![]() ![]() After the Mustang, in 1982 they began running a Dodge Omni, which was followed by a Firebird that was purchased from Dale Pulde about a year or two later. They also went on tour, running at tracks like Indianapolis Raceway Park, Union Groove, and other popular venues.Īfter Flournoy completed his licensing runs in a nitro funny car, his father bought Jerry Ruth's former Competition Specialties Mustang Mach 1 Funny Car entry for Rodney to drive, setting the stage for a career in which he would drive a variety of quarter-mile vehicles. He helped provide the tune-up for John's first five-second run against Dennis Baca at Orange County Int'l Raceway around that time. His parents started taking him to the races when he was 2 years old, and as soon as he could hold a wrench in his hand, they had him helping out with the team.īy the time he was 16, he was the head crew chief for John Kimbles's top fuel car in the mid-1970's.įlournoy's Mustang Mach 1 Bakersfield (CA) 1979 He ran top fuel and injected-gas entries at tracks like San Fernando, Lions, and Bakersfield. Flournoy said, his dad basically came from the Jazzy Nelson and Jim Nelson era of drag racing. Among his many career highlights was qualifying for all three of the above fields at a Bakersfield (CA) March Meet.įlournoy is quick to credit the influence of his father, Eddie, for his own racing efforts. He campaigned extensively in Nitro Funny Car, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and Top Alcohol Dragster. Rodney, a popular West Coast drag racing competitor from the mid-1970's through the mid-1990's. " I thank we have come a long way but, we still have a ways to go." "And people were shocked to see there was a Black driver. "We would go to Orange County Speedway," Mr. "They had their rules, but when I got to the racetrack, I had my own rules (winning)."Įven when his son Rodney followed him into drag racing, the discrimination was still pretty evident. "It was strange, but you had to deal with it," Mr. Flournoy often had to sleep in his car when competing at races because the hotels were for whites only. He was one of the first black nitro tuners during the time that Blacks were heavily discriminated against, Mr. He set association and national records for elapsed time and held the Palmdale track record for five years from 1968 to 1973. At 70, he still builds cars and engines in the Los Angeles area and is a noted expert at running nitro Funny Cars. We are here to celebrate their past and present accomplishments and contributions to the world of drag racing. There have been many outstanding Black drag racers over the past 50 + years, and they are making new inroads today. PROJECTS PHOTO GALLERY MERCHANDISE FEEDBACK CLASSIFIEDS CONTACT US MESSAGE BOARD HOME NEWS ABOUT US COLUMNS TECH TALK PRODUCT TALK PRODUCT NEWS RACE COVERAGE ![]()
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