Hogan back at Ruapuna

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 36

Hogan back at Ruapuna

Garth Hogan, well known in motor-racing schools for his quartermile records, is making an appearance at Ruapuna Speedway on Sunday in his 3000 horsepower dragster.

Reputed to be the fastest drag racer in the world outside of the United States, Hogan, aged 41, of Auckland, will be attempting to better his performance set in March last year when he broke the track record on the quarter-mile strip.

Then he set a time of 5.8 s at a top speed of 236 miles an hour. His aim on Sunday is to record another five second run. Hogan’s experience at travelling at more than 200 miles an hour in such a short distance goes back more than 10 years.

In 1978 he owned a 392 cu in Chrysler V 8 in a Ford Capri body. This did not give him quite enough speed, but after repowering with a 426 cu in Chrysler the machine broke the magical barrier.

After selling that car, he bought a railcar but soon sold it because it was too slow. His next car was a Mitsubishi Celeste with a 447 cu in Donovan engine. Early on this car established Hogan firmly in the 200-miie-an-hour class with a 6.675, 210-mile-an-hour run at the Australian nationals.

He sold that car the next year for another top fuel dragster. This machine gave him another runner’s-up trophy with a time of 6.215. With a new chassis from the United States

Hogan set out in his bid for a sub-six-second time. By grafting a new JP-1 engine and Lenco transmission into the new rail he was well on the way.

Using an updated fuel system he smashed the barrier with a 5.68 s run at 242.58 m.p.h. Since then he has never looked back.

Also racing on Sunday will be Wellington’s Alan Dunlop in a new all American Mustang funny car. Dunlop recorded a time of 6.8 s at 201 m.p.h. in Hastings two weeks ago. He will be match racing against the Christchurch team of Ron Collett and Dick Powell. These two have their 1987 national title winning machine — a 187 m.p.h. top alcohol dragster.