couple returned to New Zealand in September and soon after noticed the car had been listed for sale on the internet.
"We didn't even need to think about it," said Mullan.
So a plan was hatched for a trip to the US to race the car at the Famoso Raceway "March Meet" and then bring it to New Zealand.
The '32 Austin Bantam roadster has a history dating back to the 1960s. Driven by "Bones" Balogh it won the A/Gas class at the NHRA Winternationals in 1962, 63 and 64.
The car has had multiple owners - names include J & J Muffler and Speed Equipment, Hard Luck Blues and The Ape.
Its most recent owner, Horaczko, started running the car on power-boosting nitromethane in 2006 and renamed it "Nitro Ape".
For Mullan, the lead-up to racing the car began with some heavy-duty paperwork.
"I've had to do a full NHRA medical, which is far more stringent than what we have to do here," said Mullan.
Next up are licensing runs at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield on March 5-6, where Mullan will be observed at gradually increasing speeds.
Obtaining a licence also involves passing a test in which Mullan has to be able to operate the kill switches, unbelt himself and exit from the car while fully blindfolded - a test that simulates the car being enveloped in smoke.
"Assuming everything goes right we'll be ready to race at the March Meet [March 19-20] two weeks after that."
Mullan believes he would be the first Kiwi to race at the March Meet in its 53-year history.
"There are two big meetings each year that Kiwis like to go to - the March Meet and the Hot Rod Reunion - and both are at Famoso. As far as we know no Kiwi has ever raced at the March Meet."
Racing a fuel-altered car will be a big step up in performance for Mullan, who drag raced a variety of street cars before campaigning the "Bad Newz" big block '32 Bantam altered, which has posted a best of 9.68sec.
Nitro Ape is considerably quicker, with its 6.7-litre small-block Chev V8 developing 800-1200bhp - depending on the percentage of nitromethane mixed with the methanol.
"The car's best ET was 7.57sec at 189mph when they were tipping the nitro in," said Mullan.
A conservative tune-up will see the car run in the 8.60 bracket at the March Meet.
"I've been out of a race car for two years," said Mullan. "I'm not going to win, it's mainly about the experience of racing at the March Meet and learning how to run the car from the guys who have been racing it.
"Then I'm keen to get it home. We plan to race in Top Alcohol next year and match race as much as we can with the Fiat Topolino altered of Dave Gould from Te Puke.
"His car is from a similar era with a short wheelbase and it's a crowd favourite."
Because its previous owner has quit racing, the car comes with a host of spare parts and even a website documenting its history that Mullan plans to reactivate and update.
"We get the whole operation including spare parachutes, gas masks and tools. The only thing we haven't got is the trailer because it's not practical for New Zealand roads," Mullan said.
"We hope to campaign the car as much as we can. Nostalgia racing is huge in America and it's growing here."
Mullan says Nitro Ape is the type of car that has been his dream to race. "The fuel-altereds are the race cars that appeal the most to me," he said.
"They've got lots of power with a short wheelbase and that makes them very twitchy.
"They put on a great show."