Billy Lynch was a major player
in both Top Gas and Top Fuel racing on the east coast throughout
the 60’s. In 1967 Billy lynch went on the pro circuit full-time,
and racked up the following wins: winner of the 1967 NASCAR Spring
Nationals at St Mary’s Drag way, Maryland winner of 1967
A.H.R.A. Nationals, at New York National Speedway, runner-up
at the 1967 NASCAR Nationals, at Atco, New Jersey, winner of
the 1967 NHRA Northeast Division 1 Points Championship and A.H.R.A.
ET record holder all in Top Gas.
On off weekends Billy would pull
the gas engine out of his Race Car Specialties dragster and install
Mike Sforza’s fuel motor and go out and compete in top fuel
races. Like so many racers before and after, he left the sport
in 1970 to pursue family and business ventures. After a 20 year
hiatus from competition, Billy again returned to the sport he
loved, Top Fuel Racing. Billy recruited Jack Ostrander to drive
in 1990 until a top end crash in Sonoma, California. In 1991
Billy returned with another Top Fuel Dragster with Funny Car
Champion Al Segrini at the wheel, and Big Jim Dunn as the tuner.
Billy had such notables as Ken Veney and Leonard Hughes tune
for him until retiring from Competition in 1995.
In October 2007 Lynch was inducted
into the East Coast drag times Hall Of Fame.
In September 2006 it was only natural to go back to basics and
contracted Pat Foster to start the recreation of the car he had
the most success and fun with, The 1967 Race Car Specialties
Dragster.
In early 2006
Billy Lynch, sure that he could never find his original car,
decided to recreate it. After a visit to Cacklefest.com and seeing
who had done what, Lynch elected to go to the master, Pat Foster,
who, at the time, was working on two project for Paul Candies.
Willing to take his place in line, Lynch commissioned Foster
to do his project and that task began in the Fall of 2006.
Having moved
from Oz (Wichita, KS) to Moscow, Idaho and after the completion
of his new shop, Foster was ready to start a new chapter in an
incredible life. After getting his tools, jigs and spotless work
area in order, the Candies cars were done and then Lynch project
began. Little did any of us know it would also be his last.
Unlike Patty,
ironically this project was well documented on film. He was not
one to stop to take photos of his work (no matter how often he
was asked) but a man who did his work - constantly two steps
ahead of himself. We proudly present a great series of photos
documenting the last, but certainly not the only legacy of Pat
Foster.
It should be
said that like most restorations/reproductions some liberties
were taken to make it somewhat nicer that the original RCS car.
A full body was added and for the sake of a good cackle, a nitro
burning 392.
Foster, in his immaculate shop,
with the first piece in place - the motor plate.
Motorplate - front axle
- that's how it started.
The rest of this story will be
mostly in photos. Chassis building 101 by the master.
Pat Foster in Memoriam
Fast forward to Long Island,
New York where the finished car arrived from Idaho in a crate
(minus the body that was shipped separately).
From the crate to a flatbed
for the short trip to Lynch's shop.
Foster took care of all the chrome
and anodizing along with powdercoating the chassis. All Lynch
had to do was drop in the engine he had built while the car was
being done and paint the body.
With the body our for paint,
the engine was dropped into the perfectly duplicated SPE chassis.
All dressed up waiting for a
dance. The plan is to have the car make its official debut at
the 2008 National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, KY.
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