2012 PRO Winter Warm-up
Palm Beach International Raceway, Jupiter, FL

Pat Welsh Interview with Gene Snow Funny Car pioneer, former Top Fuel driver, and A/Fuel dragster owner

SZ: Pat Welsh with Speedzone Magazine.com. What's going on? What are you doing down here in Florida?

GS: I wanted to see how the big guys do it so I decided to come around here. Wanted to get a Top Fuel car but I can't afford it.

SZ: I somehow can't believe that. How about an A/Fuel car?

GS: I think I might have three or four of those. Ha-ha.

SZ: You're still racing A/Fuel dragster?

GS: Yeah I still have them. Spencer (Massey) drove for me and everything and he's down here and he was number two last year and I wanted to see how they're going to run.

So I said, "Shoot I have enough American Airlines courtesy miles so I said I'll just come on down."

SZ: You're still in Texas?

GS: Yes. Fort Worth.

SZ: Did you sell your business off or are you retired now?

GS: No. I'm still drilling oil and gas wells.

SZ: What's the name of that business?

GS: Actually I'm a partner. My company is Snow Operating Company. I don't do the physical drilling. I take 51% of what they do. And let them do the work. I'm 74 now and I don't want to work that hard.

SZ: The 70's were a big time for you and with the funny cars. A lot of great performances.

GS: The '66 Dodge Dart, the Rambunctious car, right on up to when I quit in '88 or whatever it was yes it's been wonderful.

SZ: What are your best memories from the 60s and 70s? You were really storming the country and setting a lot of performance records.

GS: Well of course as we came up through there and I got to have the first Crowerglide centrifugal clutch in the beginning when they were all running torque converters. That was fun for a while. Keith Black built me my first stroker motor and that kicked their butts for a little while. Just those little milestones that make it be a big jump you know? Really fun.

SZ: Did you get a big performance jump over everyone else with the Crowerglide?

GS: For sure. For sure. And also it was good for about 4-10 mph faster and they had the gear ratio and they could jump out there on me. But if they weren't more than some daylight then they were mine. It was just a matter of time. They would go 189, 190 and I would go 206, 207 and I'd just wave at them. And of course it doesn't take long for everyone to catch on.

SZ: How long did it take for everyone to catch up?

GS: Everyone? Probably two years.

SZ: You did a bit of racing in England.

GS: Yes. Roy Phelps owned that Santa Pod Raceway. Blue Max was over there racing and Raymond Beadle is a good friend of mine. And he said, "You want to go over there?"

And I said, "Not unless it pays plenty of money. "

And Raymond said, "They can pay big money they have big crowds."

And I said, "Because it's a big effort."

So he (Phelps) bought one of my Dodge Chargers and the sea was so rough they couldn't dock and the race was coming up in a couple of days. So I had a Plymouth Arrow and Phelps said, "Snow will you sell me that car too?"

I said, "That's what I run!"

He kept asking me. Phelps said, "Will you sell me that car too?"

I said, "You ain't gonna like it."

He kept on... you know. I gave him a price.

He said, "Be at so and so airport in the morning at 9 o'clock. They're going to load it and fly it over.

I went over and kicked Raymond's butt…the Blue Max.

That was in 78 Arrow right?

Yes. That was a wonderful car.

SZ: I remember that car well. Is it still over there in England?

GS: Both cars are over there-- The Dodge Charger and the Arrow. I don't know specifically where they are. I don't think Roy still has anything to do with Santa Pod.

I just do a chapter in my life and go on to the next one. I remember what I can but I'm not a nostalgia nut that much. Except it's been kind of fun to ride the funny car wave all the way up. Then to get the Top Fuel car and do a lot of interesting things.

My injected nitro car runs good. Real proud of that. It went 279.90 at Indy, almost 280 but somebody got 280 so I didn't get that milestone.

SZ: Who drives that car?

GS: Chase Copeland drives my injected nitro car.

SZ: What do you think of the nostalgia funny car scene right now?

GS: Everyone says I should get into it but I'm not quite ready to get out of heads up mean competition. l got enough in my bank to afford it so we're going to keep going out there and probably do A/Fuel for a long time. I have a half a dozen ideas on things I want to do in A/Fuel and I'd like to be the first one in the fours in A/Fuel. I was the first one in the fours with the Top Fuel dragster (NHRA) and the first 200 mph in a funny car.

So getting to be the first of those things really moves me.

SZ: What do you think it's going to take to get into the fours in A/Fuel?

GS: I'd really not like to tell you because I think I know what it is. Real close.

SZ: More fuel?

GS: They won't let us run but so much fuel.

So I have a 500 inch motor to look at but you can't do that. But in IHRA you can. But without them running Top Fuel I'm not sure they're going to have a good enough track to do that.

SZ: Tell me about the direct drive evolution. Were you one of the first to bring out direct drive?

GS: Well Crower did it and that centrifugal clutch had been out for a while. But it hadn't been applied to drag racing because we were all using torqueflites.

And Bob Mayer-- who's passed away. He said, "Snow I got the solution."

I asked, "What?"

Bob said, "I put together a 4 disc clutch and I think it will make your car run."

I said, "Let's go for it." You know me I'll try anything.

So we put it in there and MY GOSH it ran like a rocket.

SZ: Last time you drove was in 1998?

GS: No it was early 2000's. I flew the injected nitro car. I was going to make one run in it then let Spencer Massey drive it. Then I was going to quit driving.

It went out there and when I took off it knocked me out. My little head was laying sideways. And it went up, flew the throttle wide open, foot on the floor. And it came down, hit the guardrail. Gave me a concussion.

NHRA said, "Don't you think it's about time?"

I said, "I agree. End of deal." So I quit.

I've had some good drivers. I mean Spencer's as good as they get obviously you know that. And Chase can cut 20's on my injected car.

I've had very good drivers. It pisses me off when I think that I can get in there and do better than they do. I just keep a little hold of their collars so I can grab them. No! I'd like to drive again but I ain't gonna do it. I'd probably kill somebody. Me it's bad enough. I don't want to hit nobody else.

SZ: What do you think your legacy is?

Trying everything.

SZ: Did you face a lot of problems with NHRA trying new things?

GS: Back then they welcomed innovation. No problem--welcomed it. Now you can't use titanium bolts without getting permission. And somebody had to police us. I'm not really against that.

But there should be a board that makes the decision. Even though Graham is my very, very good friend.

It's ok. You have to have cops in the town if you're going to have racers. Good analogy in my opinion.

SZ: Do you think when Wally Parks stepped down it started to change?

GS: Right about that time and it wasn't because he stepped down, Steve Gibbs went away. The good old racing guys went away. Of course Graham ran a Top Fuel car. But the thing about it is it became big business--mega mega millions. And when you do that you can't have little leaks.

I am not mad or against NHRA. Nobody likes cops. But the thing about it is: it's good we need somebody to keep the thumb on us. If they did not have 100% with the fuel ice cold I'd of had a 680 inch cubic engine. Running 4.70 at 302 and that's not good because the Top Fuel cars strain to get much better than that.

It's fine. I'm really enjoying my twilight years like this. I just know what the speed limit is and I just stay right under it. Kind of like driving down the highway maybe a few miles over, but not much.

SZ: I got into drag racing through Revell models when I was a kid. I had built your car and everybody else's that had Revell kit.

GS: Who was the first Revell model? Someone said it was mine but I don't think so. It might have been Revellution. I'm not sure.

SZ: I think it goes back further than that. Schumacher had one. Eastern Raider had a Revell model, Keeling and Clayton (California Charger).

GS: They brought out more and more as it obviously became a good fad. Everybody wanted one.

SZ: I mean that was a great way to get kids interested in drag racing. I don't see it happening now. I see kids into texting and computer games.

GS: I had breakfast this morning at an IHOP. I looked around there were at least five people texting.

I said, "Gosh I'd like to have a big old switch and just pull it down and shut all that down."

SZ: That's what everyone's into these days: texting.

GS: I can't do that. Because I haven't tried. I don't really want to know how to do it but I guess before long you're not going to hear any voices. If it was you and I standing there talking soon you'll probably be reading and texting me right?

SZ: So you have a cell phone right? So you have that going? Ha-ha.

GS: Laughs. I have the original thin phone, what from 10 years ago? And that's the only phone I have.

SZ: Good talking to you Gene I really appreciate your time. Thank you.

GS: Any time.